Serbia vs South Sudan Preview and Prediction for 2024 Paris Olympics Basketball | August 3
A Nikola Jokic-led Serbia will square off against Wenyen Gabriel's South Sudan in a high-stakes 2024 Paris Olympics men's basketball Group C game on Saturday. Serbia and South Sudan haven't yet qualified for the quarterfinals but both teams are in contention to reach the knockout stage.
The winner is guaranteed a quarterfinal berth but the loser's destiny will depend on whether it finishes among the two best third-placed teams, which will be determined by points difference.
Serbia began their campaign with an 84-110 loss against Team USA. Jokic and Co. bounced back with a resounding 107-66 win over Puerto Rico and improved their points difference to +15.
On the contrary, South Sudan began their campaign with a 90-79 win over Puerto Rico. Royal Ivey's group suffered a 103-86 loss against Team USA in their second group stage game.
Serbia vs South Sudan: Preview, Prediction and Odds
The game between Serbia and South Sudan is scheduled to take place on Saturday at Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille, France. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on CNBC while the live stream will be available on Peacock and Fubo.
Moneyline: Serbia (-1200) vs South Sudan (+750)
Spread: Serbia (-15.5) vs South Sudan (+15.5)
Total over/under: Serbia O180.5 (-110) vs South Sudan U180.5 (-110)
Editor's note: The odds could change closer to the game. The odds listed were as per available information at the time of writing.
Serbia vs South Sudan: Preview
Nikola Jokic has been phenomenal for Serbia. The three-time NBA MVP is averaging 17.0 points per game while shooting 59.1% from the field. The NBA champion is the main reason why Serbia is the second-best ranked offense in the competition with 95.5 points per game.
Furthermore, Jokic is averaging 10.0 rebounds, 8.5 assists and 3.0 steals per game. The Serbian center is joint-second in rebounds and assists and joint-first in steals so far in the competition.
However, Serbia will be desperate to improve their 3-point shooting. The European nation is shooting just 25.9% from beyond the arc and is ranked last among the 12 teams.
On the flip side, South Sudan is the fifth-best-ranked offense and averages 88 points per game. They have been decent from 3-point range and are shooting 36.2% from deep.
The biggest problem for South Sudan has been turnovers. The African nation is averaging 17 turnovers per game. Coach Ivey would want his players to be more disciplined on the offensive end.
Carlik Jones has been spectacular for South Sudan so far in Paris, averaging 18.5 ppg on 44.1% shooting from the field. He is also averaging 5.0 rpg and 6.5 apg.
Serbia vs South Sudan: Head-to-Head Record
In terms of the overall head-to-head record, Serbia and South Sudan have faced off against each other only once before. Serbia registered a dominant 115-83 win during a group stage game of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Serbia vs South Sudan: Predicted Starting 5s
Serbia: Filip Petrusev, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Vanja Marinkovic, Nikola Jokic and Aleksa Avramovic.
South Sudan: Carlik Jones, Nuni Omot, Wenyen Gabriel, Marial Shayok and Bul Kuol.
Serbia vs South Sudan: Prediction
South Sudan has played inspirational basketball so far while competing in their maiden Olympic Games. The team gave an excellent account of the talent at its disposal during the game against Team USA. Royal Ivey's men are expected to throw the kitchen sink at Serbia.
Having said that, Serbia's firepower and experience might prove too much for a young South Sudan team. Expect Nikola Jokic to lead Serbia to another win and into the knockouts with another stupendous all-round game.