PREVIEWS
Euroleague Preview – Round 15 – The end of half the season

The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season reaches its midway point with a flurry of festive fixtures, including two powerhouses going head to head to break their tie for joint second place.
Thursday’s matches
The action starts in Istanbul, where Anadolu Efes (7-7) will seek to maintain its place in the top half of the standings against one of five teams currently sharing second place, Real Madrid (9-5). The Spanish team has lost three consecutive games on the road but still boasts the highest index rating of all teams (103.07 per game), while Efes ranks third in that category (95.36 per game). Both teams possess excellent rebounding skills, with Madrid ranked second in the league in overall rebounds (37.14 per game) and Efes claiming more offensive boards than anyone else (14.21 per game). It might not be as easy as the odds suggest for the visitors, so try to find an alternative on the margin or points bets. For us it’s a no bet.
After seeing a six-game winning run come to an end, CSKA Moscow (10-2) will try to bounce back at Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade (6-8). Zvezda’s last two home games have seen it defeat the champions from 2014 (Maccabi) and 2015 (Madrid), and the Serbian team will now aim to overcome last season’s winners on the back of its defense, which has seen it claim more steals than any other team (8.0 per game). CSKA is the league’s top scorer with an average of 89.92 points per game, but was held to a season-low 75 points (in regulation time) in last week’s loss. What about another upset for CSKA here? At 3.80 we take the risk with a home win.
A big battle is guaranteed in Piraeus, where the tie for joint-second place will be broken as Olympiacos (9-5) hosts Fenerbahce Istanbul (9-5). One factor in favour of the visitor is long-range shooting, with Fenerbahce boasting the league’s third-best three-point conversion rate (40.36%), whereas Olympiacos is ranked third-worst (33.93%). But the host will look to exploit a different area of dominance, enjoying a clear advantage in rebounding (36.93 per game against 32.93). There is no Printezis for the hosts and no Bogdanovic for the visitors, so the total scoring might stay under 151.5 which is priced at 1.90 as always.
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (4-10) will attempt to end the league’s longest losing run, seven games, with the visit of Zalgiris Kaunas (5-9). Milan has struggled to even get close to winning in recent weeks, losing four of its last five games by at least 14 points, and has allowed more points than any other team (87.64 per game). That will give encouragement to Zalgiris’s productive offense, which has scored at least 84 points in each of its last five road games partly thanks to the competition’s best free throw conversion rate (82.61%). No bet here.
Thursday’s final tip-off is the Game of the Week as Baskonia Vitoria Gasteiz (9-5) welcomes Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv (5-9), which will be led by its fourth head coach this season. Baskonia is the league’s best rebounding team (38.36 per game) and has won five straight at home. In contrast, Maccabi has lost five in a row after allowing leads of 18 and 19 points to slip in its last two games. Ball handling could be crucial – only Maccabi (15.14 per game) has committed more turnovers than Baskonia (14.29 per game). I fancy Maccabi when they are offered as underdogs and our pick goes to the away win with a handicap of +5.0 points at 1.90.
Friday’s matches
On Friday, Unics Kazan (5-9) will seek its third straight win with the visit of another in-form side, Panathinaikos Superfoods Athens (9-5). Even if the Greek giants prevails, it’s unlikely to be easy: the Russian side has won three of its last five home games, and the two losses were both by just one point. Panathinaikos now possesses the best defense in the competition, allowing just 73 points per game, but Unics has the league’s third-best true shooting percentage (50.27%). Pantahinaikos has the upper hand here and despite expecting a tight game, the visitor’s form suggests an away win. We’ll take the risk with the -2.0 points handicap at 1.90 with bet365.
Galatasaray Odeabank Istanbul (4-10) will attempt to climb off the foot of the standings by climbing level with visiting Brose Bamberg (5-9). What happens when Bamberg misses shots could be crucial: the German team is the league’s worst offensive rebounding team (6.79 per game), while Galatasaray has the lowest number of defensive boards (21.71 per game). But shooting accuracy is in Bamberg’s favour, with a true shooting percentage of 51.48% against the host’s 46.71%. This should be a close encounter and is a tricky one. Bamberg can surely win again but they love… thrillers so we will back the home team with a handicap of +2.5 points.
And finally, two teams will aim to maintain their recent improvement as FC Barcelona Lassa (6-8) welcomes Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul (8-6). In what is likely to be a close game, a key question could be which team manages to improve its shooting accuracy: Darussafaka has the league’s lowest two-point conversion rate (48.31%), while Barcelona is only slightly better at 50.10%. The teams also rank low down in assist-turnover ratio – Barcelona is 12th with 125%, while Darussafaka is 13th with 119.64%. Barcelona has based their wins on the defense and it is more than probable they will concentrate to keep Darussafaka to a low score. This could lead to an Under 150.5 game, priced at 1.90 with bet365.
Source: euroleague.net
Tips: livetipster.com
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PREVIEWS
Euroleague Tips with Previews – Round 26 – Thursday

Euroleague Basketball Predictions
Euro League basketball tips appear under each mini game preview.
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Zenit – Valencia
Two teams coming off big wins meet the Round 26 opener when Zenit St Petersburg hosts Valencia Basket. Zenit (15-9) defeated AX Armani Exchange Milan in a makeup game on Monday to soar into fourth place in the standings. Valencia (13-12) has defeated CSKA Moscow and Real Madrid in its last two games and is just one win behind eighth-placed Anadolu Efes Istanbul.
Zenit boats the league’s second-best defense, with only 74.8 points allowed per game, while Valencia is second-best in scoring (82.2 ppg.) and leads the league in two-point accuracy (58.9%). Controlling the pace and the paint will be vital for Zenit, which held the high-scoring Milan attack to 70 points on Monday. Valencia has averaged just 75.5 points in its 12 losses this season.
- Joan Sastre and Guillem Vives both missed Valencia’s last game to injury.
Controlling the glass is always critical and even more so on the road. Valencia has been outrebounded by nearly 1 rebound on average this season and is one of only five teams allowing its opponents more than 10 offensive rebounds per game (10.3). Matching Zenit’s intensity on the glass would be a big boost for the visitors in St Petersburg.
Tip: Over 156.5 at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 25/02/2021, 12:00 CET, subject to change)
Olympiacos – CSKA Moscow
Two teams looking to turn things around meet on Thursday when Olympiacos Piraeus hosts CSKA Moscow. The Reds (11-14) are currently on a five-game losing streak. Kostas Sloukas (12.0 ppg.) has been Olympiacos’s top scorer until now, following by Shaquielle McKissic (10.7 ppg.) and Sasha Vezenkov (9.1 ppg.). CSKA (16-8) has lost four of its last five games, but returns to action with two new faces, Iffe Lundberg and Michael Eric, ready to help Mike James (20.8 ppg.), Will Clyburn (14.1 ppg.) and Darrun Hilliard (10.4 ppg.).
- Kostas Papanikolaou has missed Olympiacos’s last 10 games.
- Hassan Martin is sidelined with a knew injury.
Olympiacos scored 26 points in the opening 11 minutes of last week’s game against Anadolu Efes Istanbul. It went on to score just 27 points in the remaining 29 minutes, so the Reds need to work on their focus and concentration. Stopping James should be one of the keys to the game and Olympiacos will look to Charles Jenkins and Giannoulis Larentzakis to do so. On offense, Sloukas and Vassilis Spanoulis lead Olympiacos’s pick-and-roll offense, which will try to get Octavius Ellis and Livio Jean-Charles involved in the paint.
- Will Clyburn has not played since Round 16 due to an ankle injury, but has returned to action in domestic competition since then.
- Nikola Milutinov could miss the rest of the season with a shoulder surgery.
- Tornike Shengelia has not played in Round 24 and is expected to miss several games with a knee injury.
CSKA returns to the competition after three weeks away from EuroLeague action. It had time to adjust to its new lineup – Nikola Milutinov is out for the season, Clyburn returned, and two new players stepped in. CSKA, however, should carry on running its offense through James, the EuroLeague’s top scorer. If Toko Shengelia remains sidelined, Johannes Voigtmann and Eric should see extended playing time around the baskets and Coach Dimitris Itoudis could opt for a smaller lineup with Clyburn at power forward.
Tip: 2 (-4.5) at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 25/02/2021, 12:00 CET, subject to change)
Bayern – Maccabi
In a showdown between teams looking to bounce back from Round 25 losses, FC Bayern Munich hosts Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv on Thursday. Bayern (15-10) had a three-game losing streak snapped when it fell at LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne. Coach Trinchieri’s men are 9-3 at home this season. Maccabi (10-13) has dropped its last two games and is 4-8 on the road this season. The Israeli champs are now four wins outside of the playoff zone and the pressure may be mounting.
- Nihad Dedovic missed the team’s Round 25.
- Robin Amaize has missed the last eight games.
- Zan Mark Sisko returned to action in Round 25 after missing seven games.
Bayern excels by playing a physical game that leads to lots of steals and forced turnovers. It leads the league in fouls (23.2 per game), is second in steals (7.8 apg.) and fourth in turnovers forced (14.1 TOpg.). Maccabi’s poor free-throw shooting (76.7%, 16th in the league) is something Bayern can take advantage as is Maccabi’s struggles from the three-point line (35.6%). Forcing Maccabi into tough shots and fouling when the Israeli champs have good looks could be a recipe for success.
- T.J. Cline is due to make his EuroLeague debut.
- Yovel Zoosman will be out until late March with a knee injury.
- Omri Casspi will travel to Munich with the team and may play after missing several weeks with illness.
- The participation of Wilbekin (thumb), Othello Hunter and Casspi will be game-time decisions.
Bayern has made the most two-pointers (21.5 per game) and the fewest threes (7.2 per game) in the league this season. Maccabi has a deep and long frontline with Othello Hunter, Ante Zizic, Dragan Bender and Angelo Caloiaro and they together will be tasked with controlling the paint on both ends. A collective strong game by the Maccabi bigs blocking shots, on the glass and scoring inside would put Coach Sfairopoulos’s men in a winning position.
Tip: 2 at 2.25 with bet365
(Price correct at 25/02/2021, 12:00 CET, subject to change)
Milano – Khimki
AX Armani Exchange Milan will try to bounce back from losing two of its last three games when it hosts Khimki Moscow Region on Thursday. Third-placed Milan (16-9) has won five straight home games and is 9-4 on Italian soil this season. Khimki (2-22) is on a 16-game losing streak, though Alexey Shved and co. continue to play hard.
- Jeff Brooks has not played in the last six games.
- Zach LeDay has missed the last two games with an injury.
Milan’s high-powered attack is second in the league in three-point accuracy (42.0) and has committed the fewest turnovers (10.8 TOpg.). Khimki has been vulnerable to the three-pointer, allowing a league-high 43.2%. Milan should get plenty of good looks, but it needs Malcolm Delaney, Luigi Datome, Punter, Shavon Shields and Sergio Rodriguez to make their threes, because when the threes don’t fall, Milan struggles. Coach Messina’s men have made just 34.3% of their triples in defeats this season.
- Devin Booker has missed the last four games.
- Anton Ponkrashov made his Khimki return in Round 25.
- Errick McCollum did not play in Round 25.
Khimki can ill-afford turnovers in Milan; the team has averaged just 10 turnovers per game in wins and 14.4 in losses. Khimki also needs to make more use of its interior weapons, such as Jordan Mickey, to balance the attack, since it is tied for second-to-last with just 17.5 two-point shots made per game.
Tip: 1 (-19.5) at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 25/02/2021, 12:00 CET, subject to change)
Real Madrid – Zalgiris
Real Madrid hosts Zalgiris Kaunas on Thursday in a showdown between two playoff hopefuls separated by just one game in the standings. Real is fifth at 15-10, while Zalgiris is four places behind despite its 14-11 record. Los Blancos will try to shake off back-to-back losses and recapture its winning form before heading to Russia for two games next week. After winning seven in a row at home, Real has dropped three of its last four in Madrid. Zalgiris snapped a two-game slide on Tuesday with a victory over Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade and now wants to turn that into a winning streak. The Lithuanian champs are 7-6 on the road this season with losses in four of their last five.
- Anthony Randolph is out with a ruptured left Achilles tendon.
- Rudy Fernandez did not play in Round 25 due to back issues.
- Sergio Llull’s participation in the games is questionable with a knee injury.
After losing its last two games in a row, Real will look to geth back to the winning track as soon as possible if it wants to stay among the top teams. In front of them they will have a team with fighting spirit which also happens to be the second-best team in the league from beyond the arc. The hosts will have to pay attention in defense to those open shots, while also make sure that the guests do not travel too often to the free-throw line, where they lead the league with a 85.2%
- Zalgiris swingman Patricio Garino remains out of action after a knee operation.
- Arturas Milaknis is out after making 200 consecutive appearances in the competition. This was the second-longest streak this century.
If any team has the tools to neutralize Walter Tavares’s defensive impact, it’s Zalgiris, which is second in the league in three-point shooting at 42.0%. However, Zalgiris is very selective from downtown; its 19.9 threes attempted per game are the third-fewest in the league and it will be without ace shooter Arturas Milaknis this week. If Maruis Grigonis, Lukas Lekavicius and Nigel Hayes heat up and stretch the floor, it would be a great sign for the visitors. Zalgiris has averaged 9.5 three-pointers on 47.2% shooting in wins this season and just 6.9 threes at 35.2% in defeats.
Tip: Under 158.5 at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 25/02/2021, 12:00 CET, subject to change)
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Basketball tips today (Other than Euroleague)
Euroleague Standings
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PREVIEWS
Champions League Tips Today – Injuries, Suspensions and Possible Line-ups
Who’s likely to start, who might be left out and who is unavailable? We have brought together all information provided by UEFA, so check our Champions League tips today.
The football predictions are as always from livetipster. So, before you make your selections you’d better read the injuries and suspensions for the Champions League. We have used several sources to come up with these lists.
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Wednesday 24/02/2021
Gladbach – Man City
Mönchengladbach: Sommer; Lainer, Ginter, Elvedi, Bensebaini; Kramer, Neuhaus; Wolf, Stindl, Hofmann; Pléa
Out: Doucouré (knee)
Doubtful: Thuram (knee)
Misses next match if booked: Lainer, Stindl
Man. City: Ederson; Walker, Dias, Stones, Cancelo; Rodri; Sterling, De Bruyne, Gündoğan, Foden; Jesus
Out: Aké (hamstring)
Tip: 2 & G/G at 2.75 – bet365
Atalanta – Real Madrid
Atalanta: Gollini; Tolói, Romero, Djimsiti; Maehle, De Roon, Freuler, Gosens; Pessina, Iličić; Zapata
Out: Hateboer (metatarsal)
Misses next match if booked: Djimsiti, Romero
Real Madrid: Courtois; Vázquez, Varane, Nacho, Mendy; Kroos, Casemiro, Modrić; Asensio, Vinícius Junior, Díaz
Out: Benzema (adductor), Ramos (knee), Carvajal (hamstring), Rodrygo (hamstring), Militão (adductor), Hazard (thigh), Marcelo (calf), Valverde (adductor), Odriozola (hamstring)
Misses next match if booked: Casemiro
Tip: 2 at 3.00 – bet365
Prices subject to change. They were all correct at: 24/02/2021 – 10:30 CET
Tuesday 23/02/2021
Atletico – Chelsea
Atletico: Oblak; Llorente, Savić, Felipe, Hermoso, Lodi; Koke, Kondogbia, Ñíguez; Félix, Suárez
Out: Trippier (suspended), Herrera (illness), Giménez (adductor), Carrasco (knock), Vrsaljko (knock)
Misses next match if booked: Lodi, Savić
Chelsea: Mendy; Azpilicueta, Zouma, Rüdiger; James, Kanté, Kovačić, Alonso; Mount, Giroud, Werner
Out: Thiago Silva (thigh)
Doubtful: Abraham (ankle)
Misses next match if booked: Jorginho, Kovačić, Mount, Ziyech
Tip: 1 at 2.70 – bet365
Lazio – Bayern
Lazio: Reina; Patric, Acerbi, Musacchio; Lazzari, Milinković-Savić, Lucas Leiva, Luis Alberto, Marušić; Correa, Immobile
Out: Radu (groin), Luis Felipe (ankle)
Doubtful: Strakosha (knee)
Misses next match if booked: Akpa-Akpro, Hoedt
Bayern: Neuer; Süle, Boateng, Alaba, Davies; Kimmich, Roca; Sané, Goretzka, Coman; Lewandowski
Out: Pavard (illness), Müller (illness), Tolisso (thigh), Gnabry (thigh), Costa (foot), Nübel (ankle), Nianzou (thigh)
Tip: 2 & G/G at 3.00 – bet365
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Prices subject to change. They were all correct at: 23/02/2021 – 08:50 CET
Source: www.uefa.com
Football Tips: livetipster.com
PREVIEWS
Zalgiris – Crvena Zvezda preview – Round 24

Euroleague Basketball Predictions
Zalgiris – Crvena Zvezda is a make up game for rould 24 of the Euroleague.
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Zalgiris – Crvena Zvezda
Zalgiris Kaunas (13-11) returns home after back-to-back-to-back games in Spain to take on Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade (7-17) on Tuesday in a game that was originally scheduled for Round 24. Marius Grigonis (14.2 ppg., 45.9% 3FG), Joffrey Lauvergne (11.4 ppg., 5.9 rpg.) and Nigel Hayes (9.0 ppg.) have been Zalgiris’s top scorers so far this season. Zvezda, traveling depleted due to COVID-19, is on a four-game losing streak and has only registered one EuroLeague victory so far in 2021, though Jordan Loyd (17.1 ppg.) has been the competition’s third-best scorer this season to date.
- Zalgiris swingman Patricio Garino is nearing his return after a knee operation.
- Steve Vasturia returned to action last week after being sidelined with a knee injury since Round 12.
Zalgiris ranks second in the EuroLeague in three-point shooting (42.7%) and leads the competition with 85.92% free-throw shooting, which is the second-best percentage in EuroLeague history. Zalgiris, however, ranks 15th in free throw attempts (14.5 per game) and needs to be more aggressive to make the most of its accuracy by going to the foul line more often. On defense, Zalgiris should be able to control the game rhythm by putting pressure on Zvezda’s depleted backcourt, which will see youngster Aleksa Uskokovic and emergency ball carriers Davidovac and Loyd handle point guard duties.
- Marko Simonovic, who has missed the last seven games with an injury, returned to action in Round 25.
- Cory Walden, Langston Hall, Landry Nnoko, Duop Reath and Quino Colom all missed Round 25 because of COVID-19.
- Johnny O’Bryant has not played in the last two games.
Zvezda ranks last in two-point shooting percentage (49.7%) and needs to improve its ball circulation; it also ranks last in assists per turnover at 1.07. The team will need to take good care of the basketball and find a way to account for Lauvergne inside. On defense, Zvezda must be ready to reach out for three-point shots, as Zalgiris relies on Arturas Milaknis, Grigonis and Lekavicius to make the difference with their range.
Zalgiris – Crvena Zvezda Tip: 1 (-8.5) at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 23/02/2021, 09:00 CET, subject to change)
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Basketball tips today (Other than Euroleague)
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