Germany vs Japan Prediction - Basketball Olympic Games 2024
From a German perspective, one of the absolute highlights of the 2024 Olympic Games is expected to be the men’s basketball tournament. The event is buzzing with anticipation, especially since the Americans will once again send a Dream Team. Additionally, the reigning world champions will commence their campaign on Saturday. We have decided to play the odds for a German win with a handicap of -16.5 points
For the German squad, progressing beyond the preliminary round should not pose a major challenge, even though we’re anticipating basketball at the highest level. In the group stage, the DBB squad will face hosts France and Brazil, in addition to Japan. Under normal circumstances, the world champions are expected to compete with France for the top two spots, while the Asian and South American teams vie for third place to advance from the group.
Germany – Stats & Current Form
The performance of the German basketball team cannot solely be evaluated by their recent results. Following their sensational World Championship win in Manila last year, the team has experienced ups and downs, often due to changes in the roster. For instance, during the European Championship qualifiers, a makeshift team suffered a defeat in Bulgaria.
Two Losses in Preparation
Leading up to the Olympic Games, the German world champions have played five matches, securing three wins and two losses. Against host nation and group opponent France, they managed to clinch one win and suffered one defeat. Test matches against Japan and the Netherlands saw the German squad overpower these teams, but the real challenge came on Monday in London.
The German national team held their own for an impressive duration against the U.S. Dream Team, even leading into the final stages of the game. It wasn’t until superstar LeBron James made his impact during crunch time that the Americans secured a 92-88 victory. This match, however, demonstrated that the reigning world champions are fully capable of competing at the Summer Games.
Despite the loss to the United States, the team’s confidence remains intact, possibly even bolstered. The game in London revealed that winning a medal is entirely within the realm of possibility. When evaluating the odds between Germany and Japan, it’s worth considering a deeper look at the likelihood of a victory for the world champions
Japan – Statistics & Current Form
Japan is sending a men’s basketball team to the Olympics for the eighth time. The team has never advanced to the quarter-finals, with their best performance being a ninth-place finish at the 1936 Summer Games in Berlin. While the potential to advance to the knockout round exists, they will likely need at least one victory against Brazil to make it happen.
Miracle Man on the Sidelines
In this preliminary round group, the Asian team is certainly the underdog, but they’ve got a coach who knows a thing or two about basketball miracles. Three years ago, Tom Hovasse led the Japanese women’s team to a sensational Olympic final. Now, the American coach will try to pull off a similar feat with the men’s team.
One potential issue could be Japan’s noticeable disadvantage in terms of height, relying heavily on their shooting accuracy, particularly from beyond the arc. Only if they can be extremely successful with their three-pointers might they stand a chance against Germany. However, we believe the quality of the world champion is too high, and thus we predict a clear victory between Germany and Japan.
That said, Japan also boasts some stars in their roster. Rui Hachimura is on the Los Angeles Lakers’ payroll. Yuta Watanabe plays for the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA. Keisei Tominaga is set to join the squad next season. Despite this, the Asians have not won any of their last five preparatory games, and especially in the last week against Germany, Tom Hovasse’s team stood no chance.
Key Facts – Germany vs. Japan
- Japan has not won any of their last five international matches.
- The Asian team has never reached the quarterfinals in the Olympics.
- Germany leads the head-to-head comparison with five wins to one loss.
- Germany narrowly lost their final rehearsal against the favorite for gold.
