By Lefteris Moutis/ moutis@eurohoops.net
The menu of the day in the EuroLeague includes three local derbies in Greece, Spain, Turkey, and one in the Baltic, and they sure are hard to predict.
CSKA Moscow – Zalgiris
CSKA Moscow suffered their first defeat at the hands of Darussafaka, but the worst news is De Colo’s injury. The French guard is going to be out for a month and Dimitrios Itoudis will surely find ways to cover his gap in the game against Zalgiris, but he also has to find ways for tougher games later on. The handicap is high (13,5 points @Stoiximan 1,75), but at home CSKA can open up the pace and win by wide margins.
Galatasaray – Darussafaka
The win over Olympiacos turned out to be parenthetical and not a launching pad for better days for Galatasaray. The defeat by Zalgiris, however, was the lesser evil that… befell the Turkish team. Dentmon and Smith were pulled out of the roster for disciplinary reasons and now Ataman is going to have to cover their gap in the backcourt. Darussafaka are in excellent shape after the win over CSKA and are now the favorites of this clash. The sanction of Galata’s two backcourt players changed the handicap by at least 6 points and now it looks like the visitors can get the win (+3,5 @OPAP 1,75).
Panathinaikos – Olympiacos
Olympiacos’s win over Panathinaikos inside the Peace & Friendship Stadium for the championship seems very distant. The Greek derby in the EuroLeague is going to be Xavi Pascual’s first and he’s going to have to readjust his plans without James Gist. No matter how much the Greens pull together, they are going to miss the American’s athletic qualities and defense. The handicap in Olympiacos’s favor has dropped because of Gist but it’s better to trust the Over. The game is expected to turn out a low score, but this season only 1 out of 7 of Panathinaikos’s games and 1 out of 7 of Olympiacos’s games had a total point aggregate that was lower than 148,5 points. So the Over (@Stoiximan 1,75) is much more likely.
Barcelona – Real Madrid
In the first El Clasico of the year in the EuroLeague, Barcelona will once again be called upon to pull through against Real in spite of their absences. In the championship they won relatively easily, but it’s difficult to repeat a similar performance. The Clasicos, however, are entirely unpredictable and it’s better if you avoid betting on the winner. The point limit is set at 164,5 points and if Barcelona controls the game, they will impose a low tempo and the Under. Instead, if the game is in Real’s hands for longer, the Over is more likely. So, it’s better if you simply watch the game and not bet on it.
The tips
CSKA Moscow – Zalgiris (+13,5) 1
Galatasaray (+3,5) – Darussafaka 2
Panathinaikos – Olympiacos Over 148,5 points