Euroleague Basketball Tips

Euro League basketball predictions appear under each mini game preview.

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CSKA Moscow – Milano

Two teams coming off big wins will clash in the Russian capital when CSKA hosts Milan on Thursday in the first game of Round 16. CSKA comes off a perfect double-round week which it finished with a victory over top-of-the-table Anadolu Efes Istanbul. Milan snapped a five-game losing streak with a victory over Valencia Basket to retain a spot in the playoff zone. Milan is 2-5 on the road this season while CSKA is 5-1 at home, however, the game will not take place in the building that the champs usually call home. CSKA will host Milan (and Panathinaikos in Round 17) at Yantarny Sports Palace in Kaliningrad

CSKA is tied for second in the league in rebounding with 36.5 per game and facing a Milan team that allows the fourth-most rebounds (35.6 rpg.). On the other hand, Milan is an average rebounding team with 33.9 per game while CSKA allows the fourth-fewest (33.1 rpg.). CKSA is also superior in offensive rebounding (11.3, fifth to 9.0, 16th). If CSKA can maintain its rebounding edge, it will be in a promising position.

The two teams in this game are among the premier three-point shooting teams in the EuroLeague; CSKA is first at 40.8% and Milan third at 40.2. However, Milan has also played the best defense in the league on three-pointers, keeping teams to just 33.6%. CSKA’s three-point defense is not far behind at 34.4%. Making matters more complicated is that many on Milan are familiar with the play of Mike James while many on CSKA know what to expect from Sergio Rodriguez. If Milan can limit CKSA’s effectiveness from the perimeter, it will have a distinct advantage.

Tip: 1 (-7.5) at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 26/12/2019, 10:05 CET, could have changed)

Anadolu Efes – Maccabi

Two of the top teams in the league clash in Istanbul when the Turkish champs host the Israel champs. Efes lost at home to CSKA Moscow on Friday to lose sole possession of first place and now shares the top spot with two other teams at 12-3. Maccabi, which has won five games in a row, sits in fourth place with one less win. This will be a stern test for Maccabi, which is 3-4 on the road and plays its next three games away from home. Recently-signed point guard Aaron Jackson could make his Maccabi debut this week to bolster an injury-stricken backcourt.

Efes is undefeated in the seven games in which it has outrebounded its opponent this season, however, in Maccabi it is facing the team with the second-most rebounds in the league this season (36.5 rpg.). The projected starting centers for each team – Bryant Dunston for Efes and Tarik Black for Maccabi – have missed the last few weeks with injuries and if that remains the case, getting rebounding help from others could be critical to Efes’s chances.

Maccabi has one of the best defenses in the league and it has served it well. The Israeli champs have help opponents to a league-low 74.9 points per game and the team is 9-0 this season in games in which it has held the opposition below 80 points. Efes is fifth in the league in scoring (84.8 ppg.) and is 10-1 when it has reached the 80-point mark. If Maccabi can keep Efes below 80, it will have a major advantage.

Tip: Over 164.0 at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 26/12/2019, 10:05 CET, could have changed)

ALBA Berlin – Baskonia

In a clash of teams looking to turn things around, ALBA Berlin hosts KIROLBET Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz on Thursday evening. ALBA has dropped four games in a row and will look to snap its losing streak on its home court, where ALBA is 3-4 this season. Baskonia has lost four of its last five games and parted ways with head coach Velimir Perasovic last week. Baskonia is 1-6 in its last seven road games. This game will be the first between these two teams in over a decade.

ALBA has committed the second-most turnovers in the league this season with an average of 14.4 per game. Baskonia is third with 13.7. Both teams have also dealt with problems at the point guard position; Jayson Granger has been out all season for Baskonia and Peyton Siva has been in and out of the lineup for ALBA. A strong game from ALBA playmaker Martin Hermannsson and fewer turnovers for his team could be the difference for the hosts.

Baskonia is near the bottom of the league in scoring with 74.7 points scored per game, however, when its defense is strong the team has done well; Baskonia is 6-3 when it has held its opponents below 80 points. ALBA likes to push the ball and is averaging 84.1 points. Baskonia will need to be near its best on defense to contain the ALBA attack and keep the scoring in the visiting team’s comfort zone, which would give it a strong chance to win.

Tip: Under 164.5 at 1.95 with bet365
(Price correct at 26/12/2019, 10:05 CET, could have changed)

Panathinaikos – Real Madrid

Panathinaikos returns home to face Real Madrid, which is tied for the best record in the league. The Greens have won five of their last six home games, including three straight since Coach Rick Pitino returned to the bench. Los Blancos are riding a 10-game winning streak, but are only 3-3 on the road this season. Panathinaikos leads the league in scoring (87.9 ppg.) and Real tops the charts in performance index rating (101.9), so it should be an exciting contest.

Panathinaikos is 9-3 this season when it has scored at least 80 points and its offensive game will be what the team relies on as it seeks a victory against Real. Only five teams have scored at least 80 against Real this season and the two times it happened outside of Madrid resulted in Real defeats. If the Panathinaikos attack can crack the Real defense and make this a high-scoring game, it may find itself in the driver’s seat.

Real is shooting 40.4% on three-pointers this season, which is second-best in the league. What’s more, Panathinaikos’s three-point defense is subpar, allowing opponents to shoot 35.8% from behind the arc. Led by Anthony Randolph, Fabien Causeur and Jaycee Carroll, Real has weapons in the frontcourt and backcourt to keep the Greens’ defense off-balance and if Los Blancos can knock down their threes, they have good chances to win in Athens.

Tip: 1 (-1.0) at 2.00 with bet365
(Price correct at 26/12/2019, 10:05 CET, could have changed)

Villeurbanne – Khimki

It will be a battle of styles when ASVEL hosts Khimki on Thursday. Although only one victory separates the teams in the standings, ASVEL has scored the second-fewest points in the league (73.1 ppg.) and Khimki has posted the second-most (86.4 ppg.). ASVEL has won its last two home games and is 6-2 in front of its fans this season. Khimki has lost four consecutive road games.

Khimki is averaging 87.4 points per game and allowing opponents to score 87.6 points per game. Only twice all season has ASVEL reached 87 points and they came in the team’s last two home games, both victories. On the other hand, ASVEL is 5-2 when it has held int opponent below 80 points. Khimki is 1-3 when it fails to reach 80 points. Stopping league-leading scorer Alexey Shved is no simple task, however, limiting him and the rest of the fertile Khimki attack will be crucial to scoring a win that could lift ASVEL into the playoff zone.

Khimki’s attack remains lethal even on the road, where its 84.0 points per game are fourth-best in the league. However, ASVEL’s defense on its home floor is quite tough, limiting teams to 76.4 points. Khimki has already faced the top five defenses in terms of points allowed this season and has come away 1-4. Khimki’s top few scorers, such as Alexey Shved and Devin Booker, have seen their production remain close to the norm against those teams, however, some of Khimki’s most important secondary scorers have struggled, such as Jonas Jerebko, who has averaged just 6.8 points and a performance index rating of 5.8 in those games. Using the team’s depth and getting more production from a variety of players could make the difference for Khimki this week.

Tip: 2 (-3.0) at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 26/12/2019, 10:05 CET, could have changed)

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News Source: Euroleague.net
Basketball tips: Livetipster

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