EuroBasket 2025 is well underway, as group stage play kicks off this weekโGroup D projects to be an extremely competitive bunch. Slovenia and France are two such teams competing to advance in the tournament.
The French are 15-point favorites and hold -1200 odds on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The total is set at 176.5 points. Let’s examine my top prediction and pick for this SloveniaโFrance matchup.
Slovenia vs. France prediction, pick
France, one of the top teams in Europe faced a difficult task this tournament: how to win without Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert. They passed their first test in Game 1 of EuroBasket with a wire-to-wire victory over Belgium. It was a chance to flex their defensive muscles, holding the Belgians to 64 total points on 35.7% shooting. There was no waffling offensively either, as they scored 92 points with five different players reaching double figures.
The French have a very young team, with three recent NBA lottery picks getting heavy minutes. Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr, and Zaccharie Risacher are all 21 or younger and have already flashed talent in the pros. Risacher, in particular, looked like a long-term contributor for this team against Belgium with an impressive all-around game.
Game 1 didn’t go as smoothly for Slovenia. The French are clearly the best squad in Group D, while the other five teams are relatively well-matched. Games against the rest of the group are must-wins if the small Balkan country hopes to advance. Dropping their first game against Poland as favorites was a tough blow. While they are overmatched against France, any team with Luka Donฤiฤ on the roster has a prayer.
Even if Donฤiฤ goes crazy, the depth and suffocating defense of the French is a lot to overcome. Expectย Les Bleusย to add another win to their group stage total and take further hold of the top spot in the standings.
