The 2025 Asian Basketball Cup is kicking off this week, as Australia is back to defend its title after winning two consecutive trophies. 16 of the best teams in Asia will compete for glory in Saudi Arabia, as Guam is the only team to make their debut in this FIBA Asia Cup edition.
The FIBA 2025 Asia Cup group stage full draw was announced four months ago, with all of the groups being balanced and competitive. The event starts on Tuesday, 5 August, and runs until Sunday, 17 August, 2025. The competition will be held in the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for the second time. The opening matchup will be between New Zealand and Iraq in an exciting Group D game.
| ℹ️ Tournament: | 2025 FIBA Asia Cup |
| 🏀 Venue: | King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia |
| 🗓️ Dates: | 5–17 August 2025 |
The competition will be held every four years from this edition onwards, making it the most prestigious basketball tournament for nations in Asia. There are 16 teams competing for the title, and they are split equally into four groups of four teams each. Each team faces all the other teams in their groups, with the top team qualifying directly for the quarterfinals. The second and third teams in each group qualify for the round of 16. The competition then continues with the usual single-elimination games until a champion is crowned.
The FIBA Men’s Asian Cup was first held in 1960, and the Philippines won the first two titles. This will be the 31st edition of the tournament. China has won by far the most titles of any Asian nation (16), and the Philippines are their closest rivals with five titles. Iran won three titles, while Australia, Japan, and South Korea have won two titles each.
Here are the results of the last five finals of the FIBA Asia Cup, with Australia and China winning the title twice each:
Here’s a look at the latest odds to win the basketball Asia Cup 2025 and favorites to win the title from the best basketball bookies:
The bookies have Australia as clear favorites to win the cup, and rightly so. The Boomers made their debut in the tournament in 2017, and they won the title in that edition and the following one. The two NBA players, Jack McVeigh and Will Magnay, have looked good in the friendly games before the tournament, as well as the Sydney Kings’ Jaylin Galloway.
Lebanon was three points shy of winning their first-ever Asia Cup in the 2022 final, as the Australian team was more clutch in the end. The Cedars have won four silver medals in 10 FIBA Asia Cup appearances, but they have looked sharp this year, winning eight consecutive games, so they will have good chances of finally winning the title.
China comes into this tournament with confidence, having won the most titles in this competition, including two trophies in the last five editions. Team Dragon is ranked 30th in the FIBA world ranking, but they are the sixth-highest-Asian nation in the world right now. China had five wins and one loss in the qualifications for this tournament, and they are in arguably the easiest group, so they should at least top their group and reach the quarterfinals.
Akatsuki Japan has the second-highest ranking in Asia right now, especially after their impressive performance in the Lusail Cup in July. The Japanese team bounced back well after their terrible 2024 Paris Olympic Games campaign, where they lost all three games in the group stage. Japan has won six of their last eight games, so you can expect a good performance from them in this tournament.
New Zealand made their Asia Cup debut in 2017, just like Australia, but they have only won one bronze medal so far. The Tall Blacks have won five of their last seven games, including big victories over Australia, the Philippines, and Brazil. New Zealand has improved a lot over the last couple of years, but it would still be tough for them to win the title.
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The best betting platform in India surely expects their team to reach some noticeable results, but still sees Australia as the team to beat in this event. They have been unbeaten in the tournament in two editions so far, having won all 12 games to win back-to-back championships. Australia has the most professional NBA players out of any team in the competition, and they are in great form right now, having won seven of their last eight games.
The Boomers are the only Asian team inside the top 20 in the FIBA world ranking, as they are currently 7th. Australia is the team to beat in this tournament, and they are a very tough team to beat.
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Japan is grouped with Iran, Syria, and Guam in Group B of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup. The Japanese team are favorites to top the group, especially with their great form right now, but Iran will be a fierce competitor for that spot. Japan beat this Iranian team in four of their last six head-to-head games, so if they can beat them again in this tournament, they will most likely finish on top of the group. Japan has great depth on its roster with a lot of talented players, so we will back them to win Group B.
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New Zealand will battle Chinese Taipei, the Philippines, and Iraq in Group D, which is one of the toughest groups in the tournament. The slight favorites to win the group are the Philippines, but the Tall Blacks have beaten them in five of their last six encounters, so New Zealand has a good chance of finishing above them. New Zealand also beat Chinese Taipei in their two games so far, and they shouldn’t struggle against this relatively weak Iraq team, which has lost six of their last eight games.
The Australian team is looking as strong as they were in the last two editions, and we expect them to win the title. Make sure you use our FIBA Asia Cup 2025 predictions and bet on them at the legal betting sites to have more fun watching the event.
