Italy vs. Germany – Olympic Basketball (July 25, 2021)

Group B gets underway on July 25^th, with Germany and Italy matching up in what should be a dandy. Both teams are here by virtue of winning their respective qualifying tournaments earlier this month – both have momentum as they saunter into Tokyo.

In Belgrade, Italy downed the Dominican Republic before surging past Serbia in the finale. Over in Split, Germany conquered Croatia and bullied Brazil.

I’ll now preview the matchup on the 25 ^th, starting with the odds. I’ll introduce each team and dive into an Italy vs. Germany pick.

At first glance, 4.5 points seems a little light for this particular Olympic basketball game. Italy is ranked 10^th in the FIBA ranking, Germany clocks in at #17. And while Italy is loaded with talent across the board, as you’ll learn in the next segment, Germany’s roster appears to be on the weaker side.

Italy has a lot to look forward to in Japan. Not only did they defeat a strong Serbia squad to get here, but they’ve since bolstered their Olympic roster with the addition of Danilo Gallinari.

Since winning the 2008 Italian League MVP, “Gallo” has evolved into a big-time player averaging 15.9 points and 4.8 rebounds during his 12-year run in the NBA.

Helping spearhead the Italian attack is Warriors point guard Nico Mannion. The 20-year-old led the way against Serbia with 24 points and will be an integral member of the Italian National Team for many years to come.

Achille Polonara (6’9”) offers versatility off the bench, while wings Simone Fontecchio and Stefano Tonut are there to provide a chunk of the scoring. Fontecchio, a 6’8” 25-year-old, tallied 19.7 points and 6.3 rebounds in the qualifying tournament. Tonut chipped in with 12.7 points per game.

Germany took a hit when Dennis Schroder chose not to play, and therefore, Germany’s odds to win the basketball Olympics have suffered. Currently, at the best places to bet on the Olympics online, only Iran and Japan have longer odds of going home with the gold medal.

The absence of Schroder leaves just two NBA players on the roster – Magic F Moritz Wagner and Wizards G Isaac Bonga. Wager actually played for three teams this past season after stints in Washington and Boston, although his most consistent production came during his final stop in Orlando. The University of Michigan product averaged 11 points and 4.9 rebounds, playing 26 minutes for the Magic down the stretch.

Assisting Wagner in doing the heavy lifting will be Maodo Lo. The 28-year-old point guard dropped 29 points and eight assists in the semis versus Croatia and isn’t afraid to take the big shot. Center Johannes Voigtmann will be leaned on to plug up the post while Mo and Maodo go to work on the outside.

My Italy vs. Germany prediction is that the Italians cruise to a victory to set up a clash with Australia the following Wednesday. Germany has a couple of nice pieces in place, and there’s no doubt that head coach Henrik Rodl is a well-respected leader.

On the other hand, Italy is equally just as well-coached and has a more depth roster. I’m not expecting Germany to advance to the knockout stage; Italy should have no problem getting there and even advancing beyond.

Having said that, look for Italy to put Germany away and cover the 4.5-point spread with ease.