Team USA vs. Hungary prediction, preview: What to know about FIBA World Cup quarterfinals — SkimNews

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- Team USA meets Hungary on Thursday, Sept. 10 at 5:30 a.m. ET in Berlin Arena in the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup quarterfinals — the first matchup between the nations at the tournament since 1986, when USA won 78-63 in the group stage.
- FanDuel has installed Team USA as a 30.5-point favorite over Hungary with an over/under of 155.5, reflecting expectations that Hungary's tournament-worst 21.5 turnovers per game and lack of perimeter scoring will prove fatal.
- Dorka Juhász (Minnesota Lynx) and Virag Takacs-Kiss have powered Hungary's offense, combining for 117 of the team's 290 points (40.3%) through the group stage, with Juhász averaging a 15.3-point, 11-rebound double-double.
- Hungary reached its first World Cup quarterfinal since 1986 by beating Japan on Tuesday, and has never finished better than fifth at the tournament — a mark set in 1957.
- Reka Lelik exploded for 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting in the win over Japan but has been wildly inconsistent — posting just 4 points on 0-of-3 shooting against South Korea and 8 points on 3-of-10 versus France earlier in the tournament.
- Aliyah Boston, Team USA's lone center, faces a heavy workload matching up against Hungary's twin 6-foot-4 posts after handling similar duty in the group-stage win over China (94-61).
Why it matters: FanDuel's 30.5-point spread reflects Hungary's tournament-worst 21.5 turnovers per game and overreliance on two 6-foot-4 posts, mirroring how France beat them by 46 points. With USA's defensive athletes likely to force similar mistakes, Thursday should track like their 94-61 win over China and 105-64 win over Czechia — not the close call against Italy.
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