Euroleague Picks for Round 17: 3 Expert Picks for Thursday, December 28th
The Euroleague will conclude the year with the final matches of the first part of the season starting this Thursday. Two in-form sides, Partizan and Virtus Bologna, will hope to bounce back from their recent setbacks when they face each other at the Stark Arena in Belgrade.
Real Madrid will travel to the LDLC Arena in Lyon to face struggling LDLC ASVEL, and Barcelona will settle scores with Monaco at the Salle Gaston Medecin in Monaco on Friday.
Basketball expert Agbeniga Ayobami offers her insights on some of the games scheduled for round 17.
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In this article:
- Euroleague Week 17 Expert Picks: 28th December 2023.
- Partizan vs Virtus Bologna: Virtus Good Again
- LDLC ASVEL vs Real Madrid: Real Gets the Norm
- Monaco vs Barcelona: The Visitors Bounce Back
- Safer Gambling
Euroleague Week 17 Expert Picks: 28th December 2023
- Virtus Bologna +4.5 at 1.95 odds
- Real Madrid -9.5 at 1.90 odds
- Barcelona +3.0 at 1.90 odds
Odds available as of 27th December 2023. Odds may now differ.
Partizan vs Virtus Bologna: Virtus Back to Winning Ways
Virtus Bologna has experienced both success and a setback in recent EuroLeague matchups. In Round 15, they rallied from a double-digit halftime deficit to secure a hard-fought 69-67 victory against Olympiacos Piraeus.
However, in the subsequent round, Virtus Bologna faced a challenge as Valencia Basket produced an outstanding second-half comeback, resulting in a 79-71 defeat for Virtus Bologna. Tornike Shengelia led the team with 15 points, Iffe Lundberg contributed 13, and Marco Belinelli added 11 in that game.
Despite the recent setback, Virtus Bologna has shown overall strong form, winning four of their last five games. This positive run has positioned them in 3rd place in the EuroLeague standings with an 11-5 record.
In terms of season averages, Virtus Bologna maintains competitive statistics, averaging 82.8 points, 32.9 rebounds, 20.0 assists, 6.4 steals, 2.2 blocks, and achieving a Player Index Rating (PIR) of 91.3. As things stand, Virtus Bologna are not good while playing away from home, winning just 3 away games this season but I don’t think they will lose heavily to the Serbian side.
LDLC ASVEL vs Real Madrid: Real Gets the Norm
Real Madrid continues to assert its dominance in the EuroLeague, securing a commanding 91-75 home victory over Partizan in their latest matchup. The win improved Real Madrid’s record to an impressive 15-1.
In this game, Dzanan Musa delivered a standout performance, leading Real Madrid with a game-high 23 points on an impressive shooting display, going 10-of-11 from the floor. Vincent Poirier and Mario Hezonja contributed 14 points each, and Facundo Campazzo added 10 points, while Sergio Rodriguez added 9 assists.
As the top team in the league, Real Madrid boasts strong season averages, including 88.1 points per game, 36.8 rebounds, 21.9 assists, 6.6 steals, 3.6 blocks, and a remarkable Player Index Rating (PIR) of 108.4.
Their upcoming game against LDLC ASVEL, a team currently facing challenges with a 14th position in the PIR ranking (85.3) and 15th in average points scored (78.6), show how Real Madrid will get an easy win in the clash. LDLC ASVEL has struggled in recent outings, facing a seven-game winless streak in the EuroLeague, with their most recent loss being a 73-85 defeat to Olympiakos.
Monaco vs Barcelona: Visitors Bounce Back
Despite Barcelona not being in their best form recently, they bounced back to winning ways against Zalgiris Kaunas in Round 16 of the EuroLeague Regular Season. In that game, Barcelona secured an 80-85 road victory, stopping a two-game losing streak and raising their record to 11-5 for the season. Barcelona’s overall season averages remain solid, with 83.2 points, 35.6 rebounds, 19.3 assists, 5.9 steals, 2.6 blocks, and a Player Index Rating (PIR) of 96.2.
On the other hand, Monaco, with a current record of 9-7, has experienced some inconsistencies, winning only one of their last three EuroLeague games. As these two teams prepare to face each other, history favours Barcelona, having won four out of their five previous encounters with Monaco. So, it won’t be a surprise to see Barcelona get a win here or at least a minimal defeat.
SAFER GAMBLING
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