China vs Poland
Hosts China made a perfect start to their FIBA World Cup campaign as they swept aside Cote d’Ivoire, 70-55. Veterans Yi Jianlian and Guo Ailun led the way for the Chinese, who showed just why they are considered arguably the strongest Asian representative in this year’s tournament.
The Chinese will now look to secure their place in the next round when they take on Poland. The Poles are coming off an 80-69 win over Venezuela, their first victory in the FIBA World Cup in over half a century.
But despite having the home advantage and more established stars, the FIBA World Cup 2019 odds favour Poland in this matchup between two of the top teams in Group A.
Talking Points
Chinese star power
China flexed their muscles with their impressive win over Cote d’Ivoire. The Elephants were able to keep it close for much of the game, but the Chinese went on a run late in the third quarter and never looked back.
As noted in SBOBET’s preview of the game, Yi Jianlian led the way with 19 points and eight rebounds, while Guo Ailun added 17 points and nine assists. Promising young big man Zhou Qi also impressed with 12 points and six rebounds.
The Chinese were only 1-of-10 on 3-pointers and shot just 58 per cent from the free-throw line, but they went 53 per cent from the field as the Africans were unable to stop their star trio.
But perhaps more impressively, the Chinese defence completely shut down Cote d’Ivoire offensively. The Elephants were limited to a miserable 29 per cent shooting overall.
China will once again look to their two stars, Yi and Guo, to lead them against Poland. Those two are capable of consistently providing offence for their team. Both are also highly experienced in international play and should be able to keep their composure should things get tight.
And should the game become a more defensive affair, the Chinese possess the length — particularly in the middle with Yi, Zhou, and Wang Zhelin — to disrupt the Polish attack.
Poland’s team effort
There are a number of NBA stars in this year’s competition, but much like the Ivory Coast, Poland don’t have a single player on their squad who’s ever played in the league. That’s after veteran big man Marcin Gortat‘s retirement from international play.
The Poles didn’t have the best preparation for the tournament as they lost four of their tune-up matches against Germany, Czech Republic (twice), and Tunisia.
But even with those shaky outings, the Poles picked up their long-awaited World Cup win against Venezuela. Michal Sokolowski led five Polish players in double figures with 16 points and nine rebounds. Mateusz Ponitka had 15 points, while Adam Hrycaniuk added a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds.
The Poles were nothing special offensively; they shot 42 per cent overall against a subpar opponent and hit 8-of-26 3-pointers. But despite their lack of recognisable names, Poland coach Mike Taylor has built a side that’s capable of putting some points up.
Star guard AJ Slaughter wasn’t at his best against Venezuela as he finished with just seven points and five assists. But when he’s at his best, the EuroLeague veteran can provide another dimension, not to mention FIBA World Cup 2019 highlights.
The Polish defence also has the potential to cause the Chinese some problems. They kept the Venezuelans to under 40 per cent shooting, including 26 per cent on 3-pointers.
History
Poland don’t have much history to speak of in the World Cup as it’s been 52 years since they last qualified for the tournament. The won four of their nine matches back in 1967 and finished fifth in the tournament.
Meanwhile, China have picked up their first World Cup win since 2010, when they also defeated Cote d’Ivoire in the group stage. Despite going 1-4 in that tournament, they still qualified for the last 16, where they lost to Lithuania.
What are the odds?
SBOBET odds have Poland priced at 1.80 on the money line market, with China slight underdogs at 2.06. Meanwhile, the Asian Handicap is also very close, with Poland slightly favoured at -1.00.
While China have the Triple Towers in the paint, they are not particularly big nor athletic on the wings and along the perimeter.
That will likely be where Poland will thrive, with the likes of Ponitka, Sokolowski, and Slaughter capable of hurting the Chinese. The Poles’ 3-point shooting could also come into play against China, who hit just one triple against Cote’ d’Ivoire.
It will be an interesting matchup between the two teams and one that should be quite competitive.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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