Euroleague Preview – Round 26 – Every point counts

Euroleague Preview & Tips

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

DateLeagueEventPickOddsBet+/-Type
19/09/2023WNBADAL Wings - ATL DreamUnder 170.51.90900-900Pre
18/09/2023FRA - CupPont de Cheruy - Antibes2 (-11.5)1.90300-300Pre
17/09/2023WNBALV Aces - CHI SkyOver 170.51.90200-200Pre
13/09/2023WNBALV Aces - CHI SkyOver 170.51.90100-100Pre
10/09/2023WC 2023Germany - SerbiaOver 42.5 Total Fouls1.85200+170Pre
09/09/2023WC 2023Latvia - LithuaniaOver 173.51.95100-100Pre
08/09/2023WC 2023Serbia - Canada1 (+4.5)1.90400+360Pre
07/09/2023WC 2023Italy - Latvia11.90150-150Pre
06/09/2023WC 2023Canada - SloveniaUnder 176.51.95100-100Pre
05/09/2023WC 2023Italy - USAUnder 178.51.95100+95Pre
03/09/2023WC 2023Spain - CanadaOver 168.51.90100+90Pre
02/09/2023WC 2023Jordan - Mexico2 (-5.5)2.00100+100Pre
01/09/2023WC 2023Lithuania - Greece1 (-7.5)1.90100+90Pre
31/08/2023WC 2023Egypt - Jordan11.95400+380Pre
30/08/2023WC 2023USA - JordanOver 185.51.90200-200Pre
29/08/2023WC 2023Montenegro - Lithuania1 (+5.5)1.90100-100Pre
28/08/2023WC 2023Brazil - SpainOver 162.51.90100+90Pre
27/08/2023WC 2023Italy - Dominican Rep.2 (+5.5)1.90100+90Pre
26/08/2023WC 2023USA - New Zealand2 (+36.5)1.901000+900Pre
25/08/2023WC 2023Canada - FranceOver 167.51.95400-400Pre
20/08/2023OG - QTurkey - CroatiaOver 167.51.90200-200Pre
18/08/2023OG - QCroatia - UkraineOver 159.51.90100-100Pre
17/08/2023OG - QChile - ColombiaUnder 148.51.90400+360Pre
16/08/2023OG - QPortugal - PolandOver 152.51.90200-200Pre
15/08/2023OG - QBulgaria - Iceland1 (+4.5)1.95100-100Pre
14/08/2023OG - QSweden - CroatiaOver 155.51.90100+90Pre
13/08/2023WNBAWAS Mystics - CHI SkyUnder 159.51.95200+190Pre
08/08/2023WNBACHI Sky - MIN Lynx1 (-3.5)1.95100-100Pre
04/08/2023WNBAIND Fever - CON Sun2 (-7.5)1.90200+180Pre
02/08/2023WNBASEA Storm - DAL WingsOver 168.51.90100-100Pre
01/08/2023WNBAIND Fever - PHX MercuryUnder 160.51.90100+90Pre

Standings provided by Sofascore LiveScore