Serbia vs. France: Preview and Prediction | July 12, 2024
France will host Serbia on Friday for an exhibition game in preparation for the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics. Both are among the eight teams that have qualified for the men's basketball tournament without having to go through the Olympic qualifiers.
The upcoming matchup will be the Serbian team's first Olympic preparation game. They directly qualified for the tournament after they finished second in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, where they lost to Germany in the Final. However, they secured qualification despite the absence of their star player, Nikola Jokic, who is expected to feature for the team this time around.
Meanwhile, the French team will play their fourth Olympic preparation game on Friday and have a 2-1 record so far. The French are coming into the game off a 70-65 loss against Germany on Monday in the absence of their superstar, Victor Wembanyama. Before the loss, they had defeated Germany 90-66 on Saturday after clinching a dominant 96-46 win against Turkey on July 3, with Wembanayama delivering spectacular performances in both previous games.
Serbia vs. France game details and odds
The Olympic preparation game between France and Serbia is scheduled to tip off at 3:00 p.m. ET on Friday at LDLC Arena in Lyon-Decines, France. The game will be available to livestream via the NBA app and website, and via Courtside 1891, the exclusive streaming platform for FIBA.
Moneyline: Serbia (3.10) vs. France (1.37)
Spread: Serbia (+7) vs. France (-7)
Total (O/U): 159
Note: The odds could change close to the game.
The French national team boasts four NBA players on their roster including Nicolas Batum, Rudy Gobert, Victor Wembanyama and Bilal Coulibaly. Meanwhile, the Serbian team for the 2024 Paris Olympics also features four NBA players, including Bogdan Bogdanovic, Nikola Jokic, Nikola Jovic and Vasilije Micic.
France vs. Serbia prediction
Wembanyama was reportedly ruled out of France's previous game due to an illness and may return to play against Serbia on Friday. In either case, the French are anticipated to clinch victory against the Serbians, however, it is likely to be a tough battle given that the FIBA runners-up have a further bolstered roster with the presence of Nikola Jokic on the court.