Euroleague Tips with Previews – Round 23 – Wednesday

Euroleague basketball tips

Euroleague Basketball Tips

Euro League basketball predictions appear under each mini game preview.

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Zenit – Fenerbahce

Two teams in strong recent form will meet in Russia on Wednesday when Zenit hosts Fenerbahce. Zenit has won three of its last five games, but comes off an 18-point beatdown at FC Barcelona in which it lost two more key players to injury, Alex Renfroe and Colton Iverson. Fenerbahce has climbed to the fringe of the playoff zone by winning five of its last six games, including three in a row on the road.

Anton Pushkoc played a season-high 17 minutes last week and with Colton Iverson sidelined, Zenit will need the likes of Pushkov and Tim Abromaitis to step up play big minutes on the frontline behind Gustavo Ayon and alongside Wil Thomas. Fenerbahce boasts a very dangerous frontcourt, led by reigning EuroLeague MVP Jan Vesely. Moreover, Zenit leads the league in offensive rebounds (12.5 orpg.) and Fenerbahce is last (8.2). Zenit must find ways to maintain that advantage even without one of its best rebounders.

Zenit is a team that is strong in the hustle stats; it leads the league in offensive rebounding (12.5 orpg.) and is second in steals (7.3 spg.). And Fenerbahce is last in rebounding (29.7 rpg.) and has committed the fourth-most turnovers this season (13.6). So shoring up the rebounds and taking care of the ball are musts for Coach Obradovic’s charges. Another big difference between the sides is three-point accuracy; Zenit is second-worst (33.2%) and Fenerbahce second-best (41.0%). Upholding those numbers would put Fenerbahce in a promising position.

basketball prediction Tip: Under 152.5 at 1.86 with bet365
(Price correct at 04/02/2020, 23:40 CET, subject to change)

Crvena Zvezda – Panathinaikos

After a four-game winning streak, Zvezda lost its last four contests and is looking to change its dynamics with a victory. Panathinaikos saw a three-game winning streak come to an end in Valencia last week. Kevin Punter (14.5 ppg.), Lorenzo Brown (13.7 ppg., 5 apg.) and Vladimir Stimac (12.5 ppg., 5.9 rpg.) are leading Zvezda right now. Jimmer Fredette (14.4 ppg.) is Panathinaikos’s top scorer this season, followed by DeShaun Thomas (14.1 ppg.) and Nick Calathes (13.8 ppg.).

Zvezda has not been outrebounded on its current four-game winning streak, but lost the battle for rebounds in each of its last four losses. Therefore, rebounding the ball at both ends will be critical for the Serbian powerhouse, which relies on Vladimir Stimac, Ognjen Kuzmic and Borisa Simanic to do so. On offense, Lorenzo Brown, Kevin Punter and Billy Baron can make the difference with their outside shooting, outgunning Jimmer Fredette and Tyrese Rice.

Panathinaikos is the top-scoring team in the competition (89.4 ppg.), playing at a very high rhythm, taking over 66 field goal attempts per game and leading the EuroLeague in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.74 per game). Nick Calathes (9.6 apg.) dishes more than half of the team’s assists (18.5 apg.), so making sure the ball is in his hands at the start of each offense is mandatory, as he makes the team’s engine run. Dominating the boards will also be critical against an aggressive, physical team like Zvezda.

basketball prediction Tip: 2 (-3.0) at 1.95 with bet365
(Price correct at 04/02/2020, 23:40 CET, subject to change)

Maccabi – Khimki

Two teams looking to turn their momentum around will meet on Wednesday when Maccabi hosts Khimki. The Israeli champs have lost their last two games, including their first home loss of the season at the hands of Real Madrid. Khimki has lost six of its last seven games and has been slipping in the standings. Khimki is 2-9 on the road this season.

The potential absence of Scottie Wilbekin may affect Maccabi on offense, but Coach Ioannis Sfairopouos’s team has proven to be as tough as they come on defense and that shouldn’t change. The team leads the league in steals (81 spg.) and fouls committed (23.1) and is second in rebounding (36.1 rpg.). Its 77.0 points allowed per game is best in the league. The key will be for Maccabi to play as tough as usual on defense even against Khimki’s third-ranked offense (85.8 ppg.) while getting Elijah Bryant, Tyler Dorsey or Aaron Jackson to pick up the extra offensive production.

Khimki found one way to beat Maccabi last time by spreading the floor and knocking down 14 three-pointers with five different guys making multiple threes. Forcing Maccabi’s forward to guard the perimeter helped Khimki to grab 13 offensive rebounds. A good shooting night from behind the arc combined with a strong effort on the glass would be a good recipe for winning in Tel Aviv. Maccabi was outrebounded in each of its last two losses.

basketball prediction Tip: 2 (+7.5) at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 04/02/2020, 23:40 CET, subject to change)

Valencia – Barcelona

Both teams are in the playoff zone right now. Valencia has won seven of its last eight home games and downed Panathinaikos at La Fonteta last week. Barcelona is currently on a three-game winning streak and looking for its eighth road win this season. Bojan Dubljevic (14.4 ppg.), Alberto Abalde (7.5 ppg.) and Quino Colom (7.2 ppg., 4.1 apg.) are leading Valencia right now. Nikola Mirotic (18.5 ppg.) is Barcelona’s top scorer, followed by Brandon Davies (9.9 ppg.) and Malcolm Delaney (9.8 ppg.).

Valencia allows opponents to make a league-high 56.0% of its two-point shots at home, so protecting the paint will be mandatory against Barcelona, a team with effective big men such as Brandon Davies, Nikola Mirotic and Ante Tomic. Jordan Loyd and Sam Van Rossom are sidelined, so players like Quino Colom, Guillem Vives, Alberto Abalde and Vanja Marinkovic will need to make the most out of their playing time. If Valencia rebounds well at both ends and gets Bojan Dubljevic involved down low, it will be hard to beat it at La Fonteta.

Barcelona has some of the best defensive numbers in the competition when playing on the road, allowing just 76.7 points and forcing opponents into poor shooting percentages (51.7% 2FG, 37.1% 3FG). No other team forces more turnovers on average (14.5 per game) when playing on the road. That kind of hustle and defensive effort will be mandatory against a team with a strong home-court advantage such as Valencia. If the game goes down to the wire, Nikola Mirotic and Kyle Kuric must make the difference down the stretch.

basketball prediction Tip: 1 (+4.5) at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 04/02/2020, 23:40 CET, subject to change)

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News Source: Euroleague.net
Basketball tips: Livetipster


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