By Lefteris Moutis/ moutis@eurohoops.net
CSKA can easily prevail over Efes, as can Malaga away in Milan. In the most interesting game of this round, Panathinaikos has the opportunity to fight against Fenerbahce.
CSKA are the big favorites and it will be very hard for them to lose at home against the rather weak – based on their image – Efes. The question is whether they will cover the handicap. Itoudis’s team returned to good performances and wins in the previous round with a comfortable away win over Armani Milan. The -12,5 (1,75) has a good chance of being confirmed and getting us paid.
Armani Milan – Unicaja Malaga
A difficult away game for Unicaja Malaga, who will travel to Milan to face Armani. The visitors look like they’re in better condition than their opponents, who are nevertheless a team you can never right off at home. Plaza’s squad has proven on multiple occasions this season that they can hold their own on any away court and the away win at 1,88 can be included in our choices.
Ioannis Sfairopoulos’s team wants to react after the poor performance in Vitoria against Baskonia. Maccabi are always a worthy opponent, but in the Peace and Friendship Stadium Olympiacos always have the last say. The Reds cannot afford a stumble at home when there is also the very tough confrontation with Khimki in Russia two days later. The 1,20 for a home win can be included on a combo bet with similar payoffs.
With Olympiacos being full in the backcourt and Strelnieks and Roberts having returned, Vassilis Spanoulis’s Under 12,5 has some value and we’re going to include it in our choices. The Reds’ captain might either rest for some minutes towards the end or not force attempts if the game has been decided early on and is not close up to the end.
The payoff for this particular pair doesn’t do justice to Panathinaikos, especially in the case Vesely doesn’t play. The Greens might not have shown their best selves in their away clashes so far, but they have the quality and the character to keep themselves in the game until the end. The away win at +5,5 (1,75) has a good chance of being confirmed and in case Fenerbahce’s Czech center doesn’t play, it can easily be included on one of our bets.
In the Spanish derby, Real Madrid have the upper hand since, despite their absences, they are in excellent form. Pablo Laso has managed to find the necessary chemistry with the players he has and this shows on the court. Baskonia are in good shape as well, though, as they’re coming off the big home win against Olympiacos. The +8,5 on the visitors is rather high (1,75) and Pedro Martinez’s has proven on multiple occasions that they can stand their ground away from home too. The game will probably be decided in the details, in contrast to the other two games between the two this season that were decided early on with the two teams sharing the wins.
PICKS
Real Madrid – Baskonia (+8,5) 2 / @1,75
Fenerbahce – Panathinaikos (+5,5) 2 / @1,75
Vassilis Spanoulis Under 12,5 / @1,70
Olympiacos – Maccabi Tel Aviv 1 / @1,20
Armani Milan – Unicaja Malaga 2 / @1,88
CSKA Moscow – Anadolu Efes (+12,5) 1 / @1,75