Argentina and Spain -- two longshots to play in the FIBA World Cup final -- have defied the odds and reached the final at Wukesong Sport Arena in Beijing. Tip-off is 7 a.m. ET. Spain is a 4-point favorite, and the over-under for total points scored is 154.

Before you make any FIBA World Cup final picks, you need to see what SportsLine writer Gene Menez is saying about the action.

A former reporter and associate editor for Sports Illustrated, where he covered an array of games for almost 14 years, Menez has obsessively followed the NBA for almost four decades. He has tracked the 2019 FIBA World Cup, broken down the final and made his pick. He's sharing it only at SportsLine.

We can tell you Menez is leaning Under, but his much stronger play is on the side. He says a critical x-factor makes one side of this spread a must-back. You need to see it before you make any picks of your own.

Who wins Spain vs. Argentina? And what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? ... Join SportsLine right now to see which side of the Spain vs. Argentina spread is a must-back, all from the former Sports Illustrated writer!