Euroleague Tips with Previews – Round 1 – Thursday

Spanoulis Olympiacos

Euroleague Basketball Tips

Euro League basketball predictions appear under each mini game preview.

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Anadolu Efes – Zenit

Efes returns to the EuroLeague with the same core of players that produced a 24-4 record when the 2019-20 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Shane Larkin, Vasilije Micic, Krunoslav Simon, Adrien Moerman, Bryant Dunston and Tibor Pleiss will keep leading Efes for a third consecutive campaign. Zenit enters its second EuroLeague season with many new faces, such as former All-EuroLeague pick Kevin Pangos, center Arturas Gudaitis, sharpshooter Billy Baron and athletic big man Alex Poythress, among others.

Continuity is always a plus for any sports team, on especially for such a talented squad as Efes. As such, Micic (and Larkin when he returns from injury) are set to continue running the show; Dunston remains in his key role as defensive anchor; and Efes’s many role players know what they need to do and when to do it. From shooters like Rodrigue Beaubois to valuable bench players like Sertac Sanli, Dogus Balbay and James Anderson, Efes is a well-oiled basketball machine, and a home opener is the perfect moment to re-assert that fact.

Coach Xavi Pascual’s teams are always well-known for their strong defense, and that will be the foundation of Zenit’s basketball. If the team plays hard defense and gets defensive rebounds, it has enough talent to compete anywhere. Zenit has great shooters like Pangos, Hollins, Vitaly Fridzon and K.C. Rivers, as well as natural-born mismatches like Mateusz Ponitka, Poythress and Thomas. If Zenit is able to stop Dunston and Pleiss down low, it would have a better chance to surprise Efes in Istanbul.

basketball prediction Tip: Over 160.5 at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 01/10/2020, 10:20 CET, subject to change)

Olympiacos – Zalgiris

Olympiacos is back with a renewed roster and its long-time core of players reunited. Kostas Sloukas has joined Vassilis Spanoulis, Kostas Papanikolaou and Georgios Printezis at the heart of the team, but the Reds also brought in talents like Aaron Harrison, Livio Jean-Charles and Hassan Martin. As always, Zalgiris has made some roster changes, betting on players who can help the team right away such as Steve Vasturia, Joffrey Lauvergne and Rokas Jokubaitis. Thomas Walkup, Paulius Jankunas, Marius Grigonis and Arturas Milaknis are back to lead the Lithuanian powerhouse.

Above all, Olympiacos has a very physical team and must play with really high energy for all 40 minutes. Jean-Charles, Martin and Charles Jenkins arrived to a team that already featured Shaquielle McKissic and Octavius Ellis. All these players will set good screens, be aggressive, finish strong at the rim and make Sloukas, Spanoulis, Papanikolaou and Printezis more comfortable on the court. If needed, Olympiacos also has two elite scorers like Harrison and Sasha Vezenkov ready to rescue the Reds on offense.

Matching Olympiacos’s energy will be tough for any opponent this season. Zalgiris must make sure to control the defensive boards through Lauvergne, Jankunas and Martinas Geben. As in the last few seasons, Zalgiris will look for good shots in patient five-on-five offenses, with elite shooters Grigonis, Milaknis and Lukas Lekavicius ready to exploit any opportunities. If Zalgiris manages to slow down the game tempo and play its brand of team-oriented basketball, it can steal a road win in Greece.

basketball prediction Tip: Under 151.5 at 1.95 with bet365
(Price correct at 01/10/2020, 10:20 CET, subject to change)

Maccabi – ALBA Berlin

Two of the most run-and-gun squads in the competition meet in both teams’ season opener. Maccabi bolstered its frontcourt by bringing in Dragan Bender and Ante Zizic, but also strengthened its frontcourt with playmaker Chris Jones, set to make his EuroLeague debut. ALBA brought in experienced guards Maodo Lo and Jayson Granger, talented swingman Simone Fontecchio and shot blocking ace Ben Lammers. Both teams kept their coaches and core of players, making sure they are competitive from the very beginning of the season. Expect a big game at Menora Mivtachim Arena.

Above all, Maccabi must play hard defense, be aggressive on the ball and control the defensive board to be able to run the floor. Most of its guards – Wilbekin, Jones, Elijah Bryant, Tyler Dorsey – thrive in transition but Maccabi will not be able to run the floor without getting the ball back on defense. Maccabi has an edge inside, with Othello Hunter and Zizic ready to power the boards. Stopping Luke Sikma is critical for Maccabi, too, as ALBA runs its offense through its star power forward.

ALBA has shown a more defensive-minded mentality in recent friendly games against Olympiacos Piraeus. Being able to be more physical on defense allows ALBA to play with more effectiveness on five-on-five offense, especially with sharp shooters like Marcus Eriksson, Fontecchio, Lo and Giffey. Siva and Granger need to be focused at all times against two great scorers like Wilbekin and Jones. Johannes Theimann had a fantastic pre-season, and share a lot of playing time with Sikma, trying to open the floor against Hunter and Zizic, taking them out of the paint.

basketball prediction Tip: 2 (+11.0) at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 01/10/2020, 10:20 CET, subject to change)

Barcelona – CSKA Moscow

All eyes will be on one of the EuroLeague’s all-time classics, this opening-week battle between two teams with nothing but the highest ambitions. It will also feature a coaching duel between Sarunas Jasikevicius and Dimitris Itoudis, who twice before worked together as a player and an assistant coach. We will also witness a playmaking clash with Nick Calathes in his first game for Barcelona going against Mike James, his former teammate and the last Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy winner.

Barcelona’s home opener features a new superstar head coach in Sarunas Jasikevicius, a new court general in Nick Calathes and a roster as deep as they come. There will be a lot of pressure in Barcelona to get the season going on a winning note, and it will be crucial for the team to find a way to play as pressure-free as possible against a mighty opponent like CSKA.

It will be essential in this game for CSKA to have good ball movement on offense. CSKA has plenty of firepower all over the floor, and since Coach Itoudis took over the team in 2015, no team has totaled or averaged more points in the EuroLeague than CSKA. To keep that trend and use all its weapons, CSKA will need to share the ball and keep Barcelona on its heels. It could lead it to a big road win to start the season.

basketball prediction Tip: 2 (+4.0) at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 01/10/2020, 10:20 CET, subject to change)

Valencia – Villeurbanne

If this season opener in Valencia looks familiar, that’s because these sides met in mid-September on the same court at La Fonteta in the final of the We’re Back Preseason Tour, a clash Valencia won rather comfortably, 77-66. Now, a fortnight later, Valencia and ASVEL meet again to start for real a new season that each teams enters with raised ambitions.

Valencia built a team with plenty of firepower and plenty of versatility, and will want to put that on display from the very first game. The hosts will wish to do that by opening the game with energy and use its experience to match ASVEL’s athleticism, but also by spreading the floor with their superior long-range shooting, too. Just about every player on this Valencia team can hit from long range, and if they start connecting, it should be a pretty fun opening night for the home fans.

ASVEL will need to be extremely focused to break its streak of never having won in Valencia away. It will be very important for the visitors to control the battle on the glass, on both ends of the floor, and also to take good care of the ball. Valencia is known for its high efficiency, but controlling the rhythm and slowing Valencia’s transition game would increase the visitors’ chances for success.

basketball prediction Tip: Over 152.5 at 1.90 with bet365

(Price correct at 01/10/2020, 10:20 CET, subject to change)

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News Source: Euroleague.net
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