The Basketball World Championship kicks off this Friday, and the German team has a really good chance this year. After winning the bronze medal at last year's European Championships on home soil, the Germans are expecting great things this year. Obviously the USA are the favourites, but after that the race is on.

Basketball World Cup 2023 in Asia

Attention basketball fans! Next Friday (25 August 2023) will see the start of the 19th Basketball World Cup. It will be hosted by Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines. Aside from the prestige, a Basketball World Cup is all about seven tickets to the 2024 Olympic Games in France. In this article, we take a look at the tournament as a whole and the NBA stars in particular, as well as taking a closer look at the chances of our German charges.

Japan/Indonesia/Philippines Tournament Overview

The format of the Basketball World Cup is different from that of the Football World Cup. After the group stage, the tournament continues with an intermediate round and then with play-off matches. Only from the quarter-finals onwards do the knockout matches begin. Initially, each group plays in a different city.

Group A - Philippine Arena in Bocaue and Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City

Group A will be played at two different venues in the Philippines. Basketball is the number one national sport in the Southeast Asian country.

• Angola
• Dominican republic
• Philippines
• Italy

Group B - All group matches in Quezon City

Serbia are the overwhelming favourites in this group.

• Serbia
• South Sudan
• China
• Puerto Rico

Group C - All matches in Metro Manila

In Group C, the USA are the biggest favourites.

• United States
• Jordan
• Greece
• New Zealand

Group D - All duels in Metro Manila

Group D will be played in Manila. Lithuania is the clear favourite. Behind them, Montenegro and Mexico will duel for a place in the tournament.  

• Egypt
• Mexiko
• Montenegro
• Lithuania

Group E - Okinawa

The German team and three other nations are heading to the beautiful Japanese island of Okinawa. Australia is considered the favourite despite the strong German team.

• Germany
• Finland
• Australia
• Japan

Group F – Okinawa

Here, the Slovenians with Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic are the top favourites.

• Slovenia
• Cape Verde
• Georgia
• Venezuela

Group G – Jakarta

Group G will be played in Indonesia with top favourites Spain.

• Iran
• Spain
• Brazil
• Ivory Coast

Group H – Jakarta

Last year's European Championship finalist France is considered the best nation in Group H.

• Canada
• Latvia
• Lebanon
• France

Team USA unstoppable?

The USA is considered the motherland of basketball and the basketball nation par excellence. As such, they are among the favourites to win the upcoming World Championship in Asia, even without their superstars. Steve Kerr, for example, will not be facing LeBron James, Steph Curry or Kevin Durant.

However, the following players will be taking part:

• Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers)
• Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves)
• Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks)
• Brandon Ingram (New Orleans Pelicans)
• Mikal Bridges (Brooklyn Nets)
• Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies)
• Austin Reaves (Los Angeles Lakers)
• Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic)
• Josh Hart (New York Knicks)
• Cam Johnson (Brooklyn Nets)
• Walker Kessler (Utah Jazz)
• Bobby Portis (Milwaukee Bucks)

Anyone with a passing knowledge of the NBA will know that the USA are excellent on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. Anything other than the USA winning the tournament would be a huge surprise. With odds of over 1.70, they are the overwhelming favourites to win the title, ahead of France (9.05) and Australia (10.20).

By comparison, odds of over 24.90 are available on Germany.

NBA Stars in the Tournament

Despite the cancellations of top players such as Nikola Jokic (Serbia) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), we can still welcome some players from the world's best basketball league to the upcoming World Cup. Luka Doncic, for example, has confirmed his participation in the tournament. Doncic makes Slovenia one of the tournament favourites. The Canadians have several players earning their keep in the NBA. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder and RJ Barrett of the New York Knicks will be among those playing in Asia. The French will also be relying on big-name NBA players. Rudy Gobert of Minnesota, Evan Fournier of the New York Knicks and Frank Ntilikina of the Dallas Mavericks are among those travelling to Jakarta.

The German team

After their stunning display against the USA, US coach Steve Kerr was full of praise for our national team. For Kerr, Germany are "one of the best teams in the world" and he firmly believes that Gordon Herbert's men will be playing for the World Cup title. The USA narrowly won the game 99-91.

Legend Dirk Nowitzki also has high hopes for Germany. The following players are expected to make the World Cup as successful as possible:

• Dennis Schröder (29 years)

Dennis Schröder is considered the boss of the floor. Schröder has been playing in the North American NBA for over 10 years and has improved every year. He currently plays for the Toronto Raptors. Standing at 1.85m, Dennis Schröder plays point guard and is known for his creativity and offensive firepower. In the last NBA season, he converted 32.9 percent of his three-point attempts. With Schröder in top form, any nation is considered beatable.

• Justus Hollatz (22 years)

Hollatz is considered a real sporting talent, as he almost ended up in the youth department of FC St. Pauli. Apart from basketball, football was his biggest hobby. However, he felt that basketball would give him better career opportunities, which turned out to be the right decision. With strong performances at Hamburg Towers, he recommended himself for a move to CB Breogan in Spain, and after just one season he moved to Slovenia to join KK Cedevita Olimpija. He is considered one of the biggest talents in the German team and another NBA draft seems likely.

• Franz Wagner (21 years)

At 21, Franz Jacob Wagner is one of the youngest players in the German squad. The 2.08m small forward trained with Alba Berlin and moved to North America in 2019. There, he played in the junior league before being drafted by the Orlando Magic in 2021. In Orlando, he plays alongside his brother Moritz Wagner. His defensive prowess is particularly appreciated in the USA. Last season, he left the big names in the game reeling.

• Moritz Wagner (26 years)

Moritz Wagner, five years his senior, was also trained by Alba Berlin and followed a similar path to his younger brother Franz. He went to America at a young age. After several stops in the USA, he finally arrived with the Orlando Magic. Despite standing at a stately 2.11 metres, Moritz Wagner is one of the most agile players in the German squad. Moritz has also improved his long-range shooting in recent weeks and months. He will play either power forward or centre.

• Daniel Theis (31 years)

Daniel Theis had a year to forget after the last European Championship. He injured his knee and was out for a long time with the Indiana Pacers. He played just 7 games last season. After strong years in the DBL, the 2.04m tall Theis moved to the USA in 2017 and also impressed there. Like Moritz Wagner, Daniel Theis can play centre or power forward. Recently, Daniel Theis caused a stir with his statement that smoking pot after a game is basically okay.

Basketball Betting

The most popular basketball bet before the tournament is certainly the bet on the upcoming world champion. Provider bet-at-home offers its players the following betting odds:

• USA – 1,80
• France – 9,05
• Australa – 10,20
• Canada – 10,50
• Spain – 12,80
• Serbia – 13,50
• Slowenia – 18,10
• Germany – 24,90

As well as betting on the winner of the World Cup, you can also bet on the runner-up and the group in which the winner will finish.

A particularly interesting bet is to predict when a particular nation will be eliminated. You can bet on different stages of the tournament. For example, Germany looks like this:

• 2. Round – 1,95
• Group stage – 4,50
• Quarter-finals – 5,00
• Semifinals – 11,00
• 2. Place – 12,90
• Winner – 22,90

Zu bet-at-home

Betting on individual basketball games

Of course, the Basketball World Cup is not just about long-term bets. We take a look at some of the most popular basketball bets on one game:

• Bet on the winner

Here you can bet on the winner of the match. As the odds are particularly high in the group phase, we do not recommend betting on odds of less than 1.30. Stakes and winnings are out of proportion.

• Handicap bet

To make your bet even more attractive, you can place a handicap bet. This is where you give a team an imaginary point advantage and increase the odds on your bet.

• Betting on quarters

A basketball game is made up of quarters. Here you can bet on the winner of different quarters.

• Over / Under Betting

The major bookmakers offer over/under bets. The principle is similar to football. You bet on the total number of points scored in a match. You are given a target and you decide whether more or fewer points will be scored.

FAQ

Where can I watch the 2023 World Basketball Championship on TV?

Like last year's European Basketball Championship, the World Championship will be broadcast on Magenta Sport. The streaming provider will show all matches of the German national team for free. All other matches will require a paid subscription. However, there is a possibility that private broadcasters such as RTL will acquire sub-licences at short notice during the European Championship and broadcast matches.

Where will the Basketball World Cup 2023 take place?

This year's Basketball World Cup will take place in Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines. Germany will kick off on the Japanese island of Okinawa. The atmosphere in the Philippine Arena (Bocaue) will be very special. The Philippines will take on the Dominican Republic in the opening game of the tournament at the multi-purpose arena. The final will be played at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Who is considered the favourite for the title besides the USA?

As at almost every World Cup in the past, the USA will be the overwhelming favourites. Behind them are a number of nations. The top contenders are France, Australia, Canada and Spain. Behind the USA, there are a number of nations on a similar level. Day-to-day form and luck with injuries will be key indicator.