Euroleague Preview & Tips – Round 8 – 14/11/2019

Euroleague Basketball Tips

Euro League basketball predictions appear under each mini game preview.

Khimki – Milano

This clash between top-six teams will be a big test for both sides; Khimki looks to remain undefeated at home, while Milan, which has won six straight, seeks to retain at least a share of the top spot in the standings. Milan has won three straight games against Khimki, including two in Moscow. It will be a milestone game for the visitors at Milan marks its 250th appearance in the competition this century.

Khimki leads the league in scoring (87.0 ppg.) and is second in assists (19.3 apg.). It attempts the third-most three-pointers per game (28.0) and is sixth in accuracy (38.8%). Khimki is also fourth in two-point shooting (55.8%). With Milan’s Arturas Gudaitis sidelined, Milan will have to play at least part of the game without a rim-protector and the hosts would be wise to attack the basket whenever Kaleb Tarczewski is sitting. If it can control the paint and the glass, Khimki will be in a good spot.

Timofey Mozgov, Egor Vialtsev and Petr Gubanov are still sidelined with injuries.

Milan is the best three-point shooting team in the competition at 44.3% and will need its prowess from the perimeter as much as ever in Moscow. The man most responsible for balancing the shooters inside will be Luis Scola. The visitors must also take advantage of the fact that Khimki has allowed 13.0 offensive rebounds per game, which is second-most in the competition.

basketball prediction Tip: Over 163.0 at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 14/11/2019, 08:40 CET, could have changed)

Anadolu Efes – Zenit

Two teams on opposite sides of the spectrum will face off in Round 8 in Turkey when Anadolu Efes Istanbul (5-2) welcomes EuroLeague debutante Zenit St Petersburg (2-5) on Thursday. Efes was back on the winning track in its last game at Olympiacos Piraeus and will look to turn that win into a streak this week. Zenit has lost its last two games, including the last one at home against Khimki Moscow Region. The newcomers will need to start winning as soon as possible to stay in a good place for the playoffs race.

The hosts are facing one of the weakest offenses in the league and that can be the main stepping stone for Efes, as they also show better numbers on defense than Zenit. If Efes manages to keep its defense tight and forces those long-range shots, it can win this game. Shane Larkin has averaged 26 points in his last two games and he seems to be picking up steam just like he did last season, so Efes’s offensive options will have to go through his hands and those of Vasilije Micic, who also had a great game in his last appearance. The support of the Istanbul fans can be the last factor to add to the mix for Efes.

Adrien Moerman and Kurnoslav Simon will not be available against Zenit, while Bryant Dunston will be a game-time decision.

Zenit has won just two games so far, but both wins arrived far from St Petersburg, so the visitors will try to make that a tradition in order to get a third win. Efes scores more points and allows fewer points than Zenit, so the Russian team will have to work hard on both sides of the court if it wants this win. However, the trio of Ayon, Mateusz Ponitka and Will Thomas might not be enough and the team will need other names like Andrew Albicy, Alex Renfroe and Austin Hollins to step up and take their team to a position where they can score an upset in Istanbul.

basketball prediction Tip: 2 (+12.5) at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 14/11/2019, 08:40 CET, could have changed)

Panathinaikos – ALBA Berlin

Panathinaikos OPAP Athens (4-3) welcomes ALBA Berlin (1-6) to the Greek capital for Round 8. The Greens come off of back-to-back wins over Anadolu Efes Istanbul and Valencia Basket and will look to turn that streak into a solid one with a third win in a row against one of the weakest teams in the league. ALBA won the opening game of the season, but since then it has been six straight losses, the last one at Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv, so the German squad will look to stand up on its feet and fight back one more time against the Greens.

Panathinaikos seems to have found good momentum with its last two wins and will look to capitalize on the fact that ALBA comes desperate from six straight losses. Despite its record, ALBA is still the league leader in assists (19.7 apg.), so the Greens will have to tighten their defense to try to stop the offensive flow of the visitors. Rokas Giedraitis and Siva remain the biggest threats for ALBA, but stopping them will not be enough as Coach Aito Garcia Reneses is probably expecting that and has a back-up plan. If the hosts keep their focus and their second-best 57.5% in two-point shots, they will have a good chance to add another win to the column.

Another week, same goal for ALBA. The German squad has not won a game since opening night and the last losses have come with bigger margins, so ALBA is at a dangerous mental point now. The team must remain strong and face each game like it was its last or it runs the risk of melting down in the standings, so OAKA can prove to be a perfect place to show that the team has the mental strength it takes to get out of a hole. The most urgent thing is to lower its numbers in defense (89.5 points received per game is the worst figure in the league) and try to exploit its excellent numbers in assists for the offense.

basketball prediction Tip: Panathinaikos win 10-13 points margin at 6.00 with bet365
(Price correct at 14/11/2019, 08:40 CET, could have changed)

Baskonia – Maccabi

KIROLBET Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz will look to keep its perfect record at home intact when it hosts red-hot Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv, which has won five in a row. Baskonia has a losing record, but has played five of its seven games on the road and now starts a three-game homestand. Baskonia swept Maccabi last season and has won its last four home games against the Israeli champion.

EuroLeague rookies Pierria Henry and Nik Stauskas are starting to find their stride and in doing so can raise Baskonia’s game to a new level. The team’s 33.5% three-point shooting is near the bottom of the charts, but strong shooting by Stauskas and Matt Janning and heady playmaking by Henry and Luca Vildoza can help raise that number. A big night from downtown could be the answer to Maccabi’s stingy defense.

EuroLeague rookies Pierria Henry and Nik Stauskas are starting to find their stride and in doing so can raise Baskonia’s game to a new level. The team’s 33.5% three-point shooting is near the bottom of the charts, but strong shooting by Stauskas and Matt Janning and heady playmaking by Henry and Luca Vildoza can help raise that number. A big night from downtown could be the answer to Maccabi’s stingy defense.

basketball prediction Tip: Baskonia Over 80.5 points at 1.83 with bet365
(Price correct at 14/11/2019, 08:40 CET, could have changed)

Real Madrid – Barcelona

One of the highlights of the regular season will take place in Round 8 as another chapter of the all-Spanish El Clasico will match Real Madrid and FC Barcelona one more time in the Spanish capital. Real (4-3) comes from snapping a three-game losing streak. Barcelona (6-1) was back to its winning ways at Zalgiris Kaunas in Round 7 and now will try to send a loud message across the airwaves with a win in Madrid.

El Clasico is always more than a game, but Real must focus on taking the win to turn its winning streak into something solid. Barcelona has the fifth-best offense and the fourth-best defense in the league, so that goes to show that the hosts will have to perform well everywhere to be able to win the game. The assists of Facu Campazzo and Sergio Llull must be the stepping stone for the hosts’ offense, while on defense Walter Tavares’s imposing presence will surely be an obstacle for Barca. which Real should capitalize on. However, in these kinds of games, the team spirit and a little bit of luck can also come into play when deciding the outcome.

A trip to Madrid is never easy for Barcelona, even if this year it is the Catalan side the one coming into the game with a little edge. By the numbers, the visitors dominate Los Blancos in every aspect of the game except for blocks, where Real is fourth-best in the league (3.6 bpg.). Barca will have to play around Tavares’s figure in the paint, but the visitors have shown they have the resources to do that. Together with Mirtoic, Cory Higgins and Brandon Davies form a lethal trio that can play and score from virtually anywhere on the court. If Barcelona sticks to its tight defense and manages to let the offense flow, it could tie the historic series in the EuroLeague between these two legendary foes.

basketball prediction Tip: 1 (-4.5) at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 14/11/2019, 08:40 CET, could have changed)

News Source: Euroleague.net
Basketball tips: Livetipster


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