Canada to Play Crucial Game vs Australia: Where to Watch & What it Means

The Canadian senior men's basketball team will play a crucial game against Australia early Tuesday morning: Where to watch & what it means in group play

Jul 27, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; Canada guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) controls the ball against Greece in the first quarter during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

The Canadian senior men's basketball team will face off in its toughest test of the group stage early Tuesday morning against Australia at 7:30 a.m. ET.

Where to Watch

CBC and TSN 1050 will broadcast the game for Canada.

Why it Matters

Canada and Australia are both 1-0 after their opening Olympic games, meaning Tuesday's game will be crucial to deciding who comes out of Group A as the top seed. A victory by either team all but solidifies the winner as one of the two teams to come out of the group stage.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the playoffs along with the top two third-place teams who will earn wild card berths. Seeding is determined by record, head-to-head record, and point differential.

What to Watch For

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander showed why he's one of the tournament's most dominant players in Canada's opening game and will need to do so again against Australia. The Canadian superstar had 10 points in the final five minutes as he staved off a furious comeback attempt by Greece. If Tuesday's game is as close as it's expected to be, Gilgeous-Alexander will once again have to play hero for Canada down the stretch.

• Australia doesn't have the kind of star power Canada boasts, but Patty Mills, Josh Giddey, and Dyson Daniels make up a talented backcourt for the Boomers. Mills has plenty of experience in international play and Australia tends to play above its talent level with an impressive track record on the world stage. Canada needs to be able to stop Australia's three-point barrage, especially if Mills gets going.

• The X-factor for Australia on Tuesday may be center Jock Landale whose 6-foot-11 frame has no equal on Canada's roster. The Canadians struggled with Giannis Antetokounmpo's size and a lack of size on the roster could pose problems against the biggest teams in the tournament.

• For Canada, Jamal Murray is going to be crucial as the Olympics progress. He came off the bench and shot 2-for-6 in 18 minutes against Greece. It was a fine start, but Canada will need a lot more later on against tougher teams in the tournament.

Game Odds

Canada is -6 point favorites with an implied win probability of 71.4% on FanDuel. The total for the game is 178.5.

Injury Reports

Dante Exum is the one question mark for Australia heading into Tuesday's game. He participated in practice Monday and there is reportedly optimism he'll play against Canada, per ESPN's Kane Pittman.

Canada is expected to be at full strength.