Euroleague Basketball Predictions
Euro League basketball tips appear under each mini game preview.
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Khimki – Milano
Khimki Moscow Region will try to snap a three-game losing streak when it hosts AX Armani Exchange Milan on Tuesday in a makeup game from Round 8. Khimki (2-9) is 1-4 at home this season, but two of those losses have come by just 2 points. Milan (6-4) will look to bounce back from a Round 12 loss that snapped a three-game winning streak. Coach Messina’s men are 2-2 on the road this season.
Khimki is 0-7 this season when it has failed to score more than 80 points, so Shved and co. will be eager to push the pace. With the trio of Devin Booker, Greg Monroe and Jordan Mickey back in form, Khimki is as strong as ever on the glass and intimidating, too. A strong game of rebounding and blocking shots could charge the Khimki attack to score on the break and in transition for important points.
Khimki’s opponents have made 40.5% of their three-pointers this season and Milan has a strong outside shooting attack. To date, Milan has not excelled at moving the ball; its 14.3 assists per game are third-fewest in the league. However, with Malcolm Delaney, Rodriguez and Vladimir Micov, Milan can aim to get more open looks, which could make quite a difference in this game.
Sergio Rodriguez missed the team’s Round 12 game but is set to return.
Tip: 1 at 2.20 with bet365
(Price correct at 08/12/2020, 00:00 CET, subject to change)
Efes – Villeurbanne
Two teams looking to shake off Round 12 losses meet on Tuesday when Anadolu Efes Istanbul hosts LDLD ASVEL Villeurbanne in a makeup game from Round 5. Efes (6-5) had won back-to-back games and five of six before scoring a season-low 59 points last week in a loss at TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz. ASVEL (3-7) had also won two in a row before coming up short last week at Real Madrid.
When the Efes attack is on, it is a tough team to beat; Coach Ataman’s men are 5-0 this season when they have scored at least 80 points. However, a rash of injuries that has shortened the club’s rotation has slowed the attack and Efes has failed to get to 80 in three of its last four games. If Tibor Pleiss is unable to play, the ability of Sertac Sanli and Chris Singleton to slow down Moustapha Fall could be decisive.
Tibor Pleiss missed Efes’s last two games.
ASVEL has committed the most turnovers in the league (16.0 per game) and taken the fewest offensive rebounds (7.6 per game), which are both numbers that do not smile on a team’s record. The ability to cut down on giveaways and to get more second-chance opportunities should result in more possessions and more chances to score, which could be the difference against Efes.
Tip: Over 156.5 at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 08/12/2020, 00:00 CET, subject to change)
Barca – Olympiacos
League-leading FC Barcelona will look to string together another winning streak when it hosts Olympiacos Piraeus on Tuesday in a makeup game from Round 9. Barcelona (9-2) had won seven in a row before losing at LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne in Round 11. Last week’s win at Zalgiris Kaunas got Coach Jasikevicius’s team back on track and a win over the Reds could start another win streak. Barcelona is 5-0 at home this season. Olympiacos (5-5) has lost two games in a row by double figures after the team was quarantined due to COVID-related issues in the third week in November when this game was originally scheduled to be played.
The combination of outstanding defense and efficient offense is often a winning one. Barcelona has allowed the fewest points in the league (69.7 ppg.), outrebounds opponents by an average of 4.9 rebounds per game and leads the league in true shooting percentage (52.3%). Those three represent keys for Barcelona again this week.
There are few weaknesses on the Barcelona attack, but one of them is that the team has committed the second-most turnovers in the competition (15.8 per game). With aggressive defenders such as Octavius Ellis and Martin in the paint and Charles Jenkins and Shaquielle McKissic on the wings, putting pressure on the Barcelona ball-handler to reap more steals and easy points could change the game.
Tip: 1 (-11.0) at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 08/12/2020, 00:00 CET, subject to change)
Valencia – Zenit
Valencia Basket hosts Zenit St Petersburg on Tuesday in a makeup game that was originally scheduled for Round 4. Both teams are looking to bounce back after having their respective three-game losing streaks snapped last week. Valencia (7-4) lost at home behind a historic three-point shooting effort from ALBA Berlin. Zenit (6-3) fell to Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, but Coach Xavi Pascual’s side is undefeated in five road games.
It will be offense versus defense as Valencia brings the EuroLeague’s top-scoring attack (83.4 ppg.) against a Zenit defense that has allowed the second-fewest points (71.0). The game could well come down to the point guards and setting the game rhythm. It will be prudent therefore for Valencia to battle on the glass and get out in transition to force a pace to its liking.
Vanja Marinkovic has missed Valencia’s last six games due to a shoulder injury. Joan Sastre is sidelined with a partial tear to the internal lateral ligament of his right knee.
Aside from the need to control the pace, the Zenit backcourt could also flip the game script with improved three-point shooting. Its 33.5 % success rate from downtown is second-lowest in the league, but with the likes of Kevin Pangos, Billy Baron, Austin Hollins and KC Rivers, the team has the shooters to push that number much higher. A strong shooting night in Valencia could make all the difference.
Tip: Winning margin 3-way: Any other result (1-5p difference) at 2.70 with bet365
(Price correct at 08/12/2020, 00:00 CET, subject to change)
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News Source: Euroleague.net
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