Every win counts. Every point too. Playoff places, play-off advantage and avoiding elimination are the prizes on offer in the action-packed Round 26. The EuroLeague Regular Season is 5 games to the end and while the Euroleague’s official site calls as Game of the Week the visit of Baskonia, but the 15 times European champions Panathinaikos (6) and Real Madrid (9) might write the headlines.
Thursday’s matches
The action starts in Istanbul, where Anadolu Efes (13-12) will look to protect its position in the top half of the standings against a Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv (9-16) team that has lost seven straight on the road and would be eliminated with another defeat. In a game between two teams with plenty of firepower, turnovers could be key: Maccabi is the third-worst team at taking care of the ball, with an assist-turnover ratio of 119.3%, while Efes is second-best in that category with a ratio of 163%. This could be an Over 168.0 points at the price of 1.90 with bet365.
A meeting of traditional heavyweights gives Real Madrid (19-6) the chance to secure home-court advantage in the playoffs with a road trip to Panathinaikos Superfoods Athens (14-11), which has won eight consecutive games at home. It’s a meeting between the EuroLeague’s second-best defense and second-best offense, with Panathinaikos allowing just 73.9 points per game while Madrid has scored 87.2 on average. Expect plenty of long-range strikes; with Madrid’s average of 10 three-pointers per game and Panathinaikos’s 9.5, they rank first and second in triples converted. Panathinaikos has only lost one at home this season and play for their future in the competition. A home win with a handicap of -1.5 point is priced at 1.90 with bet365.
There’s everything to play for in Germany, with host Brose Bamberg (9-16) potentially facing elimination with a loss while visiting Fenerbahce Istanbul (16-9) might qualify for the playoffs with a win. Accurate shooting is the order of the day for these two teams, with Bamberg ranked second in the league in true shooting percentage (51%), while Fenerbahce is fifth (49.4%). Partly for that reason, they are also among the league’s lowest offensive rebounders, with Bamberg ranked last (7.2 per game) and Fenerbahce 14th (8.9 per game), so what few second chances arise could be crucial. I’ll stay out of this one but I think it will be close.
Thursday’s final game sees eliminated EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (7-18) attempt to end a four-game losing streak against visiting Crvena Zvezda MTS Belgrade (14-11), which needs to keep its playoff hopes on track. Milan has allowed more points than any other team (87.8 per game), but Zvezda is the competition’s second-lowest scorer with an average of 74.7 points. The two teams are the league’s worst at defensive rebounding, with only Milan’s average of 22.1 defensive boards lower than Zvezda’s 22.2 per game. They also block fewer shots than anyone else; Milan 1.5 blocks per game and Zvezda 1.6. Another Over selection here, with the 159.0 points looking a descent scoring obstacle and is offerd at 1.90 with bet365.
Friday’s matches
Friday tips off with already-eliminated Unics Kazan (7-18) looking for its first win for more than two months against playoff aspirants Zalgiris Kaunas (11-14). Unics can look to exploit the visiting team’s tendency to concede possession, with only three teams committing more turnovers than Zalgiris’s average of 14.2 per game. The Lithuanian team, on the other hand, is the third-best offensive rebounding unit in the competition, averaging 11.3 per game.
In Istanbul, Darussafaka Dogus (12-13) will seek to strengthen its playoff challenge against a FC Barcelona Lassa team which is still hoping to force its way into the picture (10-15). Darussafaka has won six of its last seven home games, while Barcelona has only celebrated one road triumph in its last nine attempts. The home team’s approach is evident in two stats: Darussafaka has attempted the third highest number of three-pointers (24 per game) but ranks last in assists (14.5 per game). Barcelona remains the league’s lowest scorer, averaging just 72.3 points.
Already-qualified Olympiacos Piraeus (18-7) will know before tipoff whether victory will be enough to secure home-court advantage in the playoffs against eliminated Galatasaray Odeabank Istanbul (8-17). The Turkish team triumphed in a thriller when the teams met in Round 6, its 89 points that night being the third-most that any team has scored against Olympiacos all season. The Reds have a clear edge in rebounding, ranked first in the league with 37.2 boards per game, while Galatasaray has averaged just 31.8. These are the competition’s best two shot-blocking teams, both averaging 3.7 per game.
Last but not least, Baskonia Vitoria Gasteiz (14-11) will attempt to take another step towards the playoffs by overcoming reigning champion CSKA Moscow (19-6), which would grab home-court advantage in the playoffs with a win. One clear disparity between the teams is long-range shooting efficiency, with CSKA leading the league with a 40.7% conversion rate, while Baskonia has made just 34.4% of three-point attempts. But the Spanish team has a rebounding advantage, averaging 36.8 per game compared to CSKA’s 32.9.
Source: euroleague.net
Basketball Tips: livetipster.com
Daily Basketball Picks
| Date | League | Event | Pick | Odds | Bet | +/- | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19/09/2023 | WNBA | DAL Wings - ATL Dream | Under 170.5 | 1.90 | 900 | -900 | Pre |
| 18/09/2023 | FRA - Cup | Pont de Cheruy - Antibes | 2 (-11.5) | 1.90 | 300 | -300 | Pre |
| 17/09/2023 | WNBA | LV Aces - CHI Sky | Over 170.5 | 1.90 | 200 | -200 | Pre |
| 13/09/2023 | WNBA | LV Aces - CHI Sky | Over 170.5 | 1.90 | 100 | -100 | Pre |
| 10/09/2023 | WC 2023 | Germany - Serbia | Over 42.5 Total Fouls | 1.85 | 200 | +170 | Pre |
| 09/09/2023 | WC 2023 | Latvia - Lithuania | Over 173.5 | 1.95 | 100 | -100 | Pre |
| 08/09/2023 | WC 2023 | Serbia - Canada | 1 (+4.5) | 1.90 | 400 | +360 | Pre |
| 07/09/2023 | WC 2023 | Italy - Latvia | 1 | 1.90 | 150 | -150 | Pre |
| 06/09/2023 | WC 2023 | Canada - Slovenia | Under 176.5 | 1.95 | 100 | -100 | Pre |
| 05/09/2023 | WC 2023 | Italy - USA | Under 178.5 | 1.95 | 100 | +95 | Pre |
| 03/09/2023 | WC 2023 | Spain - Canada | Over 168.5 | 1.90 | 100 | +90 | Pre |
| 02/09/2023 | WC 2023 | Jordan - Mexico | 2 (-5.5) | 2.00 | 100 | +100 | Pre |
| 01/09/2023 | WC 2023 | Lithuania - Greece | 1 (-7.5) | 1.90 | 100 | +90 | Pre |
| 31/08/2023 | WC 2023 | Egypt - Jordan | 1 | 1.95 | 400 | +380 | Pre |
| 30/08/2023 | WC 2023 | USA - Jordan | Over 185.5 | 1.90 | 200 | -200 | Pre |
| 29/08/2023 | WC 2023 | Montenegro - Lithuania | 1 (+5.5) | 1.90 | 100 | -100 | Pre |
| 28/08/2023 | WC 2023 | Brazil - Spain | Over 162.5 | 1.90 | 100 | +90 | Pre |
| 27/08/2023 | WC 2023 | Italy - Dominican Rep. | 2 (+5.5) | 1.90 | 100 | +90 | Pre |
| 26/08/2023 | WC 2023 | USA - New Zealand | 2 (+36.5) | 1.90 | 1000 | +900 | Pre |
| 25/08/2023 | WC 2023 | Canada - France | Over 167.5 | 1.95 | 400 | -400 | Pre |
| 20/08/2023 | OG - Q | Turkey - Croatia | Over 167.5 | 1.90 | 200 | -200 | Pre |
| 18/08/2023 | OG - Q | Croatia - Ukraine | Over 159.5 | 1.90 | 100 | -100 | Pre |
| 17/08/2023 | OG - Q | Chile - Colombia | Under 148.5 | 1.90 | 400 | +360 | Pre |
| 16/08/2023 | OG - Q | Portugal - Poland | Over 152.5 | 1.90 | 200 | -200 | Pre |
| 15/08/2023 | OG - Q | Bulgaria - Iceland | 1 (+4.5) | 1.95 | 100 | -100 | Pre |
| 14/08/2023 | OG - Q | Sweden - Croatia | Over 155.5 | 1.90 | 100 | +90 | Pre |
| 13/08/2023 | WNBA | WAS Mystics - CHI Sky | Under 159.5 | 1.95 | 200 | +190 | Pre |
| 08/08/2023 | WNBA | CHI Sky - MIN Lynx | 1 (-3.5) | 1.95 | 100 | -100 | Pre |
| 04/08/2023 | WNBA | IND Fever - CON Sun | 2 (-7.5) | 1.90 | 200 | +180 | Pre |
| 02/08/2023 | WNBA | SEA Storm - DAL Wings | Over 168.5 | 1.90 | 100 | -100 | Pre |
| 01/08/2023 | WNBA | IND Fever - PHX Mercury | Under 160.5 | 1.90 | 100 | +90 | Pre |
