Spain - Australia (1.6 kof. - 2.4 kof., betsafe)
Both teams managed to beat the favourites (Serbia and France, respectively) in the group stages and to get the best possible opponents in the quarter-finals. Spain eliminated Poland in the quarter-final stage with a fairly confident 90-78 score, while Australia's national team, which had shifted up a gear in the third quarter, also by 12 points, defeated the Czech Republic 82-70. Both teams are full of veterans playing for solid European and NBA clubs, so the meeting of these two giants will be one of the most exciting games of the championship, and one that is also of huge importance.
What are the strengths of these teams?
The main weapon of the Spanish national team is to keep the core of the team together and to have a good understanding between the players. Few teams can boast the chemistry of this Spanish team, which has been playing each other for years, both in clubs and in training camps. Although many experts had already written this team off as a contender for the top spots before the championship and, in fact, did not play very well in the first group stage, when it came to the most important battles, the Spanish national team showed its true colours.
The game against Serbia, which the Spaniards won 81-69, was a key game in building confidence and reassurance. The Spanish team also uses one of the longest rotations in the tournament, so physically this team should be one of the freshest compared to the other semi-finalists.
The Australian team, like the Spanish team, has been playing together for a number of years and the chemistry between the teams is of the highest level. The team atmosphere in this team is also incredible, and you can see that in every game, after both good and bad episodes. "The Boomers in Australia have one of the strongest front lines in the championship, as well as great guards who have played important roles in the NBA at one stage or another in their careers.
P. Mills is the player on whom most of the Australian team's success depends. The point guard, who is well-known to basketball fans, can "lock up" at any time of the game and can be incredibly difficult to stop once he hits a couple of shots. The Lithuanian national team found this out for themselves, as Mills simply destroyed them in the 4th quarter. Baynes' game is also surprising at the championship - the point guard, who was called a bear by Kurtinitis in his earlier career with Lietuvos Rytas, is now playing in the NBA, and has also perfected his 3-point shot, which he has already used to punish several teams. It is hard to see any difficult spots in the Australian team and it is not for nothing that the team's chances in the semi-finals are considered to be much better than the bookmakers' estimates.
History between teams
Spain has never lost to Australia, although they have met 7 times before. The last time the Spanish celebrated a victory was at the 2016 Olympics, when they beat the Australians 89-88 in the 3rd place match. '
Forecast
Although the bookmakers favour the Spanish team, this is not entirely acceptable. Both teams have similar strengths - strong front lines, top defenders, but the Aussies also have J. Ingles, who, as a light wing, can create the play for others and attack from the three-point area himself. Ingles should be the player who will show the difference between the teams. Rubio spends most of his time on the court in the tournament, but he does not have a stable shot from long range, and in this championship we have seen cases where Claver and Hernangomez have been put in with him and he lacks a stable shot from long range. If the attack is stuck for a few minutes against this Australian team, it could be very difficult to get back into the match. The odds of 2.4 for an Australian win tomorrow are clearly too high, and the chances of a win here are very similar, if not on the Australian side.
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