By Lefteris Moutis/ info@eurohoops.net
Panathinaikos will give everything they’ve got in Madrid for the victory that will give them an edge for the 4th place in the standings and the home court advantage in the playoffs of the competition. A big game for the Top 4 will take place in Kaunas as well, with Zalgiris hosting Fenerbahce. Read Eurohoops’s betting tips in detail.
Sonny Weems didn’t part ways with Maccabi on good terms and this game might involve an extra incentive for him, since he takes on a lot of shots and gets a lot of playing time anyway from his first games in the colors of Efes. Betting on the Over 14,5 (1,50 at OPAP) and – with a bit more risk – him emerging as the game’s top scorer (2,75) is worth a shot.
Valencia will play their last card in order to stay alive in the qualification battle, while Baskonia seem to have a greater motivation in this particular clash since they’re only one win behind eighth-placed Maccabi and they have a more… realistic chance of finishing in the Top 8. The Basques have a very bad track record away to Valencia (they haven’t won since 2012), but this season they are a better team and can get the away win (1,62). The away win is worth the risk when you’re betting on the team with the greatest motivation, plus, the Basques aren’t dealing with any problems competitively and are more than ready for this all-Spanish battle.
Real – Panathinaikos
With Nikos Pappas’s absence from the game in Madrid, Mike James’s Over 11,5 (1,65) automatically acquires value. Xavi Pascual looks like he has confidence in Panathinaikos’s American and has made him a starter from his first game against Khimki in Russia. Against Real Madrid, Mike James is expected to play close to 26-27 minutes, which is enough time for him to find 6 shots on target and get us paid.
CSKA Moscow – Unicaja Malaga
Dimitris Itoudis’s team has the best offense in the competition and they are expected to have an easy task against Unicaja Malaga. Augustine and Shermadini are in doubt for the Spaniards, since they are dealing with minor injuries. In any case, if the home team means business then they won’t find it hard to score more than 90 points. CSKA’s Over 91,5 (1,75) has a good chance of being confirmed and is worth being included in our bets.
Jankunas is coming off two poor performances in a row, away to Anadolu Efes (2 points) and at home against Barcelona (3 points). In both clashes, on top of everything else, Jankunas also had foul trouble and, as a result, he played for just 12 minutes. Despite this, the 10,5 is rather low for the home team’s forward, especially for a game that will take place in Lithuania. This is why we’re going to go with the Over at 1,70, as we expect him to return to positive performances against Zeljko Obradovic’s Fenerbahce.
Olympiacos are in good shape and have a positive mindset after the win at the Olympic Sports Center Athens over Panathinaikos. Bamberg, on the other side, will show up at the Peace & Friendship Stadium with a new coach on their bench (the Italian, Banchi), while they have the worst offensive record in the competition. The German champions will find it hard to keep up in the score until the end, despite the excellent tradition they maintain against the Reds. The handicap on the home win (-10,5 at 1,75) is worth being included in our choices, since we’re betting on the seriousness of Ioannis Sfairopoulos’s team in home games.
Choices:
Paulius Jankunas Over 10,5 / @1,70
Olympiacos – Bamberg (+10,5) 1 / @1,75
CSKA Moscow Over 91,5 / @1,75
Sonny Weems Over 14,5 / @1,50
Valencia – Baskonia 2 / @1,62
Mike James Over 11,5 / @1,65