By Lefteris Moutis/ moutis@eurohoops.net
Panathinaikos are hosting the newly wealthy, but extremely competitive Darussafaka in the Olympic Sports Center in Athens and the game is expected to be close. Read in detail about the predictions for the last games of this round.
CSKA Moscow – Baskonia
Without Nando De Colo, CSKA Moscow found it hard to impose themselves on Zalgiris last week and they definitely have to readjust their plans. Baskonia is a rather unpredictable team and with a 5-3 record they have more than met their expectations for the start of the season. The handicap in favor of the Russians is rather big (10,5 points) and so it’s preferable to go with CSKA’s Over, which is set at 90,5 points (@Stoiximan 1,95). The European champions have a lower productivity compared to last year, but against the Basques, the team with the fourth largest number of possessions per game, they can climb pretty high in the score.
Galatasaray – Barcelona
Galatasaray are a completely unpredictable team with a tangled rotation. After Olympiacos, they defeated Darussafaka as well, even without Russ Smith and Justin Dentmon. Ataman seems to have “forgiven” them and will include them in the team again. Barcelona’s many injuries cost them, as did overtaxing their starters. Doellman is coming back but the condition he’s going to be in remains unknown. So, it’s preferable to trust the slow tempo that Bartzokas’s team will seek to impose. Galatasaray have by far the worst defense in the EuroLeague, but Barcelona are going to find it hard to score more than 79,5 points (@Sportingbet 1,95). After all, they haven’t done so in any other games this year except for the one against Zalgiris.
Panathinaikos – Darussafaka
Panathinaikos want to bounce back in terms of standings after the two defeats by Real and Olympiacos, while they are going to be bolstered with Kenny Gabriel. On the other end, Darussafaka are uplifted, they have a 5-3 record, and they will definitely be competitive in the Olympic Sports Center in Athens. The betting companies project Panathinaikos as the favorites with a handicap of 6,5 points. David Blatt’s team has depth and all the games they’ve lost so far, they lost them in the details (by 1, 4, and 5 points). The game will probably yield a low score, but it’s preferable to bet in favor of the Turkish team, who have a 6,5-point handicap to defend (@Bet365 1,80).
The picks
CSKA Moscow – Baskonia CSKA Moscow Over 90,5
Galatasaray – Barcelona Barcelona Under 79,5
Panathinaikos – Darussafaka (+6,5) 2