By Lefteris Moutis/ moutis@eurohoops.net
The derby of the week will take place at the Peace and Friendship Stadium, with Olympiacos – with Vassilis Spanoulis in their line-up – hosting Luka Doncic’s wounded Real Madrid. Panathinaikos will travel to Kaunas with the aim of getting the away win in what is perhaps the Greens’ most dangerous game until the end of the first phase of the EuroLeague.
The Greens and the Reds are in excellent form, they are high in the standings and they have started to flirt with the home court advantage despite the fact that only a third of the regular season of the EuroLeague has elapsed.
From Panathinaikos’s game in Kaunas, there is value in two player bets. In the H2H between Ulanovas and Singleton, we’re going with the American scoring 2 points more than the Lithuanian forward. Singleton has a higher ceiling than Ulanovas, who rarely scores double digits. In the H2H between Jankunas and Gist, we’re going against the excellent form Panathinaikos’s player is in, as he is bound to have a bad game too. The Lithuanian, on the other side, is showing consistency, especially in home games, picking up this season where he left off in the last.
In Germany, CSKA Moscow are the big favorites for the win, while Trinchieri’s team want to repeat what they achieved last season when they beat Dimitrios Itouins’s team at home. The 1,20 of the away win will be hard to break and so it can be included on a combo with similar payoffs. From the player bets, the 1,85 on De Colo to be the top scorer sounds good, while for those who are after big payoffs, Hickman’s 6,50 in the same category has some chances.
Barcelona – Fenerbahce
Barcelona cannot afford another defeat at home and their motivation might be higher than Zelimir Obradovic’s Fenerbahce. In any case, the 1,80 for a home win is worth it. The Blaugrana are in tenth place in the standings, with only 4 wins in 10 games, a disappointing record for the club’s standard and ambition. On the other side, Fenerbahce are in the top four with 7 wins, just one less than top spot cohabitants, CSKA Moscow and Olympiacos. A win for Barcelona seems like their only option, even this early in the season.
Vassilis Spanoulis is back and will be part of the squad for the game against Real Madrid at the Peace and Friendship Stadium. The Reds are in good shape, overcoming any obstacle they find in their way, either at home or away, and as a result, they are in first place together with CSKA Moscow. Real are behind in the standings after some consecutive bad results that are attributed to the many injuries that have plagued Pablo Laso’s team. Despite this, their quality is granted and the game in the Peace and Friendship Stadium will be a derby that may very well be decided in the end. Both the home court as well as Real’s injuries may play a key role in the outcome of the game and if we’re going to choose a bet, then the home win would be a priority.
Picks
H2H Ulanovas (+1,5) – Singleton 2 / @1,75
H2H Jankunas – Gist (+1,5) 1 / @1,75
Olympiacos – Real Madrid 1 / @1,55
Barcelona – Fenerbahce 1 / @1,80
Bamberg – CSKA Moscow 2 / @1,20