Hey guys, there are quite a few sportsbetting threads out here, but none really seem to be focused on Basketball. So with that said, here's our attempt to gauge basketball's popularity at BitcoinTalk. Please feel free to chip in, share your picks etc. We wanna try make this a thing
So here's me getting the ball rolling...
If you've been lamenting the lack of international competition, now that Brazil and Glasgow have said goodbye to their hosting duties, fear not; Madrid is host to the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. A home win at this tournament could really see a well needed boost for national pride after a humiliating trip to Brazil for the Spaniards.
As with any international basketball, Team USA are understandably short priced favourites. Yet the Red, White and Blue are not as successful as you might assume, having only won the cup twice from the five occasions professional players have been permitted to play.
As per usual, the American media is bemoaning the many withdrawals their team must overcome, suggesting they shouldn’t possibly be considered favourites without the likes of Kevin Durant, Paul George and Blake Griffin (to name but a few).
Being able to select those players would of course increase their chances but their squad remains remarkably strong despite their absence. The return of Derrick Rose is a tantalising prospect who, having only played 10 games in the past 2 years through injury, will hopefully be able to show some of the prodigious skill that once earned him so many plaudits.
It’s not surprising to see Spain next in the betting, having won the tournament in 2006 and lost twice in the last two Olympic finals to the US. They can boast a very strong frontcourt when fielding both the Gasol brothers, Pau and Marc, as well as Serge Ibaka, who will be keen to regain their title in front of a home crowd and ready to capitalise on any American weaknesses to do so.
Of the rest both Greece and Lithuania can be considered interesting outsiders. The Greeks were losing finalists in 2006 and have a secret weapon in Milwaukee Bucks wing Giannis Antetokounmpo, a promising youngster with unknown potential.
Lithuania can also boast NBA talent and big tournament form. Jonas Valanciunas of Toronto Raptors fame and Donatas Motiejunas of the Houston Rockets will be key players, while the side’s second place in the 2013 Eurobasket is encouraging.
It’s a shame USA’s best aren’t willing to contribute to this exciting platform for Basketball to advertise itself on a global level, yet it’s sure to be a much tighter competition as a result.
