Euroleague Basketball Tips
Euro League basketball predictions appear under each mini game preview.
Zenit – CSKA
It is an all-Russian affair in St Petersburg when Zenit will be in search of its first home win as it welcomes the defending champions CSKA. Two teams have 48 hours to process all the drama they were involved with on Wednesday night, when CSKA suffered a rare home defeat against Olympiacos Piraeus, while Zenit won in overtime at Zalgiris Kaunas. Zenit’s two wins so far in club’s EuroLeague debut season have both come on the road, in overtime, and it would make an even more memorable night if Zenit defeats CSKA for the first win in front of its fans.
Zenit is experiencing, first hand, the toughness of the EuroLeague, but the team is ready and willing to show that it belongs in the competition, as it did beating Zalgiris earlier this week. For this Russian derby, the main focus of the hosts will be trying to stop the main contributors of CSKA Moscow, even if that will not guarantee anything, due to the impressive depth of the roster of the defending champs. Zenit is one of the weakest offenses in the league and it is facing the second-best up to this point, so the defense must be a key focus for the hosts if they want to stand a chance.
Kostas Koufos (foot), Dmitry Kulgin (foot) and Daniel Hackett (back( will miss this game. Will Clyburn will miss most of the season due to an ACL injury.
CSKA arrives in this game having suffered the first defeat and, on top of that, it did not have to travel too far for this second game of the double-feature week, so the defending champs will have many things in their favor entering the game and looking to vent a little. CSKA ranks among the top five teams in field goal percentages, but strangely enough, it is one of the last in free throws, so paying attention to that detail would increase its dominant position even more. Zenit’s main assets seem to be playing in the paint up to this point, so the guests will have to close in on Gustavo Ayon and Thomas to severely limit the opponent.
Tip: 1 (+6.0) at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 01/11/2019, 10:00 CET, could have changed)
Fenerbahce – Zalgiris
In a rematch of last year’s EuroLeague Playoffs series, Fenerbahce welcomes Zalgiris. Both teams are coming off Wednesday losses, with Fenerbahce coming into this tilt having suffered four losses in the first five games for the first time this century. All losses did come on the road, but Fenerbahce will badly need a win in front of its passionate fans. Zalgiris, on the other hand, will not be without pressure as it tries to recover in 48 hours from an emotional home overtime loss against Zenit St Petersburg.
After an unprecedented slow start to the season, Fenerbahce seems to be struggling hard, especially offensively as it averages a mere 69.8 points per game. To get out of the slump, Fenerbahce will need to come out with high energy, and get the push from their fans to get things going early. Nando De Colo, Jan Vesely, Luigi Datome, Derrick Williams or Kostas Sloukas are among players with great individual quality who can single-handedly give Fenerbahce an offensive spark this team badly needs, but it Fenerbahce does not want to get behind in this game and give itself another obstacle on the road to recovery.
Zalgiris started the season with two losses, but it seems to have found is rhythm with the last games despite the last home loss to Zenit. It is expected that coach Sarunas Jasikevicius will keep tweaking the details to get the most out of his players, as usual. Measuring up against Fenerbahce is always a great way to see where the team stands, and the main obstacle will be overcoming the hosts’ traditionally stiff defense. Zalgiris will want to control the rhythm and make Fenerbahce work hard knowing that the hosts will be particularly dangerous having lost four of the first five games of the season.
Tip: 1 (-8.5) at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 01/11/2019, 10:00 CET, could have changed)
Valencia – Villeurbanne
Valencia will look for its first win of the season as it welcomes ASVEL. The hosts are the only winless team in the league but are poised to change that on Friday night when the French champion comes into town. Despite ASVEL dropping its previous two road games by a combined 55 points, that is a dangerous team that has nothing to lose because it has taken care of its home floor and is coming off a come-from-behind win over KIROLBET Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz.
Valencia’s situation is starting to be very uncomfortable having started the season with a 0-5 record, so the defending EuroCup champs need a win right away. The fact of playing at home against a team that has not won on the road yet could be a starting point. It will be the perfect moment for the key Valencia contributors like Dubljevic, Jordan Loyd and Brock Motum to step up and get those offensive numbers up for the team. Valencia, which averages third-fewest 70.4 points, has had a rough time with injuries, but players like Maurice Ndour, Quino Colom or Alberto Abalde will need to step up and help the orange team to climb a couple more steps in the ladder.
ASVEL is probably enjoying a start to the season that few expected in Lyon. However, the team has shown that it is capable of winning at home in the most difficult circumstances, but on the road, it fell big twice. Coach Zvezdan Mitrovic will look that it does not happen again, but to do that, ASVEL will likely need to score more than its average 69.2 point production. Defensively, Valencia has been struggling from the arc this season, so ASVEL will try to force those long-range shots from the hosts, but at the same time secure the rebounds (ASVEL is currently last in the rankings with 30.6 rpg.) which could prove to be a path to follow in Valencia.
Tip: Over 154.0 at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 01/11/2019, 10:00 CET, could have changed)
Milano – Barcelona
In a clash of two teams that have gotten their respective seasons to a hot start, Milan plays host to unbeaten Barcelona in a highly awaited collision in the Fashion capital. The visitors not only have an unblemished record in the EuroLeague so far this season, but also the league’s top offense, but Milan and coach Ettore Messina have the weapons to test it, and growing confidence to take down the league leaders.
Despite a small hiccup with a loss in opening night, Milan is clearly on a trend for improvement, and playing at home against an undefeated Barcelona will be enough motivation to take the effort to the next level. Barcelona does many things well, which means that the hosts will have to be focused for all 40 minutes on both ends. Stopping the flow of the guests’ offense and securing those rebounds against a team that does not forgive when it is awarded second options should be the main goal for Milan. It does not make sense to focus on one or two players, because the depth in Barcelona’s bench seems to have no end, so the hosts will have to try to play their game and try to stop the rhythm of the guests.
The offseason moves in Barcelona have started paying off right from the start and as it remains the only undefeated one left in the competition. The team is among the top-scoring teams in the league and has shown it knows how to play both at home and on the road, be it a blowout game or a closer one. The guests are second overall in average PIR, which summarizes all the good things they do. However, Milan is a team on the rise and it plays at home, so taking care of key names like Sergio Rodriguez, Luis Scola or Vladimir Micov will have to be key focuses of the guests, as well as watching those shots from down deep, as the hosts are right there at the top with the best percentage from that distance.
Tip: 1 at 2.05 with bet365
(Price correct at 01/11/2019, 10:00 CET, could have changed)
Olympiacos – Maccabi
It is a classic EuroLeague showdown when Olympiacos plays host to Maccabi. This time, it is also a clash of two teams with growing confidence. Olympiacos is coming off a rare regular-season road win over CSKA Moscow, which could turn into a season changer after a rough start. Meanwhile, Maccabi has strung together three home wins, and now it entertains the idea of finally winning one on the road.
The Reds are still adapting to the major changes they suffered in the last weeks. Always a team with spirit, Olympiacos already showed its pride with a tremendous win at CSKA, and now want to complete the job in front of its fans in this double-round week. The thing that catches the eye is that the hosts average 74.0 points, five fewer per game than Maccabi’s 79.0, and the Reds are facing the team with the best two-point accuracy (58.5%) in the league. Adjustments on defense to force the rival to take difficult shots will be the main concern for coach Kestutis Kemzura. There’s still a long way to go in the season, but starting with a 2-4 could be a big obstacle to overcome when money-time comes.
Maccabi will play its game of the week on the road, and the team is finding a hard time trying to win away from Tel Aviv. The fact that Olympiacos has had its share of struggles at the start of the season could provide a solid chance for Maccabi to snag a valuable win on the road, but the Reds are capable of anything, as they showed in Moscow. The main job for the visitors will be limiting the trio of Olympiacos major contributors, the likes of Vassilis Spanoulis and Georgios Printezis but, most of all, young big man Nikola Milutinov who leads the league in rebounding (11.6 rpg.). Olympiacos seems to have a hard time circulating the ball fast, so Maccabi should try to capitalize on that in defense and make a run for it.
Tip: 2 at 2.00 with bet365
(Price correct at 01/11/2019, 10:00 CET, could have changed)
Baskonia – Bayern
Baskonia returns to Vitoria-Gasteiz for only its second home game of the season to welcome Bayern on Friday night. Baskonia is coming off a Tuesday loss at LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, a game where it held control for three quarters, and now will need to bounce back and avoid dropping to a 2-4 record. For Bayern, on the other hand, this marks only a second road game of this campaign, but the team arrives full of confidence after a great offensive display in a 95-86 win over Real Madrid on Wednesday.
Baskonia is having a hard time trying to find a solid rhythm at the start of this season. The last loss at ASVEL by just three points showed that the team is struggling with managing close moments. The main task of the hosts will be stopping the offense of Bayern, but in the offense, Baskonia will need to try to circulate the ball faster and better to get those league-worst 12.6 assists per game go up. Under the rims, the hosts lead the league with a huge 5.6 blocks per game, but that alone will probably not be enough to stop a Bayern team that seems to be gathering more and more confidence each round.
In the same vein of Baskonia, Bayern is struggling to find a solid pace that allows it to chain wins, but the last one at home against Real will surely be an injection of morale. The ace in the sleeve for Bayern, at least according to numbers, is its superior offensive power and it will have to try to exploit that as much as possible. Bayern has better percentages from all ranges and should try to force Baskonia to shoot from beyond the arc since the Spanish team has the second-lowest accuracy (29.1%) in the league. The only edge Baskonia has over Bayern is under the glass, but if the guests work on those rebounds, they could have a solid option to steal a win from Vitoria-Gasteiz.
Tip: 1 (-7.0) at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 01/11/2019, 10:00 CET, could have changed)
Real – ALBA Berlin
Two teams on losing streaks meet in the Spanish capital when Real hosts ALBA. Both teams started the season in style, but Real currently sits on a three-game losing streak, while ALBA has lost four in a row. It is no secret two teams entered the season with different ambitions, with Real always contending for the title while ALBA is sporting one a young roster, so the pressure will be on the hosts to get back on the winning track. However, ALBA will surely make its best effort to play the role of a spoiler, as it is surely capable of an upset.
Real Madrid started the season well but suffered some bad and, some could say, unexpected losses that the team will try to put behind as soon as possible. The visit of ALBA to the Spanish capital could be a perfect chance for Madrid to return to a winning path. ALBA remains one of the top-scoring teams in the league but has only one win to show for it, so the visitors will be hungry to prove that their scoring can also bring in wins. Real will have to step up on defense and use the help of their fans at home to stop ALBA. The guests mainly rely on two names: Rokas Giedraits and Peyton Siva, so if defense focuses on those two players, Los Blancos will be halfway there.
ALBA is having a bittersweet start to the season. The team is playing well and it is among the top performers in several categories, but after a starting win, it has been four losses in a row. ALBA will have to learn how to counterbalance its flawless offense with an effort in defense which ranks bottom in the league allowing 87.4 points per game. ALBA will need the defense to stop the excellent individuals that Real has in the roster, as Los Blancos have seven players averaging 7 or more points. Stopping such a resourceful team will be a tough test for the guests, but it would do wonders for ALBA’s transition game and increase the team’s chance to pull out a victory.
Tip: Under 170.0 at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 01/11/2019, 10:00 CET, could have changed)
News Source: Euroleague.net
Basketball tips: Livetipster
