Euroleague Basketball Predictions, News & Injury list

Euroleague Basketball Predictions

Euro League basketball tips appear under each mini game preview.

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Fenerbahce – Villeurbanne

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (6-10) comes off a home win against Olympiacos Piraeus, its second in the last nine games, and hopes to keep protecting its home court, led by Nando De Colo (11.7 ppg.), Jan Vesely (11.2 ppg., 5.4 rpg.) and Lorenzo Brown (10.2 ppg.). LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (5-10) plays on the road after three consecutive home games. Norris Cole (12.0 ppg.), David Lighty (11.0 ppg.) and Guerschon Yabusele (10.6 ppg.) have been ASVEL’s top scorers so far this season.

Fenerbahce shared the ball well last week against Olympiacos to finish the game with 25 assists and just 9 turnovers. Those numbers are much better than its season averages – 17.6 assists and 14.5 turnovers. Getting its big men involved was key – Vesely, Ahmet Duverioglu and Danilo Barthel combined for 14-of-17 two-point shooting. That kind of effectiveness and aggressiveness could be needed against a physical team like ASVEL. Marko Guduric has given Fenerbahce an extra scoring threat, too.

ASVEL has allowed opponents to make just 33.8% three-point shots until now. That three-point defense should be needed against great shooters like De Colo, Guduric and Jarell Eddie. Playing at a high rhythm should be important for ASVEL in order to make the most of its athleticism. Cole and Antoine Diot are in charge of setting the right game tempo. Feeding Fall, its most effective scorer, down low is important not just to find easy points, but to get Vesely into foul trouble, too.

Tip: 1 (-6.5) at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 30/12/2020, 09:45 CET, subject to change)

Crvena Zvezda – Panathinaikos

Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade (5-11) has won only one of its last seven games and brought back Coach Dejan Radonjic to try to change that streak. With Jordan Loyd (18.7 ppg.) sidelined, Johnny O’Bryant (12.3 ppg.), Corey Walden (11.1 ppg.) and Dejan Davidovac (8.4 ppg.) are its main scoring pillars. Panathinaikos OPAP Athens (5-10) looks for its third road win of the season. Nemanja Nedovic (16.6 ppg.) has been its top scorer until now, followed by Ioannis Papapetrou (12.5 ppg.) and Shelvin Mack (8.6 ppg.).

Zvezda brought in playmaker Quino Colom to improve the team’s ball circulation. Colom ranked sixth in assists per 40 minutes in the 2019-20 EuroLeague (9.1) and should try to find good shots for mismatches such as O’Bryant and especially Davidovac. Zvezda must protect the paint better, as opponents have made 54.7% of their two-point shots on average. With Loyd still out, Walden and Ognjen Dobric should see extended playing time and play aggressive against Nedovic and Mack.

Jordan Loyd missed Round 16 due to COVID-19.

Nedovic had 39 points in Round 16 and plays against his former team in his home country, so this game could not arrive at a better moment for him. Panathinaikos is fifth in rebounds (34.1 rpg.) and should power the boards through Papagiannis, Dinos Mitoglou and Aaron White. Despite ranking fifth in three-point attempts (26.3), Panathinaikos is just 14th from downtown (36.0%). Its main shooters – Nedovic, Mack and Marcus Foster – should improve that effectiveness if they find better shots.

Tip: Panathinaikos Over 78.5 at 1.83 with bet365
(Price correct at 30/12/2020, 09:45 CET, subject to change)

Bayern – Barcelona

FC Bayern Munich (10-6) is on a three-game winning streak at home. Vladimir Lucic (14.4 ppg.) has been out since Round 12, but Jalen Reynolds (13.4 ppg., 6.9 rpg.), Wade Baldwin IV (13.3 ppg.) and Paul Zipser (9.9 ppg.) have been leading the team in his absence. FC Barcelona (11-5) comes off consecutive losses for the first time this season. Nikola Mirotic (16.8 ppg., 6.6 rpg.), Cory Higgins (11.4 ppg.) and Nick Calathes (7.8 ppg., 7.1 apg.) are its main pillars.

Bayern ranks 15th in two-point shooting percentage, having made 51.3% of its attempts inside the arc. There is room for improvement, especially since it takes more two-point shots (42.2 per game) than any other team in the competition. Stopping Mirotic is one of Bayern’s keys to this game and it will rely on Reynolds, Zipser and JaJuan Johnson to play physical defense against him. Bayern recently added D.J. Seeley and James Gist, two experienced players who make the German powerhouse deeper and thus even more competitive.

Vladimir Lucic has missed the last four games.

Barcelona is shooting the ball well from all distances this season (56.0% 2FG, 39.9% 3FG, 81.4% FT). Turnovers, however, have been a problem for Coach Sarunas Jasikevicius’s team. Barcelona leads the league in turnovers at 15.5 per game. Its main ballhandlers – Calathes, Leo Bolmaro and Adam Hanga – must try to avoid such mistakes. Barcelona excels at defensive rebounds, grabbing 24.3 per night. As always, getting Mirotic and Higgins involved should give Barcelona a better chance to win this game.

Tip: 2 (-5.0) at 1.95 with bet365
(Price correct at 30/12/2020, 09:45 CET, subject to change)

Milano – CSKA Moscow

AX Armani Exchange Milan (9-6) comes off a home loss and hopes to bounce back against the competition’s leader. Kevin Punter (14.7 ppg.) is Milan’s top scorer this season, followed by Shavon Shields (12.8 ppg.) and Malcolm Delaney (11.5 ppg.). CSKA Moscow (13-3) is on an 11-game winning streak, its longest under the current EuroLeague format. Mike James (20.6 ppg.), Darrun Hilliard (11.1 ppg.) and Nikola Milutinov (8.7 ppg., 8.0 rpg.) are CSKA’s top healthy players.

Milan has committed the fewest turnovers in the league, just 11.2 per game, and is fifth in steals (7.1 spg.). On defense, Delaney and Sergio Rodriguez must do their best to slow down the red-hot James. Milan, which ranks 17th in two-point shooting percentage (51.0% 2FG) and needs to be more effective inside the arc against a good defensive team like CSKA.

CSKA leads the EuroLeague in scoring (84.4 ppg.) despite ranking 17th in assists (14.9 apg.). Players like James, Darrun Hilliard and Toko Shengelia are great one-on-one players, plus CSKA leads the competition in fouls drawn at 22.4 per night. All of that makes CSKA’s offense unpredictable, as any player can step up at any given time. James has been on fire lately, however, averaging 24.3 points and 5.3 assists in the last 9 games, so CSKA should keep running its offense through its superstar guard.

Tip: 1 at 2.35 with bet365
(Price correct at 30/12/2020, 09:45 CET, subject to change)