Team USA Opens as Heavy Favorite to Win 2019 FIBA World Cup

The 2019 FIBA World Cup is set to tip off August 31 in China. While many NBA stars have withdrawn from the tournament, Team USA is still the odds-on favorite to take home its third straight World Cup title, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Team USA (-420) is a heavy favorite to win the tournament, which would mark the first three-peat in the FIBA World Cup's 69-year history.

While superstars like James Harden, Anthony Davis and Damian Lillard have all withdrawn from the tournament, Team USA still features an eclectic mix of vets and young players, including Khris Middleton, Paul Millsap, Kemba Walker, Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum.

The United States men's national team head coach is Gregg Popovich, of the San Antonio Spurs, while the assistant coaching staff is rounded out by Golden State Warriors' head coach Steve Kerr, Atlanta Hawks' head coach Lloyd Pierce, and Villanova Wildcats' head coach Jay Wright.

The 2019 tournament features an expansion from 24 to 32 teams that are divided into eight groups, in which the top two advance to a second group stage. The top eight teams from that second group stage then advance to the knockout round.

Behind USA, Serbia (+600) has the second-best odds to win the tournament, as the Serbian national team features four current NBA players, led by All-Star Nikola Jokic, as well as Bogdan Bogdanovic, Nemanja Bjelica, and Boban Marjanovic.

Spain (+1600) follows Serbia and will be led by newly-crowned NBA champion Marc Gasol from the Toronto Raptors. Next up is Greece (+2500), whose roster features reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, as well as his two brothers Kostas and Thanasis Antetokounmpo.

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