By Lefteris Moutis / moutis@eurohoops.net
The last game confirmed two of the three options of our column with the easy defeat of Barcelona in Istanbul from Efes to spoil the absolute.
These are the choices we make for this week’s Euroleague action.
Fenerbahce – Barcelona U 155.5 / 1.75
Two of the best defenses of the competition will face each other in Istanbul where Fenerbahce will welcome Barcelona. The hosts have the upper hand, but the guests are the ones with the greatest motivation. The double handicap is reasonable, but Obradovic‘s team cannot easily stand against it, especially at home. The Spanish team will try through defense to stay close to the score to steal the game in the end.
CSKA – Panathinaikos, Panathinaikos U 79.5 / 1.80
Panathinaikos had excellent road wins against Grand Canaria and Darussafaka. The high score was particularly impressive for Pitino’s team that faces road game problems this season. However, these specific games against the worst teams in the competition may not be a safe criterion for conclusions. CSKA does not pay too much attention to defense, but Panathinaikos hardly reaches 80 points in Moscow.
Zalgiris – Bayern Munich 1/1 / 1.83
In theory, Bayern Munich is the team with the biggest motivation, with 12 wins and in touch of the eighth place. Still, momentum seems to favor Zalgiris. Jasikevicius’ team comes from two good games, unlike Bayern. This time we will go with the hosts, despite Bayern’s motivation. Indeed, the 1.40 of the homecourt win does not satisfy and we will take the risk of choosing the winners from halftime.
Tips:
1. Fenerbahce – Barcelona U 155.5 / 1.75
2. CSKA – Panathinaikos, Panathinaikos U 79.5 / 1.80
3. Zalgiris Kaunas – Bayern Munich 1/1 / 1.83