Sweden beat the Netherlands 36–31, and the feeling was that the match was never really in danger. I think that today, against Georgia, the Swedes can take advantage of the situation to secure qualification to the Main Round and then play for carry-over points against Croatia.
I expect Sweden to be very quick in transition today. They have a lot of offensive quality and should get plenty of easy finishes during certain phases of the match. After the opening game and with some corrections made, we should see an improved Sweden, and if they scored 36 against the Netherlands, we could easily see even more today.
There is a chance that once the game is basically decided, we’ll see a lot of rotation, especially since Croatia only beat Georgia by three goals — a margin that should be very manageable for Sweden. However, Sweden have a deep squad with many players eager to make an impression, so the level shouldn’t drop in the later stages. Even if Georgia lose heart, Sweden will push to finish them off, backed by the home crowd, something that should be noticeable from the start.
In my opinion, Georgia are a mediocre team that rely far too much on Tskhovrebadze, and against a strong opponent that’s a clear weakness. They only lost by three to Croatia, but Croatia didn’t play well in that match. If Georgia lose today, they’re out, and if they find themselves facing a deficit that’s hard to overturn in the second half, they could drop their heads under pressure from Sweden both on the court and in the stands.
I think Sweden win this comfortably, reach 30 goals without much trouble, and very likely cover the handicap.