The Basketball World Cup is an international competition which is competed between senior mens national teams and is governed by FIBA. It is also occasionally referred to as the ‘World Cup of Basketball’ and previously went under the moniker of ‘FIBA World Championship’.

It was founded in 1950 and is now competed between 32 teams. It is held every four years, but it no longer runs in tandem with the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup. Between 1986 and 2014, they were staged alongside one another. The cycle was altered in 2014 to avoid clashing with the FIFA Football World Cup.

A host national is chosen for the event, and the matches will be divided up between a number of venues. The first tournament was held in Argentina (as it was the only country willing to throw its hat in the ring). The likes of Puerto Rico, Canada, Greece and the Phillipines have all since taken their turn to stage the FIBA Basketball World Cup. The first five tournaments were all held in South American countries.

Spain hosted the 2014 tournament, whilst China will stage the 2019 event. Three nations have already pitched for the hosting duties with FIBA set to decide between Japan, the Phillipines and Indonesia.

Prior to 1994, no NBA players were allowed to compete in the World Cup, but this rule was changed, and has been in place ever since. Not every NBA player accepts the opportunity, as it tends to follow on from an exhausting and energy-sapping full season. The NBA lockout which took place between 1998-99 didn’t help the profile of the tournament, but it was able to bounce back four years later.

The competition was expanded to 24 teams in 2002, with FR Yugoslavia capturing the gold medal. Another eight nations were allowed to enter the competition from 2014 onwards.

Unsurprisingly, USA are the most successful side in the competition. They lost in the final to Argentina during the inaugural event, but bounced back to clinch the gold medal four years later in Brazil. They were also victorious in 1986, 1994, 2010 and 2014. At the latter, they beat Serbia 129-92 to retain their title. They have five golds, three silvers and four bronze medals. The second most successful side are Yugoslavia, with five gold medels, although this includes victories as both SFR Yugoslavia and FR Yugoslavia. These do not include Serbia’s successes. Brazil, Argentina, Spain and the Soviet Union are the only other sides to have picked up a gold medal.

Oscar Schmidt leads the way when it comes to career points at the tournament shooting an incredible 843 across four tournaments. Phil Smyth of Australia is one of just three players to have competed in five different FIBA Basketball World Cup tournaments. Bira Maciel and Marcel de Souza are the other two. Zeljko Obradovic is the only competitor to have won the tournament as both a coach and player.

Since 1994, FIBA have awarded an MVP. The Most Valuable Player award has gone to an NBA player on five of the six occasions since they’ve been permitted to compete.

The tournament is very popular, and commands a global audience. It is broadcast to over 170 different countries, and the official website tends to double it clicks during this period. In 2014, 65 million people in China alone tuned in for their countries fixture against Greece. Even with the marked time difference, audiences are very healthy across Europe and in the USA.

Why is it so Popular?

The FIBA Basketball World Cup is extremely popular with sports fans, and interest has noticeably risen since the expansion. Allowing NBA players to compete in the event has also helped increase the profile of the tournament. Basketball is a hugely popular sport in the Southern Hemisphere, and many European countries also have hugely competitive leagues. The fast-paced nature of the game makes it an enjoyable and absorbing watch for fans.

What Betting Opportunities are Available?

Although it cannot boast the sheer variety of markets of an NBA match, there are still plenty of betting markets relating to the FIBA Basketball World Cup. Ante-Post markets are always very popular with the USA tending to start as odds-on favourites the majority of the time. There are a number of other additional pre-tournament bets which can be found, and many of these will be priced up closer to the time. Once the groups have been drawn, more markets become available.

There are a number of bets on a match-by-match basis, and these will be priced up once the first set of preliminary fixtures have concluded.

Key Betting Markets

Tournament Winner – This is a simply a case of predicting which team will be victorious, and clinch the gold medal. With only seven nations having come out on top, it is often a limited field, and it is no surprise to see the USA as odds-on favourites every four years. In order to received a pay-out, your chosen team much win the gold medal game.

To Reach the Final – Another popular ante-post bet is to predict a nation to reach the final. This is a decent way of hedging your bets as your chosen side will only need to reach the final two. If they come up short, and win a silver medal – it is still job done!

To Reach the Semi-Finals/Quarter-Finals – Same as above, but with the final four/final eight. The best way of approaching this is to look for sides that are underrated by the market, and aren’t expected to reach the latter stages.

Without the USA – The USA have been so dominant in recent years, and the bookmakers have compiled a market which allows punters to predict who will be best of the rest. This is a good way of discounting the favourites and trying to predict who will be their nearest challenger.

Group Winners – Once the groups have been announced, it is possible to predict who will come out on top in each section. Groups A-G have been priced up, and this is a great way of finding some value.

Match Winner – Each match will be priced up by the bookmakers, and we are tasked with trying to predict the winner. Some matches will be incredibly one-sided, but these are ideal for placing into a first round accumulator.

Spread/Handicap – As mentioned above, some games (particularly in the first round) are incredibly one-sided, and it is impossible to find value in these markets. Handicap betting allows us to give the underdog a chance or simply back the favourite to win at a canter. Backing a team -22.5 would mean that they have to be victorious by 23 clear points. Although these are still useful in the later rounds, there are far more mis-matches in the opening few games than at any other time.

Total Points/Under-Over – This is a great way of betting without commiting to the result. Some matches are incredibly close to call, and betting on the match outright market is not always advised. Backing a total number of points is a much better way of approaching it. Punters will be asked to predict the total number of points in the game. If two offensive teams clash, this is a great way of playing.

Bobby’s Big Betting Tips for the FIBA World Cup

Favourites aren’t always untouchable – Although USA are dominant and have won the last two tournaments, the general standard of play is improving across the world. There are a number of nations who have the players to challenge, and do have a chance of picking up some silverware. The Without USA market is arguably the best way to approach the outrights, as they are still clearly the best team in the business, but it doesn’t mean that they aren’t going to have some slip-ups along the way.

Backing Overs is More Enjoyable – The Points Total markets is always very popular, but if youre a keen spectator like me, you’ll probably always side towards backing the Overs. It makes it far more enjoyable experience if you’re cheering on the two teams to score points as opposed to keeping it tight. Although you have to use your head when betting, I’d always start by looking for potential high-scoring games as it’s less stress waiting for points to be scored.

Alternative Markets Can Provide Value – We’ve barely scratched the surface when it comes to specialist markets on the FIBA Basketball World Cup. As the tournament gets ever closer, there are a number of fun markets which become available, and these should be utilised. You can wager on the MVP, Player X to Score Over…, Team Y to Score Over …. etc. Not every bookmaker will price these up, but if you can find an operator who offer these options, it could pay to go left-field.

Where Can I Watch the FIBA Basketball World Cup?

Every single game can be viewed at LiveBasketball.tv and the BBC will also have some coverage of the event.