By Lefteris Moutis/ moutis@eurohoops.net
Last week the column had 4 out of 6 correct predictions, once again with a positive sign. Let’s take a look at the tips for this round.
Panathinaikos – Baskonia
From the encounter between Panathinaikos and Baskonia we’ll hold on to a player bet, for Beaubois to come out ahead in the H2H against Rivers (1,65). Panathinaikos’s American has been performing poorly in the last couple of months, while on the other side the Frenchman is in good shape and the key player offensively for the Basque team.
Unicaja Malaga – Anadolu Efes
Nedovic and Brooks are still in doubt for Malaga. Last weekend none of them played in the Spanish league and whether they play or not on Thursday (8/1) might be a significant factor regarding the outcome. In case at least one of them plays (especially if that is Nedovic) then it makes sense to bet on a win for the Spaniards. So, it might be better to place your bets when the situation concerning the injured players becomes clearer.
Zalgiris – Khimki
A big game between two teams that, barring the unforeseen, will be in the top eight and that are fighting for the best possible placement ahead of the playoffs. Sarunas Jasikevicius’s Zalgiris look like they’re in better form than Khimki, who might be winning but who are not very convincing with their performances. The home court might be an additional factor in the game as the Lithuanians create an amazing atmosphere and the tickets have already sold out for Friday’s (9/2) clash! So, the 1,45 on the home win is worth it.
Crvena Zvezda – Armani Milan
The addition of Omic in Crvena Zvezda’s line of big men changes the situation as well as the balance since he will take playing time and attempts away from the others. At the same time, Feldeine will return to the backcourt and he takes on a lot of shots and is the key player offensively for the Serbs this season. With all this in mind, Bjelica’s Under 10,5 (@1,75) takes on value and can be included in our options, with the home team’s big man scoring 9 and 4 points in the last two games.
Real Madrid – Olympiacos
The Reds haven’t been playing well away from home, while Madrid is a home court that doesn’t work well for them since they’ve had several bad performances and easy defeats there against Real. The Under 77,5 (at 1,75) has some value and we’ll include it in our choices as we wait to see whether the poor performances will continue for Ioannis Sfairopoulos’s team or there will be a surprise in the biggest derby of this round.
Choices:
H2H Rivers (+0,5) – Beaubois 2 / @1,65
Zalgiris – Khimki 1 / @1,45
Milko Bjelica Under 10,5 / @1,75
Real – Olympiacos Under 77,5 / @1,75