The 2023 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers is one of the most exciting basketball tournaments that you can watch. It has some of the biggest games fans will enjoy, and it offers an opportunity for punters to place their wagers and win big prizes.

Betting on the FIBA basketball World Cup Qualifiers is a daring push to get a win in one of the most rewarding competitions in the world. A lot of teams from different countries play their hearts out in this tournament with the hopes of bringing the ultimate glory. That is why you should try to go for the bigger wins that you can possibly get in basketball betting.

What does FIBA stand for in basketball

FIBA serves as the governing body in basketball all over the world. It’s a French acronym for Fédération Internationale de Basketball which is also known as the International Basketball Federation. However, the IBF acronym is not as widely used.

The organisation created the FIBA basketball World Cup, which soon led to the huge number of participating countries who are keen to prove they can come up with big success in playing against the best teams in the world.

FIBA’s prominence in the world

FIBA brings together all of the best teams in the world. Each country is eligible to bring their teams to join the competition every four years, and that is a chance for them to showcase their talent. FIBA became more successful than most leagues today, and it is linked for the Games as well, making it a huge competition to look out for.

Those who ask ‘what is FIBA World Cup as a competition’, it is above all domestic leagues and serves as the second-level tournament next to the Games. This is why winners from every FIBA World Cup are automatically guaranteed a slot for the subsequent Games in the following year.

FIBA as a standard in basketball

FIBA brings out the best of each national team especially if they are keen to prove they are the kings of basketball. Their rules have also changed over the years, and a lot of known players say the tournament is more difficult now than their respective leagues.

The competition also played a huge role in making basketball popular all over the world. This is why FIBA is seen as the new standard in basketball especially as it allows non-pro league players to shine on the big stage as national teams often insert players who are not even playing in the popular competitions.

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Tournament structure

If you want to know ‘how does FIBA World Cup work?’, it is similar to other international competitions where it has a total of 80 teams competing. FIBA has opted to hold the qualifiers to eliminate teams and thin down the numbers all the way to the final 32 squads. 

Similar to the 2019 edition, the FIBA World Cup itself will be played in four stages. The FIBA basketball World Cup Qualifiers take place years earlier than the actual contest itself to speed up the process of elimination. This will be followed by the Knockout Stage, Final Knockout Stage and then the FIBA World Cup final.

If you ask ‘how long is a FIBA basketball game?’, it is just the same as most basketball leagues with four quarters of action. Each quarter has 12 minutes of play, and an overtime of five minutes is given until the game ends with a winner if the first four quarters are not enough.

Qualifiers

80 teams are set to compete for a spot in the final 32 of the World Cup. Both Japan and the Philippines are assured of a berth in the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers as they are the host nations for this edition, with both teams qualifying last December 9, 2017. The draw for the qualifiers was held in August 2021 and is now underway.

Regional qualifications are held in four regions of FIBA, and each of these has allocated berths to form the final 32 that will play in the second qualifying stage to determine the final eight teams for the Knockout Stage. This is why the qualifiers are an intense part of the competition and are a good option in FIBA World Cup betting.

The winners of the first round will advance into the second round of qualifiers and will be grouped into four with four teams each. 

Knockout Stage

Commonly known as the Quarterfinals, the Knockout Stage is formed as soon as the main draw completes, dividing teams into four groups with two teams each. These teams will play on two different days, and the winners will advance to the semifinals, more known as the Final Knockout Stage.

In the 2019 edition, five European teams advanced, with Australia, United States and Argentina hailing from FIBA Oceania and FIBA Americas, respectively. There are a lot of expectations from the winning countries as they are poised to repeat as contenders once more.

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Final Knockout Stage

The semifinal stage is the final four of the FIBA World Cup where winning teams now advance to the final. The losing teams, however, are given a second chance to win the third and fourth spots of the competition with a final game.

In addition, there are also two final brackets after the Knockout Stage that will take place at the same time during the Final Knockout Stage. These will determine the rankings for the 5th to 8th places in the tournament.

Final

The FIBA basketball World Cup 2023 Final is the biggest stage of the competition. Compared to the earlier stages of the competition, the final is where most of the FIBA World Cup betting is known to be intense since the stakes are much bigger than ever.

The final between Spain and Argentina in the 2019 edition was a huge thriller for a lot of fans, and it was a game to remember as it took fans for a tight ride before the Spanish side pulled away with a 95-75 win to close out the Naismith Trophy.

When is FIBA World Cup

The FIBA basketball World Cup 2023 qualifiers have already begun since February 2020 and will ensue until February 2023. 

The FIBA World Cup is set to be played from August 25, 2023 to September 10, 2023. This is the main competition proper with the final 32 teams being drawn into the group stage after the main draw in March 2023 in Manila, Philippines.

How many teams qualify for FIBA World Cup

The FIBA World Cup allows a maximum of 213 confederations to join in the competition. There are a total of 82 participating teams in the 2022 edition, and that will be trimmed down to the final eight during the FIBA basketball World Cup Qualifiers to begin the final round of the competition. 

Take note though that there are a lot of missing teams in the Qualifiers. South Korea, for instance, had to withdraw from the tournament due to its players testing positive for COVID-19 and had its appeal rejected. Russia, despite having a high spot in the FIBA World Cup standings, was banned from the tournament due to the country’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. 

Teams to bet on in each FIBA region

FIBA regions have brought the best out of their countries in the past few years. These teams have been gunning for the biggest chance to win in the World Cup, and punters should take note of the top leading squads that can give them a win in their wagers.

Here are the top teams to bet on in each FIBA region:

FIBA Africa

African countries did not have much luck in winning a top eight spot in the previous edition. However, it seems there are three big teams to look out for in this region as they have performed well in the FIBA basketball World Cup Qualifiers. South Sudan has led the way in the region with 12 points, going 6-0 in their first set of games.

Ivory Coast, on the other hand, is a lone wolf in the region but is looking to be a huge threat in the competition. The team finished with eight points on a 4-0 record, and they have been on the prowl in the past few games they have won.

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FIBA Americas

There has been a huge shift in power for the FIBA Americas in the recent qualifiers. Canada remains the only team undefeated with a 6-0 record, good for 12 points. Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil, and the United States all have a 5-1 record in six games. 

This just shows the huge possibility of Canada now being the contender to look out for in the FIBA World Cup. Fans should be in for a ride en route to the second round of the Qualifiers as the contenders in this region look to come up with a slot in the tourney.

FIBA Asia/Oceania

The FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers has merged with Oceania, meaning that New Zealand and Australia are playing with Asian teams. Since both Japan and the Philippines are qualified due to hosting rights, the teams that fans should look out for are the two Oceania squads, which finished with an unbeaten record.

Since there are no FIBA Australia Qualifiers, the country showed that they are not to be trifled with, going 6-0 in their whole stretch against Asian teams. New Zealand came out on top of the second best record at 4-0, beating all of its opponents without much hassle.

FIBA Europe

There is yet to be another leading contender in Europe. So far, the FIBA Europe Qualifiers have turned out to be tight between a lot of teams, with France, Germany, Finland and Lithuania all leading with a 5-1 record in their respective groups.

Defending champions Spain is ranked third as of time of writing in Group L. They have a 3-1 record with seven points so far. Slovenia has also been a surprise contender in the region after their recent success in the Tokyo Games and has kept the same momentum so far.

Betting markets to try in the FIBA Qualifiers

Sportsbet.io gives you a chance to bet on the biggest games in the FIBA basketball World Cup Qualifiers. Betting on these basketball games is rewarding, so you should not miss your chance at winning huge prizes in the long run. This is why you should know how the betting markets work and maximise your wagers.

Winner bets

Winner bets are the most common markets that you can try in FIBA World Cup betting. This is quite simple, all you need to do is to pick a team that you think will be the winner. The score is not much of a concern and it doesn't even matter if the game reaches multiple overtimes as well.

For example, you can bet on the United States to win the game if you think that they are the better team in their game against Italy. Your bet will win if the game ends with the United States coming out triumphant, no matter how big the win is.

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Game totals

Game totals are a good bet to consider especially if you know the playing teams well. This is a market where you are tasked with betting on the overall total score of the game of two teams combined. You may also bet on totals on different game stats, such as assists, rebounds, steals, blocks and even field goals.

The final between Spain and Argentina ended at 95-75, which is 170 points in total. You can bet on the same number if you think that the game will end in the same way, but your wager will lose if it is too far from the actual total.

Handicaps

Handicaps are a good market to consider in betting on FIBA basketball World Cup qualifiers. This is a market that is used to level the FIBA World Cup betting odds between two playing teams, which can be either squads with an unequally matched record or two contenders who are gunning for the top spot.

The best example for this is a game between Spain, who is the third overall for Group L in FIBA Europe, against the Netherlands, who have never won a single game in the same group. The Dutch squad receives a head start in points to start the game and has to win by more points than the set handicap. Spain, on the other hand, has to win the game less than the set handicap.

Correct score

Most FIBA betting tips will always recommend you to go for the correct score. Guessing for the correct score between two teams is another challenging yet rewarding betting market that you can try. This is simply guessing the score by the end of the fourth quarter or final overtime of a given game, which can be a good win if you manage to guess it right.

If you are betting on a top team such as Germany and Finland, then it is best to consider a small yet tight scoring between them since they are good on both ends of the floor. Games between contenders and lowly teams are much easier to wager on since they are more likely to end with a lopsided score.

Make the most of your FIBA wagers at Sportsbet.io

Sportsbet.io gives you the best chance to bet on the FIBA basketball World Cup Qualifiers. Make sure to stay updated on Sportsbet.io to get the latest news and competitive odds in the coming games in the Qualifiers. 

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Here at Sportsbet.io, we guarantee a fun, fast and fair betting experience. Make sure that you enjoy the best of the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers by winning the biggest bets you can make.

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Words: Paul Daniel Flores

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