France - Spain
Both teams had a chance to go to finals, but have lost during a game. French team had 16 pts advantage but managed to lose 85-87 to Hungary. And Spain had +12 against strong Russians but also losed this advantage  and losed 73-80. It's difficult to play for 3rd place when you had all chances to play in the final and this is a reason why don't recommend you to bet big sum today.

But looking only into teams rosters and results French side is a much better. They probably best team at this tournament but sport is sport and only 3rd place is available for them. More of that these teams already played each other on this tournament and France won 70-63 and beat HC -5.5 which bookmakers have set for that game. Today they gave us a level line to both sides and I don't think that moral factor costs those 5-6 points. So I choose French side.

Predicted score:  France 78 - 70 Spain

Recommended pick: France win @ 1.85 medium-low stake

Regarding final game I expect Russia win 77-64 but I would not touch this game because it's final and Hungarian girls plays at home where miracles can happen.

Greece - Spain
Greece yesterday won against Lithuania and with win today they qualify for next round. If they lose and Lithuania win against Bulgaria winners  in last tour still qualifies to next stage. If Spain lose they lost all chances to qualify. So I expect that Spain will do all they can to win today to stay in game for 2nd place. And Greece... it would easier to win against Bulgaria than against very motivated Spain. So maybe difficult but Spain win here.

Pick: Spain @ 1.65

Latvia - Croatia
Latvian basketball never have been defensive.. they more rely on shooting and running basketball. In first game Latvia did not show any defensive skill except 2nd quarter when Serbia scored 11 points. In all other quarters Serbian scored 18 20 23 points... So I think that real Latvian defence average should be about 76.5-80 points. Now let's look into Croatian offensive stats in their game with Belorussia, yes I agree that there was something strange in first quarter when they scored 6 points but then they found they rythm and scored 58 points in next 3 quarters.. and during preparation games their stats were 77.3-81 and only in one game they allowed less than 70 points, so I would not say that croatia key to win games is defense.... Belorussian are very poor team with character but their national league is very poor level and that's why they will have big problems here...

Lithuania - Croatia 94-74
Lithuania - Croatia 101-77
Lithuania - Croatia 75-68
Croatia - Italy 79-78
Croatia - Slovenia 83:72
Croatia - Finland 74:80
Croatia - Hungary 78:60
Croatia - Slovenia 93:78
France - Croatia 95:70

Average total 158.7

Latvians were able to score 58 points in first 3 quarters to serbia and then they just forgot where basketball ring is located.. by scoring only 3 points in last quarter.. But i doubt that they will repeat same scoring today. So I think that both teams able to score 70 points.. And it's good chance to play on over 135.5 here.

Pick: Over 135.5

San Antonio Silver Stars (10-9) at Charlotte Sting (3-16)
SPREAD: Charlotte 1.5
TOTAL: 145.5

I found one interesting Muggsy Bogues interview about Charlotte 2nd season part plans. I suggest you to read it before betting on this game.

But now let's look at team stats and last games. Charlotte has covered 4 times in last 6 games but 5 of them were played away  from home where Charlotte goes with double digit handicap. In 9 of 10 last games they scored more than 60 points and their average is 66.6 points per game. In last 7 games they are allowing only 70 points and that kind of defence doing money for Charlotte backers. But they still are losing matches, they can't win them... only one win in last 10 games it's horrible and it kills players mentality. And Charlotte coach talked about this in his interviews, his girls and women just need to believe in theirself to start winning. They are strong material but they need to learn how to win close games.

San Antonio were on a good run before All Star break while scoring 83.8 points per last 5 games. But this team is not offensive minded as stats are showing. They just play how their opponents allows them to play. If they met defensive team they are scoring only 67.4 points.

I doubt that any of teams will score more than 80 points today. But Charlotte needs this win and their defensive effort in last matches should continue today. But to get that win Charlotte also have to improve their shooting from FG and that could be a problem.. SA offense power is a little bit better and currently they are favorites to win this game...

Predicted score: Charlotte 68 - 74 San Antonio

Recommended Pick: No bet, or SA (-1) but that's a risky bet.. Charlotte needs this win and wants it.

Houston Comets (12-9) at Chicago Sky (3-15)
SPREAD: Chicago 4
TOTAL: 138

The Houston Comets try to snap a season-high three-game losing streak and a five-game skid on the road when they open their second-half schedule with a matchup against the Chicago Sky at the UIC Pavilion on Friday.The Comets (12-9) met Los Angeles on July 5 with a chance to earn a share of the lead in the Western Conference, but lost 74-62 to start their current three-game skid. Houston is now in third place in the West, four games behind the Sparks. The Comets continue to be without two of their better players as leading scorer Tina Thompson, who averages 17.1 points per game, is out with a strained right calf and Dominique Canty is sidelined with a broken finger on her right hand.Houston, opening a three-game road trip, is 3-7 away from home this season.

The expansion Sky (3-15) had all five starters score in double figures Sunday and were 8-for-16 from 3-point range, but still lost 89-83 to Washington. Amanda Lassiter and Bernadette Ngoyisa each scored 17 points, Chelsea Newton added a career-high 15, and Jia Perkins and Candice Dupree had 12 apiece for the Sky, who allowed the Mystics to hit 54.2 percent of their shots.

The Comets beat the Sky 71-60 on June 2 to improve to 18-2 all-time against expansion teams. Thompson scored a season-high 23 points for Houston in that contest while Lassiter led Chicago with 14.  

Betting preview: Chicago can't score with defensive minded teams. I already wrote in my last WNBA post that their average with defensive teams is only 62 points. Comets are one of those teams. They are second in league in defensive stats and allow only 70.2 pts per game. So today Sky should appear in dificcult situation, they need to score points in defensive and low tempo game. And this could problem for them.. in their first game they scored only 61 points and only in one quarter they have scored 20 points,in 3 other quarters they scored only 40 points.

In 7 of last 10 games Houston allowed more than 70 points and as result they won only 4 times. They need to remember their defensive tactics to win this game at Chicago in my opinion. But the problem is their injuries. Anyway I expect low scoring game but it's difficult to say who will win. Houston is a class better team but their have lost their leader and that fact may hurt them because till now they did not find back up leader. Maybe today Swoopes will wake up? Let's wait..

Predicted score: Houston 66 - 59 Chicago

Pick: UNDER 138 (medium-low stakes)

GAME: Los Angeles Sparks (16-5) at Phoenix Mercury (8-10)
SPREAD: Phoenix -1
TOTAL: 163.5
If the first-place Los Angeles Sparks want to hold on in the second half of the season and win the Western Conference, they''ll have to accomplish it mostly on the road. The Sparks (16-5), who play 10 of their 13 second-half games away from Los Angeles, resume play when they meet the Phoenix Mercury at the U.S. Airways Center on Friday. Los Angeles'' strange schedule this season had it opening the year with a six-game road trip before the team played 14 of the next 15 games at home leading up to the All-Star break. The Sparks went 3-3 on the opening trip and 12-2 in the home contests to take a 3 1/2-game lead over defending WNBA champion Sacramento in the conference. Los Angeles beat the Monarchs in its one road contest over the last 15 games.

'The big challenge comes ahead, with (so many games) on the road.' Phoenix (8-10) suffered through an inconsistent first half of the season, despite having two of the top three scorers in the league. Diana Taurasi is tied with top overall pick Seimone Augustus of Minnesota with 23.2 points per game, while Mercury rookie Cappie Pondexter is third with 21.9 per contest.The Mercury''s problem has been defense. Phoenix is allowing a WNBA-high 85.6 points per game and gave up 88 to New York in its last contest before the break, but scored 94 in an overtime victory Sunday.

Leslie and Taurasi each had nine points, and Pondexter added four in the West''s 98-82 loss in Wednesday''s All-Star game.The Sparks have defeated the Mercury twice in Los Angeles this season to take a 28-8 lead in the series. Los Angeles, though, has suffered six of those eight losses in Phoenix.

Betting preview: First game in LA 85-83 and total was set at 174, teams scored 168 points. Second game total was set at 171 but teams collected 182 points and result was 98-84. To beat total today teams should score 41 points per quarter, and in 8 quarters played in first 2 games between these teams they have 7 quarters with average total of 45 points. So I think that today teams have all chances to score at least 170 points. What was the reason of such total drope? I think that main reason is last LA games with defensive minded Houston, Indiana, Charlotte when they allowed 67 points. But today they will play another basketball, up-tempo-3-pointers-shooting Phoenix style basketball... and points will come.. And one more problem I see here is bad Leslie form.. She is scoring 10-15 points while her average is 20.1 pts but I hope that today she will be more useful after short All Star break as well as her team mates and opponents. Let's run and shoot, girls!

Predicted score: Phoenix 84 - 86 LA Sparks

Pick: OVER 163.5 (medium stakes)

Today U20 European Championship takes a start in Izmir, Turkey. It's quite difficult to play first games of such tournaments because there is not enough information about young teams and only their first games will show their real strength. But let's start with some predictions and picks to have some fun and I hope some money too.

Israel a group winner @ 2.55
They need only one win against Italians today and that would enougn to get first place. By the way italians is not very strong team. They lost 3 games to less class opponents like Slovenia and Croatia.

Croatia - Italy 79-78 (16-17, 39-45, 58-56)
11th June Croatia - Italy 80:71
Italy - Slovenia 70 : 76 (22:19, 17:14, 13:20, 18:23)

Russia - France
Line has started with odds 1.60 on Russia win. But now HC is set -7.5 and money line is 1.30... I have read that russian coach got french team combinations from Italians.. so probably russians will be prepared for this crucial game.. But I will skip this one.

Lithuania - Greece
Lithuania is one of the shortest team in this tournament and probably one of the fastest. As always lithuanians shooting well from 3 point line and play agressive basketball. Here are their results in preparation games:

Lithuania - Belarus 81-45
Lithuania - Belarus 71-64
Lithuania - Latvia 103-83
Lithuania - Latvia 84-81
Lithuania - Croatia 94-74
Lithuania - Croatia 101-77
Lithuania - Croatia 75-68
Lithuania - Russia 58-75
Lithuania - Russia 81-69
Lithuania - Russia 74-79

Average total 153.

I did not find all Greece team results but here what I have found:

Greece - Germany: 74-45
Ukraine - Greece: 76-78
Turkey - Greece: 83-70
Israel - Greece: 76-57

Average total is 140 points but it includes 74-45 with Germany, one of the poorest teams on this Euro champ. Looking into their results seems that Greece side is able to adopt to opponent style and today I expect lithuanian-style basket with a lot of 3 points and fast breaks. In all games excluding that one with Germany the allowed more than 70 points. Lithuania have scored in average 82.2 in their preparation games and allowed about 70 points.. So I think that both teams are able to score more than 70 points and will beat this total.

Pick: OVER 141.5