USA vs Montenegro Basketball Prediction & Picks

The USA certainly didn’t play perfectly in the preliminary round of the 2023 FIBA World Cup, but things could not have gone much better.

In the preliminary round, the USA went 3-0 in Group C by trouncing New Zealand, Greece, and Jordan. As a result, they will head into Friday’s second round contest with Montenegro with the quarterfinals within reach.

Will the train keep rolling against Nikola Vucevic and Montenegro? All signs are pointing in the right direction.

USA vs Montenegro Basketball Odds

Odds are via Bovada.

Spread

• USA -25.5 (-115)
• Montenegro +25.5 (-105)

Over/Under

• Over 181 (-110)
• Under 181 (-110)

Moneyline

• USA -5000
• Montenegro +1900

Will the USA Hit the Century Mark Again?

After falling just a point short of 100 in a 27-point win over New Zealand last Saturday, the USA went for 109 in a 28-point win over Greece on Monday.

They were expected to light up the scoreboard again in their preliminary round finale against Jordan yesterday, and they did just that in a 110-62 rout.

For the first time in the tournament, the USA did not shoot 50% from the field or 40% from three. Instead, they made 48.8% (39 of 80) of their shots overall and 34.5% (10 of 29) from three.

Still, they had no problem hitting the century mark, led by 22 points from Anthony Edwards, who also grabbed eight rebounds and dished out four assists.

Team Stats and Top Performers for USA vs Jordan

Team Stats

• FG: 39-80 (48.8%)
• 3PT: 10-29 (34.5%)
• FT: 22-28 (78.6%)
• Rebounds & Rebounding Margin: 56 (+22)
• Assists: 29
• Turnovers: 15
• Forced Turnovers: 23
• Steals: 13

Top Performers

• Anthony Edwards: 22 points, eight rebounds, four assists
• Jaren Jackson Jr.: 12 points, six rebounds
• Bobby Portis: 12 points, six rebounds
• Jalen Brunson: 10 points, four assists

Will it be another easy, breezy, America the beautiful win as they step into Group J play?

Montenegro opened the tournament by dispatching Mexico by 20 and Egypt by 15, but they weren’t able to sustain a bright start against Lithuania in a 91-71 loss on Wednesday. Montenegro led by as many as seven in the first quarter, but Lithuania controlled the final three quarters to lock up top spot in Group D.

Vucevic led the way for Montenegro in the first two games, putting up 27 points and ten rebounds against Mexico and 16 points and seven rebounds against Egypt.

Though it wasn’t nearly enough to propel his team to the upset, he did his part against Lithuania, scoring a team-leading 19 points.

USA vs Montenegro Prediction and Picks

USA vs Montenegro Picks: USA -25.5 (-115 at Bovada) & Anthony Edwards over 15.5 points (-115 at Bovada)

Montenegro may start brightly again, but they simply don’t have enough to keep up with the USA for a full 40 minutes. There’s no shame in that, especially when the Americans have had a different leading scorer in each game and seven players score 10+ points in at least one game.

Where to Bet on USA vs Montenegro and the 2023 FIBA World Cup

The USA vs Montenegro betting odds mentioned in this article came from Bovada, but they aren’t the only sports betting site out there offering 2023 FIBA World Cup odds.

Here are some of the reputable online sportsbooks that we recommend for betting on the FIBA World Cup and other basketball competitions and leagues like the NBA and WNBA:

In addition to odds for each game of the tournament, you can find FIBA World Cup futures odds at these books. We have reviewed each of the above books and highly recommend them all.