By Lefteris Moutis/ moutis@eurohoops.net
Olympiacos is going to give a very difficult battle against Barcelona without their captain, Vassilis Spanoulis. Will they manage to stand their ground? Eurohoops analyses the first games of the 17th round in terms of bets.
Units Kazan – Bamberg
From the beginning of December until now, Unics Kazan have been defeated only two times by Baskonia, confirming their good condition. Their driving force in the backcourt, however, Quino Colom, is going to be missing due to an injury and his loss is certainly quite important. Kaimakoglou is coming back, but without Colom Unics will look like an entirely different team. Bamberg, on the other side, count five wins in the last six games, are in excellent form and now seem capable of getting into the top eight. Can they win in Kazan? Colom’s absence might prove decisive and since the handicap is in favour of the home team (3,5 points), the away win seems rather attractive (@Stoiximan 1,75).
Darussafaka – Baskonia
Darussafaka have quality but are coming off two games they lost in the details, taking a tumble in the standings. The Turkish was defeated by a wide margin for the first time this season by Baskonia, who are in excellent form with six wins in the last seven games. However, they are going to look quite different in Istanbul as Prigioni retired, and Bargnani and Beaubois are coming back from injuries. The home team can win by a margin greater than 2,5 points (@Stoiximan 1,70) mainly by exploiting the visitors’ problems.
Crvena Zvezda – Fenerbahce
Crvena Zvezda are in excellent form with four wins in the last five games and just one defeat in all competitions from the beginning of December. Fenerbahce, in contrast, are trying to find their footing with just two wins in the last five games. Bogdanovic is back in action and is trying to upgrade the Turkish champions’ game, as they haven’t been very convincing so far. Because of the roster, Fenerbahce have a bigger advantage for the win, but it’s preferable to go with the Over (@Sportingbet 1,75). The limit is so low (149,5 points) that five of Fenerbahce’s last seven games as well as six of Zvezda’s last ten games, had a bigger point aggregate.
Barcelona – Olympiacos
Barcelona are trying to get into the top eight, but they still haven’t managed to find stability and show a good face with some consistency. Claver is coming from an injury but is going to play. However, the game against Olympiacos might be “defined” by Vassilis Spanoulis’s absence. The Red-and-whites are in great shape with six wins in the last seven games, but it’s going to be difficult for them to get the win in Barcelona without their captain and with Printezis having just recovered from an injury. The home team’s handicap is relatively small (4,5 points @Bet365 1,76) and they can go over it.
The choices
Unics Kazan – Bamberg (+3,5) 2
Darussafaka – Baskonia (+2,5) 1
Crvena Zvezda – Fenerbahce Over 149,5 points
Barcelona – Olympiacos (+4,5) 1