Argentina vs Slovenia: Only the US have Luka Doncic’s neutraliser

The Slovenian team will be led to another title by the brilliant Luka Doncic. The first match in Tokyo 2021 is against Argentina, the Athens 2004 Olympic champion. Will Luka Magic be able to get off to a winning start? Let’s pick a few options to bet on at once.

Argentine basketball has a glorious tradition. Of course, the Olympic victory in Athens is a significant success. But there are also many other magnificent tournaments in the national team’s memory. The most recent was just two years ago when Argentina finished third in the World Championships in Beijing, where they lost to Spain.

The team's core comprises European players, including Real Madrid’s Nicolas Loveprovitola, Zaragoza’s Nicolas Brussino, and the unfading Luis Scola, now playing for Varese in Italy. But there are also NBA representatives. Recently he moved from Real Madrid to Oklahoma City, Gabriel Deck; Luca Wildosa from Baskonia, who is yet to make his debut for the New York Knicks. And, of course, Facundo Campazzo, a point guard who in his first season overseas has become one of the leaders of the Denver Nuggets. He will form the core of the Argentine National Team in the upcoming Olympics.

The friendlies before leaving for Tokyo did not bring the Argentines any victories. The White and Sky Blues lost to Australia (84-87), Nigeria (71-94), and the USA (80-108).

Luka Doncic is a phenomenon that hasn’t been seen in the world of basketball in a long time. Maybe not since the days of LeBron James in the NBA. The 22-year-old guard may not always have the experience to compete on equal footing with the best players in the NBA playoffs, but in Europe, Luka was unmatched a few years ago. It’s unlikely anything has changed.

By and large, the only team that can stop Luka is the US national team. If you’ve got Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, and Draymond Green at your disposal, it’s hard not to be a favor. Doncic’s opponents could still be Spain, but the average age of La Roja is high. There won’t be enough left in the tournament. As for Slovenia, the problem will be the absence of Goran Dragic. The veteran has been breaking down a lot recently so that he will miss the Olympics. Although, given the level of Luka Doncic, with all due respect to Goran, his brother Zoran will be quite enough for Aleksandar Sekulic’s team.

To qualify for Tokyo, the Slovenians had to go through the qualification. Luka and his team coped brilliantly. They crushed Angola, Poland, and Venezuela, leaving no chance for Lithuania 96-85 in the decisive game. Doncic had 31 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists. A triple-double in 34 minutes on the floor!

Facundo Campazzo is good, of course, but the Argentina squad as a whole is somehow not at all impressive. Sergio Hernandez’s team is bound to fight for a playoff spot against Japan and Spain, but they are hardly capable of stopping Luka Doncic, though. So we suggest betting on Slovenia.

• Slovenia to win with a handicap (-5.5) for 1.84;
• Slovenia to win and Total Over 176.5 for 2.74;
• Slovenia’s Individual Total Over 91.5 for 1.86.