Euroleague Tips with Previews – Round 29 – Thursday

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Euroleague Basketball Tips

Euro League basketball predictions appear under each mini game preview.

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CSKA Moscow – ALBA Berlin

Back in-form CSKA Moscow will look to keep its momentum going when it hosts ALBA Berlin on Thursday. After dropping three of four, CSKA won twice last week, including a 31-point thumping of Panathinaikos in Athens. Every win is crucial for the champs, who are fighting for homecourt advantage in the playoffs. ALBA, which has lost three in a row, could see its playoff hopes formally put to an end if it losses and other results go the other way.

CSKA always does a great job of picking apart the opponents’ weaknesses and against ALBA it surely knows that by moving the ball and getting penetration or passing to the big men inside it will get great looks against ALBA, which allows a league-high 57.6% of two-point shots against opponents. Strong play from the CSKA bigs could decide this game.

While three-point shooting will be important to this game – the teams are ranked third (ALBA, 39.6%) and fourth (CSKA, 39.2%) in the league in three-point accuracy, rebounding for ALBA will be paramount. CSKA leads the league in rebounding (37.8 rpg.) and its league-best 26.0 defensive rebounds per game ignite many fast breaks. ALBA is a strong offensive rebounding team (fourth, 11.4 prpg.) and will need to be a factor there to avoid CSKA getting easy baskets in transition.

basketball prediction Tip: Over 167.5 at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 12/03/2020, 10:50 CET, subject to change)

Anadolu Efes – Valencia

A host with only first place left to clinch faces a visitor struggling for survival when Efes (24-4) welcomes Valencia (12-16) to Istanbul on Thursday. Efes assured itself home-court advantage in the playoffs last Friday when Shane Larkin returned to MVP form in a 91-79 win over Olympiacos Piraeus. Valencia (12-16) suffered its fourth straight loss, 81-83 in heartbreaking fashion to AX Armani Exchange Milan on a game-winning three-pointer to beat the buzzer in overtime. Valencia now shares ninth place just four rounds after having held seventh place alone.

It’s easy to say give the ball to Larkin when he has rained 10 triples and more than 4 points in two separate games this season. But Efes will have to be wary of some things Valencia does well, like offensive rebounds, drawing fouls, making free throws and assist-to-turnover rate, in all of which the visitors rank among the top five in the league. If Efes keeps up an aggressive pace, however, its endless bench could well make the difference.

The visitors would do well to grind it out, slow the game, and somehow keep both Larkin and Micic to a minimum of shots. They have a lot to do with Efes ranking first in both two- and three-point accuracy, so Valencia’s defenders will likely risk trying to turn off the spigot at its source. Not many defenses have had luck with that, but disrupting the perimeter play of Efes would change the dynamic of the game, and that’s not a bad way to try to beat the league leaders.

basketball prediction Tip: 1 (-11.0) at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 12/03/2020, 10:50 CET, subject to change)

Maccabi – Baskonia

Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv will look to rebound from a loss in Belgrade when it meets red-hot KIROLBET Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz. Maccabi had won five in a row before its loss to Crvena Zvezda and is neck-and-neck with CSKA Moscow for fourth place, which is worth homecourt advantage in the playoffs. Baskonia has won three in a row to join a heated playoff race and at 12-16 in now one of five teams that is one win outside the playoff zone.

The test of rebounding in the game will be when Baskonia misses shots. Coach Ivanovic’s men are third in the league in offensive rebounds (11.5 orpg.) and Maccabi is second in defensive boards (25.7 drpg.). If Baskonia can make noise on the offensive glass and get a few extra second-chance baskets, it could go a long way. But if Maccabi locks down the defensive boards and turns them into transition points, the Israeli champs will be in pole position.

It is as important as ever for Baskonia to take good care of the ball against Maccabi. Baskonia has committed the second-most turnovers in the league (14.3 TOpg.), while Maccabi has taken more steals than any other team (7.8 spg.). There are many players on the Maccabi defense with quick hands and Baskonia must rise to the challenge to keep them at bay.

basketball prediction Tip: 2 (+8.0) at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 12/03/2020, 10:50 CET, subject to change)

Real Madrid – Crvena Zvezda

Two teams with different goals in mind will meet in Round 29 when Real Madrid (22-6) hosts Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade (11-17). Real has clinched a playoff berth and has won seven straight games, including last week against ASVEL at home. The hosts are looking to get the home-court advantage for the next phase. On the other side, Zvezda managed to win again last week after losing eight of its previous nine games. The Serbian champs defeated red-hot Maccabi at home to remain in the playoff hunt.

The hosts average almost 10 points more per game than the visitors,  are on a winning run and still fighting for a tangible goal. It’s hard to deny that going into the game, Real is the favorite. Los Blancos have better numbers on all fronts and that fact is summed up with a difference of average PIR of 102.6 vs. 77.5 in favor of Real. However, Zvezda is still looking for a playoff ticket and the last home win against such a solid team as Maccabi at this point could give the guests a boost of morale that could be dangerous for the hosts to underestimate.

Zvezda will land in Madrid with a lot of things at stake. It has everything to win… and everything to lose also. One could expect that the visitors can drop this game in the Spanish capital, but at this moment, Zvezda is still playing for a playoff ticket so winning in Madrid has become almost mandatory. It won’t be easy because Real is on a roll and is also playing for a specific goal. The visitors will have to come into the game pumped by the last win against Maccabi and with the idea to steal an upset that would put them in a good position to fight for one of the last places in the next phase.

basketball prediction Tip: Over 159.0 at 1.90 with bet365

(Price correct at 12/03/2020, 10:50 CET, subject to change)

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News Source: Euroleague.net
Basketball tips: Livetipster


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