Euroleague Basketball Predictions, News & Injury list

Euroleague Basketball Predictions

Euro League basketball tips appear under each mini game preview.

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Khimki – Real Madrid

Khimki Moscow Region (2-23) is on an unprecedented 17-game losing streak which it hopes to end at home. Alexey Shved (19.3 ppg,. 7.3 apg.), Errick McCollum (9.6 ppg.) and Jordan Mickey (12.8 ppg,. 5.3 rpg.) are leading the team right now. Real Madrid (16-10) comes off a home win and wants to build on that. Walter Tavares (11.3 ppg., 7.9 rpg., 1.8 bpg.), Trey Thompkins (10.1 ppg.) and Jaycee Carroll (9.9 ppg.) are leading the team right now.

First and foremost, Khimki should play better defense. It is the runaway leader in points allowed at 91.0 per night and opponents make shots versus Khimki at very good percentages (55.9% 2FG, 43.2% 3FG). Getting defensive stops should help Khimki as the Russian powerhouse has a lot of offensive talent. Running its transition offense through Shved and McCollum should give Khimki plenty of opportunities to score, but first, it must be solid on the other end of the floor.

Devin Booker has missed the last five games.
Stefan Jovic has not played in the last four games.
Alexey Shved and Janis Timma did not play in Round 26.

Real has excelled on defense in its last three wins, keeping opponents to just 62.3 points on average. In its last three losses, however, that average has risen to 86.3 points allowed. Being strong and physical on defense is mandatory against a high-scoring team like Khimki. Stopping Shved should be a priority, too; Real will look to Carlos Alocen and Laprovittola to do so. If Tavares, Thompkins and Usman Garuba dominate the board, Real should have a chance to run and find easy baskets.

Anthony Randolph is out with a ruptured left Achilles tendon.
Rudy Fernandez has not played in the last two rounds due to back issues.
Sergio Llull is sidelined after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.

Tip: Under 170.5 at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 02/03/2021, 10:00 CET, subject to change)

Zenit – ALBA Berlin

Zenit St Petersburg (15-10) comes off an unexpected 29-point home loss against Valencia Basket and will look to bounce back right away led by Kevin Pangos (12.3 ppg., 6.2 apg.), Arturas Gudaitis (10.6 ppg.) and Will Thomas (8.8 ppg., 5.0 rpg.). ALBA Berlin (9-17) snapped a four-game losing streak with a brilliant come-from-behind victory against Panathinaikos OPAP Athens. Luke Sikma (8.9 ppg., 5.7 rpg., 4.0 apg.), Marcus Eriksson (10.8 ppg.) and Maodo Lo (9.9 ppg.) are leading the team right now.

Zenit is one of the best defensive teams in the competition, allowing just 75.4 points per game. In its last two losses against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul and Valencia, however, Zenit allowed over 90 points. Getting back to its defensive standards should be the first step for Zenit to become as competitive as before. On offense, Zenit should get its big men involved, Gudaitis, Thomas and Alex Poythress, and look for Pangos to control the game tempo against Peyton Siva and Lo.

ALBA ranks third in assists at 19.9 per game, but also leads the competition in turnovers with 14.9 per night on average. ALBA should keep its run-and-gun game flowing, looking for good scoring options for sharpshooters Eriksson, Siva and Simone Fontecchio, but trying to avoid making mistakes, especially in transition. On defense, stopping Gudaitis down low is critical and ALBA can rely on Johannes Thiemann and Ben Lammers – who are both in really good shape – to try to do so.

Jayson Granger is out after having hand surgery.
Louis Olinde is expected to miss several weeks after injuring his hand ahead of Round 25.

Tip: 1 (-7.5) at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 02/03/2021, 10:00 CET, subject to change)

Efes – Valencia

Two teams currently standing at seventh and ninth place in the standings face each other on Tuesday when Anadolu Efes Istanbul (15-10) welcomes Valencia Basket (14-12). Efes is currently on a four-game winning streak, including a big one last week in the Istanbul derby against Fenerbahce Beko, 74-106. Valencia is also in a good moment having won its last three games, including the latest road win at Zenit, 62-91.

The hosts will be facing an offensive-minded team boasting the second-best offense in the league (82.6 ppg.) and also the best numbers in assists (20.3 apg.). Efes will have the upper hand in defense, on paper, and that will have to be the foundation of the game plan against Valencia. The guests have many weapons on all fronts to put the ball in the basket, so if Efes wants to keep its strong momentum, it will have to neutralize those options and try to get its own easy baskets.

Valencia is going through a good moment and will want to prove that it belongs in the playoffs by winning against a direct opponent at this point of the season. Efes is much stronger in steals and blocks as opposed to the Orange team and also allows fewer points per game. The plan for the visitors will be to try to impose their rhythm and play the way they like in offense. However, both teams have numbers that balance each other out, so on paper, it looks like it will be a close one… like in Valencia in Round 13.

Guillem Vives has missed Valencia’s last five games to injury.

Tip: 1 (-8.0) at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 02/03/2021, 10:00 CET, subject to change)

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Zalgiris – Villeurbanne

Zalgiris Kaunas (14-12) hosts LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (12-14) on Tuesday, putting a six-game home winning streak on the line. The Lithuanian champs play twice at Zalgirio Arena this week. Joffrey Lauvergne (11.0 ppg., 5.7 rpg.), Nigel Hayes (9.3 ppg.) and Marius Grigonis (14.0 ppg.) are leading the team throughout the season. ASVEL is on a six-game winning streak, its longest in the competition. David Lighty (11.7 ppg.), Norris Cole (13.8 ppg.) and Moustapha Fall (9.5 ppg., 5.5 rpg.) have been among its main players until now.

Zalgiris is second in the league in three-point shooting percentage (41.8%), but struggled from downtown in its Round 26 game against Real Madrid, hitting just 4 of 12 attempts (33.3%). It needs to fix that at Zalgirio Arena; Zalgiris leads the competition in three-point shooting in home games (45.2%). On defense, stopping Fall down low should be one of the keys and Zalgiris will look to Lauvergne and Martinas Geben to contain him in the low post.

Arturas Milaknis’s streak of 200 consecutive appearances was snapped in Round 26. That was the second-longest this century.

Speaking of three-point shots, ASVEL had made 38.8% of its three-point shots (171 of 441) before its current six-game winning streak, but is shooting 46.9% (54-of-115) during it. That three-point accuracy is needed to balance its offense as it allows Fall and Yabusele to find better options around the rim, too. On defense, Lighty and Kahudi must be ready to stop Grigonis, Zalgiris’s best shooter, and prevent Walkup from dominating the game tempo.

Derrick Walton has been sidelined for several weeks with a hip injury.
Antoine Diot did not play in Round 26.

Tip: 1 (-3.5) at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 02/03/2021, 10:00 CET, subject to change)

Panathinaikos – Barcelona

Two teams coming from defeats last week will look to get back on the winning track when Panathinaikos OPAP Athens (9-15) welcomes the leader of the standings, FC Barcelona (18-8) on Tuesday. After a back-to-back wins, the Greens lost their last game at ALBA Berlin, 74-65, and will look to get back to winning; Panathinaikos is six wins away from the last of the eight playoff spots. After a long winning streak, Barca has lost two of its last three games, including the last week at home against LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 69-76 and will try to get back to its winning ways to retain control of the top spot.

The main obstacle for the hosts will be the defensive wall that Barcelona sets every game, which has earned the visitors the top spot for the best defense in the league (73.7 points allowed per game). To overcome that, the Greens will have to lift their league-worst shooting percentage from beyond the arc (34.4%) and also try to impose their athleticism on defense. A Barca team with its pride hurt could look like a tall order now for Panathinaikos, but playing at home the Greens are always a tough opponent.

The Greens’ top scorer Nedovic is still sidelined.
New signing Mario Hezonja’s first appearance with the Greens will be his first EuroLeague game since April 2015, in Greece against Olympiacos Piraeus in the EuroLeague Playoffs.

Barca leads the standings, but it’s only four wins away from ninth place, so the visitors will have to get back to winning if they want to stay on top and secure their playoff berth. The Greens have undergone a few important changes and they are still trying to find their rhythm, especially after having been hit hard by COVID. The visitors have better percentages from all ranges and also have the best defense in the league. If they regroup from the last loss and manage to impose their style in Athens from the beginning, Barca will be in a promising position.

Tip: 1 (+8.5) at 1.95 with bet365
(Price correct at 02/03/2021, 10:00 CET, subject to change)

Maccabi – CSKA Moscow

Two historic rivals will clash again when Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv hosts CSKA Moscow. Maccabi (10-14) has lost three games in a row and is fading fast in the playoff hunt. However, Coach Sfairopoulos’s squad won its last two home games and will play two games at Menorah Mivtachim Arena this week – as well as two of the next three after that. Second-place CSKA (17-8) edged Olympiacos Piraeus on the road last week, but had lost four of its previous five games before that. With the roster refreshed and healthier, CSKA will look to regain its once-dominant form.

CSKA has been one of the most aggressive teams in the league; it leads the competition in fouls drawn (22.3 per game), free throws attempted (21.3) and made (16.4), rebounds (37.1), offensive rebounds (13.2), all of which has helped Coach Itoudis’s team to the top of the scoring charts (83.6 ppg.). Maccabi must match that aggressive approach and flex its muscle on the glass to snatch a critical home win.

Yovel Zoosman will be out until late March with a knee injury.

The visitors are ranked second-from-bottom in assists (15.6 apg.) and steals (6.0 spg.) and only one spot higher than that in two-point shooting (50.8%). When at its best, the Maccabi attack is tough to crack and CSKA will need to move the ball well to find open shots and score when those shots arrive. A high-assist tally would be a great sign for CSKA in Tel Aviv.

Nikola Milutinov could miss the rest of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery.

Tip: 1 at 2.55 with bet365
(Price correct at 02/03/2021, 10:00 CET, subject to change)

Crvena Zvezda – Bayern

To teams with much different momentum meet when Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade (7-19) hosts FC Bayern Munich (16-10). Zvezda is on a six-game losing streak, which it hopes to stop in the Serbian capital. Jordan Loyd (16.9 ppg.), Corey Walden (10.9 ppg.) and Dejan Davidovac (6.7 ppg.) are leading the team. Bayern is in good form after winning four of its last five EuroLeague games. Jalen Reynolds (14.5 ppg., 6.2 rpg.), Wade Baldwin IV (14.5 ppg.) and Vladimir Lucic (13.4 ppg., 4.7 rpg.) have been its main pillars this season.

Zvezda is still heavily undermanned and needs extra effort from its available players. Stopping Lucic should be one of the biggest keys to this game and Zvezda will turn to Davidovac, Ognjen Dobric and Marko Simonovic to do so. On offense, getting Loyd involved should be one of the keys for the Serbian powerhouse. Zvezda also has a size advantage in the paint with Ognjen Kuzmic and should try to make the most of it.

Langston Hall, Landry Nnoko, Duop Reath and Quino Colom all missed the last three games because of COVID-19.

Bayern has done a terrific job of defending three-point shots. Opponents have made just 34.3% of their three-point shots against the German powerhouse. Being able to keep those numbers and lock down the defensive board should be two of the keys to this game. Bayern ranks sixth in defensive rebounds (23.6 drpg.). On defense, stopping Loyd should be critical for Coach Andrea Trinchieri’s team, which relies on a deep, athletic frontcourt to do that job.