Euroleague Predictions – Thursday matches

Euroleague Basketball Predictions

Our Euroleague predictions for 2023 are coming to an end this week. We’re heading to Round 17, which includes a lot of clashes between play-off chasing teams. Injuries, transfers and changes in the rosters of the 18 Euroleague teams continue and there is always something new to consider during our research for the current games. Let’s dive straight into our Euroleague picks for today’s games. Here’s a rundown of what’s coming up.

Yes, these are the best Euroleague basketball tips you can possible find and appear under each mini game preview.

Efes Anadolu – Fenerbahce

The big Turkish derby is opening Round 17 with the best way. Efes (7-9_ has the opposite record to Fenerbahce (9-7), so they will try to close the gap of 4 wins. Despite star guard Larkin scoring 23 points—he has now scored at least 20 points in five of his previous seven games—Efes is trying to recover from a home loss to Baskonia. Wilbekin, who has been on fire lately, will counter his long-range scoring threat. In the last two games, he has drained five three-pointers. Fener has won three straight games under Saras Jasikevicius thanks to better offensive play led by Nick Calathes, who last week helped the team defeat ALBA Berlin with 13 assists. As a result, Efes needs to raise its defensive average of 86.9 points allowed, which is third-highest in the league.

Partizan – Virtus Bologna

Virtus Bologna (11-5) visits Partizan (9-7) in a match between two teams fighting for a spot in the playoffs. After being restricted to 72 and 75 points in their previous two games, Partizan will be looking to regain its typical offensive intensity. Bruno Caboclo, who scored 18 points on 4 of 7 long-range shots in the Round 16 loss to Real Madrid, could lead the way from deep. Similar fortunes befall Virtus, who have scored just 71 and 69 points respectively in the last two games despite multiple triple-doubles from Marco Belinelli, who is playing his typical role. There is a good chance for an intriguing shootout because, despite their recent struggles, the two teams are still the third and sixth highest scorers in the league, respectively.

Zalgiris – Maccabi

Either Zalgiris (5-11) or Maccabi (9-7) will look to turn things around in a historic game. After making 13 of his 16 two-point attempts in the previous two games, Laurynas Birutis will be looked upon by Zalgiris to continue his impressive play. His matchup with Josh Nebo, who has also been playing well, could prove crucial, as Nebo had PIRs of 25 and 26 in his last two games. Lorenzo Brown, who averages 14.8 points and 6.8 assists per game, will be the mainstay for Maccabi, who will also be happy to have club captain John DiBartolomeo back. Zalgiris will face former Maccabi player and backcourt sensation Keenan Evans, who leads his club in scoring with an easy average of 15.8 points.

ASVEL – Real Madrid

It’s last versus first as ASVEL Villeurbanne (2-14) looks to defeat defending champion Real Madrid (15-1) to pull off the biggest upset of 2023. Since ASVEL has only made four of its 19 three-point attempts in the team’s loss to Olympiacos last week, it will take significant improvement in long-range shooting to change that figure. ASVEL has lost eight straight games, with three of the previous four losses coming by double-digit margins. Real, on the other hand, has won five straight games and the past four of those games were easily won by an average of 14.4 points. As one of ASVEL’s many weapons, veteran Sergio Rodriguez has emerged as the primary facilitator in the last two games, sending out eight and nine assists respectively.

Panathinaikos – Crvena Zvezda

Panathinaikos (9-7) will welcome formidable Crvena Zvezda (6-10) to try and maintain its spot in the crucial top six. The visiting side benefits from MVP Milos Teodosic, who has been playing at his highest level of his legendary career. Over the last five games, he has averaged 15.4 points and 7.8 assists. Joel Bolomboy, who scored 20 points in the thrilling victory over Maccabi in Round 16, has received a lot of those passes. The Panathinaikos defence will attack the Teodosic-Bolomboy link, while Kendrick Nunn will once again be the Greens’ offensive inspiration after he scored double digits in the previous six games, including 17 points in the team’s victory in Milan last week.

Bayern – Valencia

When they play in Munich, Bayern (7-9) will try to challenge Valencia (9-7) for a spot in the top 10. Bayern’s 80-91 loss to Monaco last week interrupted a four-game home winning streak, thus the team will be motivated to strengthen its defence as a springboard for more success. This is particularly true since Valencia has the best defence in the league (73.8 points allowed per game), which most recently limited dangerous Virtus to just 71 points. Carsen Edwards, who has scored at least ten points in six straight games, will be the centre of attention for Valencia. The Spanish squad will also be hoping that Kassius Robertson continues to progress after making several three-pointers in the previous two games.

Milano – Baskonia

Baskonia (9-7) travels to EA7 Milan (6-10), which is hoping to turn around a difficult 2023 by returning to winning ways, with hopes of picking up another road victory. The match pits Milan’s top scorer Shavon Shields (3.2) against Markus Howard (3.6 triples per game), one of the league’s most prolific three-point shooters. Howard isn’t Baskonia’s star player, though, as Codi Miller-McIntyre has averaged 10.8 assists over his last four games and was just one rebound away from a triple-double to fuel the team’s victory at Efes last week. Billy Baron, a persistent deep danger, is expected to return to peak form for Milan after making a quiet comeback from a long-term injury last week.

(All prices correct at 28/12/2023, 09:35 CET, subject to change)

News Source: Euroleague.net

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