Euroleague Basketball Predictions, News & Injury list

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Zenit – Villeurbanne

Both teams come to this game looking to break their respective losing streaks. ASVEL has lost its last three games, including a 31-point thrashing at the hands of Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv in Round 11. Zenit is on a six-game losing streak and is looking for its first home win of the season; its two victories – against Olympiacos Piraeus and Zalgiris Kaunas – came on the road and in overtime. Expect high intensity between two defensive-minded teams eager to bounce back as soon as possible.

Zenit has a deeper bench and must use it to play with very high intensity at both ends. Zenit co-leads the EuroLeague in offensive rebounds (12 orpg.) but has struggled to dominate under its boards (21.2 drpg., 16th overall). Coach Joan Plaza’s team must run its offense through its most experienced players – Ayon, Mateusz Ponitka, Alex Renfroe – and box out to get going in transition more often than it did until now.

ASVEL is last in scoring (70.6 ppg.) mainly because of its poor shooting percentages; it’s made just 48.8% of its shots inside the arc and 32.5% from three-point range. Finding better shots will help the team’s fluency on offense. It must involve its best shooters – Edwin Jackson, David Lighty, Rihards Lomasz – on offense, so Antoine Diot and Theo Maledon not only must find the right rhythm but diversify ASVEL’s offense not to rely too much on its efficient frontcourt, led by Jekiri.

Tip: 1 (-9.5) at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 06/11/2019, 10:30 CET, could have changed)

Khimki – Barcelona

Two teams coming off painful losses in Round 11 will square off in Russia when Khimki Moscow Region welcomes FC Barcelona. Khimki is riding a three-game losing streak, the last one coming at Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 89-76. Barcelona saw its winning streak snapped at home against CSKA Moscow with a stunning 67-96 defeat. Both teams will be looking to get back on the winning track as soon as possible. Alexey Shved, who missed the last game for Khimki, is expected to play against Barcelona.

After a solid start to the season, Khimki has dropped four of its last six games. Despite being in not such a sweet moment right now, the hosts still have the fourth-best offense in the league (84.7 ppg.) but also the second-weakest defense (85.6 ppg.). The main task for Khimki will be on defense trying to limit the offensive talent that Barcelona boasts. The visitors are also third-best in rebounds, so that will go hand in hand with defense for Khimki if it wants to protect its home floor against the team in second place.

Petr Gubanov and Timofey Mozgov are still out with injuries. Evgeny Valiev will spend the rest of the season in Parma Perm on loan.

Barcelona is having a pretty good season but suffered another tough blow last week at home and it will have to demonstrate that it is a solid team by bouncing back swiftly. The team certainly has the talent to do that, but Khimki has better shooting percentages from all ranges, so the visitors will have to make sure to deny the opponent open shots. Khimki has better numbers on almost all fronts, but Barcelona has a higher PIR average. Efficiency could be the key to steal a win from Russia.

Tip: 1 (+3.5) at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 06/11/2019, 10:30 CET, could have changed)

Fenerbahce – ALBA Berlin

After winning back-to-back games for the first time all season, Fenerbahce will look to keep its momentum going when it hosts ALBA Berlin, which is also in fine form with victories in three of its last four games. Not only has Fenerbahce started winning, but its last two wins both also came by double-figure margins of victory. It will be the first time these teams have squared off in over a decade; they split home win in the 2008-09 season.

Fenerbahce has won games when its offense has worked. It is 4-0 when the team has scored at least 80 points and Fenerbahce has averaged an unthinkable 54.4% on three-pointers as a team in those games. This week it faces an ALBA team that has allowed the most points in the league (88.4 ppg.). Fenerbahce is also last in the league in rebounding (29.2 rpg.). An improved rebounding effort that leads to good shots in transition could be just what Fenerbahce wins for another victory.

Jan Vesely suffered an injury and he’s being evaluated by the medical staff. He won’t play against ALBA. Both Nikola Kalinic, Leo Westermann and Nando De Colo are practicing with the team but they will be a game-time decision.

ALBA’s great ball movement has been a double-edged sword; the team leads the EuroLeague in both assists (19.8 apg.) and turnovers (14.8 TOpg.). To win in Istanbul, ALBA must cut down on its turnovers and get more production in the paint. Its 48.6% shooting on two-pointers is third-worst in the competition. Getting more balance would help ALBA’s already-strong three-point marksmen and could be the key to a second road win.

ALBA is missing Tyler Cavanaugh, Johannes Thiemann and Tim Schneider. Bogdan Radosavljevic, who was brought in to fill in for injured players, will also miss one week with an ankle sprain.

Tip: Over 162.5 at 2.00 with bet365
(Price correct at 06/11/2019, 10:30 CET, could have changed)

Panathinaikos – Olympiacos

This will be the first derby of Athens this season and of course, it is one of the most anticipated showdowns in European basketball. Panathinaikos is on a three-game winning streak and comes off a 32-point win over Baskonia. Olympiacos is also in fine form after winning its last two games by an average margin of 20.0 points. While both teams arrive in good shape, it often comes down to who wants it more, as intangibles such as intensity, focus, determination and character are always critical when the Greens and the Reds meet on a basketball court.

The two teams have faced each other 15 times in Turkish Airlines EuroLeague history and Olympiacos owns a 10-5 record against the Greens. Three of those showdowns were in the EuroLeague semifinals. Olympiacos defeated Panathinaikos in 1994 and 1995 but lost in the championship games against Joventut Badalona and Real Madrid, respectively. Panathinaikos topped Olympiacos 84-82 in the 2009 semifinals and went on to lift the trophy. Olympiacos also swept Panathinaikos 2-0 in the 1997 EuroLeague Playoffs on its way to its first continental crown.

Panathinaikos is the top-scoring team in the league (88.5 ppg.) and ranks second in assists (19.1 apg.). It is shooting the ball with good percentages, especially inside the arc (56.1% 3FG, 38.7% 3FG). Playing with great aggressiveness on defense, looking for steals and deflections, will be critical for Panathinaikos, as well as rebounding well under its own rim. So far, Panathinaikos has done well (25.3 drpg.) and that has allowed Calathes to run the show in transition offense.

Olympiacos is averaging 77.9 points so far this season but boosted that number to 95.0 points in the last couple of games. It is still struggling to hit its outside shots (33.1% 3FG) but getting much better (22 of 48 in the last two games, 45.8%). Panathinaikos takes excellent care of the ball with just 10.2 turnovers per game). Olympiacos needs to force its opponents into more mistakes and run its offense through Spanoulis, Georgios Printezis and Nikola Milutinov, who can be unstoppable.

Panathinaikos Olympiakos live stream

Tip: 1 (-7.5) at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 06/11/2019, 10:30 CET, could have changed)

Baskonia – Anadolu Efes

Two teams in different situations will meet in Spain when KIROLBET Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz welcomes first placed Anadolu Efes Istanbul. Baskonia suffered one of its worst road losses ever at Panathinaikos last week, 100-68, and will look to bounce back at home. Efes is the hottest team right now with five wins in a row and Shane Larkin earning November MVP honors and shattering the all-time scoring record in a single game with his 49 points against Bayern last week for a 104-75 win.

Baskonia needs to bounce back from one of its toughest losses ever and it has to do it against the hottest team in the league. It could be a tall order for the hosts, but on defense, they look like a stronger team on paper and will have to focus on that with the support of the fans in Vitoria. Efes is an offensive juggernaut with the third-best numbers in the league plus a red-hot Shane Larkin, who just blasted the scoring record and earned MVP of the month honors. It will be paramount to try to stop such a talented and motivated player.

Efes will be looking for its sixth straight win against a team that could be hurt emotionally. The visitors will have to try to capitalize on that but also take care of rebounds, as Baskonia is the best team in the league in that aspect (37.7 rpg.). However, Baskonia seems to be struggling to move the ball on offense (fewest assists in the league, 13.9 apg.), so if the visitors manage to put pressure on the ball on defense, they might find the way to run and win again on the road.

Adrien Moerman and Bryant Dunston won’t be available against Baskonia.

Tip: 1 at 2.20 with bet365
(Price correct at 06/11/2019, 10:30 CET, could have changed)