<p>Spain’s hopes of retaining the title that they won in a rescheduled 2022 EuroBasket event will begin on Thursday (22:00 AEST) when they take on Georgia in Cyprus.</p> <p>The defending champions have won the competition four times in their history, and have a good recent record when involved. Since their first success in 2009, they’ve won it in 2011, 2015, and 2022, having finished third in 2013 and 2017.</p> <p>Georgia will need to be taken seriously by the Spanish if they are to win their opening Group C contest, as they will be appearing in their sixth consecutive EuroBasket finals. They don’t have the best record when making the main tournament, but they can trouble the best.</p> <h2>Georgia vs Spain: Betting Preview</h2> <p>The head-to-head between the two nations is one-sided, with Spain having won three of the four encounters.</p> <p>Spain won the last meeting, recording a 90-64 victory during the FIBA EuroBasket 2022 tournament. However, they had experienced a surprise loss during the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers, as they were beaten 82-76.</p> <p>However, other meetings have largely involved big victories. A 89-61 win occurred in 2021, while 2013 saw the two nations play out to an 83-59 result.</p> <p>Indeed, Spain are well-liked by many because of the roster that they can call upon. Santi Aldama is a rising star making his way in the NBA for the Memphis Grizzlies. It will be an emotional competition for coach Sergio Scariolo, as it is set to be his final one. The one downside is that they have had to deal with several injuries ahead of the tournament, with talented prospect Mario Saint-Supéry among those questionable.</p> <p>Still, Georgia aren’t short of quality themselves. They’ll be able to call upon quality players like Tornike “Toko” Shengelia (FC Barcelona), Goga Bitadze (Orlando Magic), and Sandro Mamukelashvili (Toronto Raptors).</p> <h2>Georgia vs Spain: Betting Predictions</h2> <p>The latest <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/basketball-aus-other/eurobasket-men/georgia-v-spain-9517342">betting odds for Georgia vs Spain</a> have the defending champions as the favourites to win the game as an outright bet.</p> <p>Still, value can be found elsewhere when betting on an encounter like this. For example, Georgia could be worth backing to win or cover the spread in the ‘handicap’ market, as the Spanish have been far from their best.</p> <p>Spain enter the 2025 EuroBasket tournament in the worst way possible. They have lost their last four matches, being beaten by France twice and Germany in their final two (including one in overtime). Aside from their most recent loss (95-78), they’ve not lost by more than eight points.</p> <p>Georgia have only played a handful of games in 2025, beating Denmark (62-60) and losing to Serbia (63-54). It’s why the ‘Spain (-9.5)’ market looks appealing. They were able to handle the stars that Serbia boast, and with Spain’s issues, they could cover the handicap.</p>