Euroleague Basketball Predictions, News & Injury list

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Crvena Zvezda – Bayern

Two teams within one victory of each other will welcome the new year with a direct clash as Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade (7-9) gets a visit from FC Bayern Munich (6-10) to close the first half of the regular season. Zvezda is on a two-game winning streak, while Bayern has dropped its last two decisions and has not won outside of Germany this season. Last week Zvezda got its first win ever in Russia, 58-65 at Zenit St Petersburg, while Bayern fell hard at home to Zalgiris, 73-98. This game could have huge implications for both teams in the long run when trying to get a spot for the playoffs.

Expect a balanced battle on Thursday evening. Both teams have strong and weak points, so the outcome of the game will probably be decided on which of them can impose its playing style. Zvezda comes out on top in rebounds and steals, but sits at the bottom of the rankings with 72.6 points per game. The hosts will have to find a way to make their offense flow, and the Belgrade fans could be of major help with that. With some better shooting options and winning the battle for rebounds, Zvezda could have a solid option to keep its winning streak going. New players Kevin Punter, Vladimir Stimac and Marko Jagodic Kuridza should help in all those categories.

Bayern has lost its last two games, but the good news are that numbers say that a win in Belgrade is entirely possible. The guests are better than Zvezda in scoring, assists and shooting percentages from all ranges this season, not to mention in overall performance index rating, though not by much. These two teams are direct rivals for a playoff berth, and the result in this game could go a long way at the end of the regular season. Bayern will have to deal with the oppressive atmosphere in Belgrade and also make sure to pay attention in defense and rebounds so that it can control the tempo of the game. Having former Zvezda coach Dejan Radonjic on the bench should help Bayern overcome some of the problems other teams have playing in Belgrade.

Tip: Over 151.5 at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 02/01/2020, 09:05 CET, subject to change)

Zalgiris – Maccabi

Two teams who saw their situations change in Round 16 will welcome the new year in Lithuania when Zalgiris Kaunas (4-12) hosts Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv (11-5) to complete the first half of the longest regular season so far. Zalgiris finally managed to snap its nine-game losing streak with a solid, 73-98 road win at FC Bayern Munich last week, and will now hope to turn that into a positive streak for its home fans. However, Maccabi had been one of the competition’s hottest teams until its five-game winning streak was snapped on the road at Efes, 99-79.

Zalgiris could be at a turning point of the season for the team, but to start a winning streak, the hosts will have to face down the third-best offense in the competition. On paper, Maccabi does everything better save for free-throw accuracy, where it ranks among the league’s lowest teams. Forcing Maccabi to score at the foul line could be a strategy for Zalgiris The hosts will also have to choose their three-point opportunities wisely, as they did in their win last week, because Zalgiris still owns the league’s second-worst efficiency from downtown. The fans at Zalgirio will be a welcome help in trying to defeat one of the best teams of the season.

Maccabi comes off a rare loss, but it was at the home of one of the hottest teams in the league, so a win in Kaunas could help the guests get back on track fast. Its 95.1 to 80.1 advantage over Zalgiris in average performance index rating indicates that Maccabi has the upper hand walking into this game. The guests also have the second-best defense in the league, giving up just 76.4 points per game. It would help to be able to count on any of the injured players who have been missing the last few games, but even if not, a happy ending in Kaunas is possible if Maccabi can stick to what has been working all season.

Tip: 1 at 1.86 with bet365
(Price correct at 02/01/2020, 09:05 CET, subject to change)

Olympiacos – Fenerbahce

Fenerbahce is on a four-game losing streak in which its last three defeats were by 3 points or less. Olympiacos won its last three home games but only registered one victory in December, losing four times on the road. Nando De Colo (19.2 ppg.) has been Fenerbahce’s top scorer until now, followed by Derrick Williams (11.6 ppg.) and Kostas Sloukas (11.1 ppg.). Georgios Printezis (11.5 ppg.), Nikola Milutinov (11.1 ppg., 9.3 rpg.) and Vassilis Spanoulis (10.1 ppg., 4.1 apg.) have been Olympiacos’s main pillars so far this season.

Olympiacos is one of the top rebounding teams in the competition (36.1 rpg.) and it must make the most of that advantage by attacking the defensive boards for transition and second-chance points. The Reds picked up 16 turnovers against FC Barcelona last week and hit just 6-of-21 shots from downtown (28.6%). Both teams have a lot of experience, so running its offense through veterans Spanoulis, Printezis and Kostas Papanikolaou will be important for coach Kestutis Kemzura’s team.

Above all, Fenerbahce must improve its overall aggressiveness on the court, as it ranks last in rebounds (29.4 rpg.), 16th in blocks (1.75 bpg.) and 14th in steals (5.69 spg.). Several unfortunate end-of-game situations have stopped Fenerbahce from getting more wins, so experienced players like De Colo, Sloukas and Luigi Datome, all excellent free throw shooters, must step up in crunch time to lead Fenerbahce to the winning track.

Tip: Over 157.5 at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 02/01/2020, 09:05 CET, subject to change)

Baskonia – Barcelona

It will be an all-Spanish affair to start 2020 in Vitoria-Gasteiz when KIROLBET Baskonia (6-10) welcomes co-leader FC Barcelona (13-3) to put an end to the first half of the regular season. The hosts just welcomed back Dusko Ivanovic to the bench, but in his first game, they fell in Berlin to ALBA by 81-57 to make it three losses in a row now for Baskonia. On the other hand, Barcelona wons its five last games, including a 90-80 home result over Olympiacos Piraeus in Round 16. Baskonia’s objective is to play well enough to have a chance to win, even on its home court, and build confidence that way. Barcelona wants to start the new year as well as it finished the old one and keep pace with the top teams in the league.

Baskonia needs to react, and needs to do it soon. On paper, Barcelona will arrive to the Basque Country ready to roll and take the win home. The numbers say that the hosts will have to stay on top of rebounds, as they have done all season with the second-best average in the league on that front. But in order to stop Barcelona, Baskonia will have to improve its performance on offense, especially from beyond the arc and free throws, where the team has the worst numbers of the competition.

Not only do the numbers say that Barcelona is the favorite, but also the trends of the results of both teams create their own momentum before tip-off. Of course, playing on the road is never easy, and facing a well-known foe as Baskonia could be a double-edged sword for the guests. However, if Barca manages to impose its style, and if its three main players — Nikola Mirotic, Cory Higgins and Brandon Davies — have a good night, as they usually do, the rest of the team will just have to do their jobs in order to take home the first win of 2020.

Tip: 1 (+6.0) at 1.90 with bet365
(Price correct at 02/01/2020, 09:05 CET, subject to change)

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News Source: Euroleague.net
Basketball tips: Livetipster