Βy Lefteris Moutis/ moutis@eurohoops.net
Olympiacos are going to try to impose themselves on Crvena Zvezda through their good defense and the Under seems extremely likely.
Unics Kazan – Galatasaray
Unics Kazan, who are lagging behind in the standings, are hosting Galatasaray who are on the rise but keep appearing with a different roster in almost every game. The Russian team doesn’t have a big rotation and has been having trouble in recent games, with only one win in the last six games. Galatasaray are more competitive in recent games and they will probably manage to defend the handicap of 7,5 points (@Stoiximan 1,73).
Anadolu Efes – Zalgiris Kaunas
Efes are strong at home, with four wins in a row, and Zalgiris will try to appear competitive when so far they’ve only defeated teams that are on the lower side of the table. The Turks have an advantage for the win and they will probably win by a margin bigger than the 5,5 points (@Sportingbet 1,75) of the handicap. Zalgiris have a small rotation that doesn’t hold out against teams that reach a high score line, like Efes is wont to do.
Olympiacos – Crvena Zvezda
A win against Crvena Zvezda in the Peace & Friendship Stadium might be within Olympiacos’s powers, but for one more game Giannis Sfairopoulos’s players will be called to make ends meet without Georgios Printezis, Daniel Hackett and with Vassilis Spanoulis having just recovered from an injury. The Piraeus team has an advantage for the win, but with the extra burden from the last games falling on the rest of the players and the game against Bamberg coming up in two days, it’s preferable not to risk it with the home win. However, Crvena Zvezda is a team that sets a low tempo, so it’s better to go with the Under at 152,5 points (@OPAP 1,75). Besides, the two rivals have the two best defenses per possession.
Real Madrid – Bamberg
Real Madrid are coming off two defeats in the last three games and they certainly need an emphatic performance as Sergio Llull gets back in action. Bamberg are clearly elevated after the two wins in a row and they can definitely fight to maintain the 7,5-point handicap in their favor. However, it’s safer to bet on Real’s Over (@Stoiximan 1,67), since the Madrilenos – at home – have been consistently scoring more than 86,5 points in their last five games (the only exception being the opening night against Olympiacos).
The choices
Unics Kazan – Galatasaray (+7,5) 2
Anadolu Efes – Zalgiris Kaunas (+5,5) 1
Olympiacos – Crvena Zvezda Under 152,5 points
Real Madrid – Bamberg Real Over 86,5