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It seems the entire betting population in the world has recognized the importance of information regarding Darius Washington, Olin's crucial player. The odds on Selcuk were around 2.20, when it became known that Washington left for America it plummeted to 1.50 and its still going down (1.44 @William Hill at the moment). I have no intention dealing with those odds but Washington's absence will not only affect Olin's chances but the entire game. Without his average of 25 points, Olin is not the same team and this is not the same game and this should be clear to anyone. Selcuk have recently lost their coach, they are lead by the experienced captain and are maximally prepared for this game. The margin of 170 points doesn't make too much sense to me. Olin won the first head-to-head in the Cup by 88-6 but Washington had 6/18 field goal. Olin Edirne play a fast basketball that's for sure. But after they conceded 102 against Aliaga, their following two games were at 152 and 153 points. Out of last 5, only the game in Izmir went over 170. Selcuk have gone over 160 at home in only 2 out of 6 games and they showed good defense against Ankara when they lost the game in the last second. The game is very important for both teams and Olin's coach is aware that without Washington, he can only win this through great defense and I think we will not see any outrunning as this margin would suggest. Details

I am convinced Emsdetten can 'smell' points today, and a chance to get closer to Eisenach and Balingen to stay alive, although they are in the worst position in the league right now. They played games with very few goals at home vs Wetzlar, Lübbecke, Gummersbach, Eisenach, and Minden. Those were their point winning chances, they won some and missed some. Today they are hosting Melsungen, who are without important players Sellin and Vučković, so Emsdetten will certainly fully focus on defense, as they have no chance at all if they accept the running style of Melsungen, who are a team that relies on top notch defense and counterattacks. Their first game ended 31-24 with such a scenario. I think today's game will be very tough, not very pretty and this is why we're going for under 55.5 goals. Details

Although these seem to be two defensive teams at first glance, I think we will see a more efficient game this time, leaning towards 60 goals. Löwen have gone past the 56.5 margin 12 times in their last 13 games, the only under was the win vs Zagreb with 28-24. Their last four games were above 62 goals, and their offense has an extra dimension now that Petersson is back in shape. They also have Sesum who can rest Schmid in the middle for a few minutes. They are playing rather well, and have scored 37 in their last two games vs Wetzlar and Balingen, teams on par with Minden. Löwen will have little trouble vs Minden's defense, as they've already beaten them 30-20 in an away game, but I think Minden are looking better now than they did back then. Doder's injury and poor form were an issue back then, the Swede looks great now. He lead the team scoring 7 goals in their last round's 29 goal win vs Hannover. They are under no pressure in this game, three wins in their last five games gave them some respite. Statistically speaking they are not over, with only two past 56 in their last 10, but they played many equally ranked teams in that period. Prior to that, they scored a streak of six games over 56.5. The circumstances have changed today, there is no pressure, this is the last game of the year and the score should go high. Details

Banvit are a better team than Olin, no doubt about it. Olin's best and league top scorer Washington, will meet fitting opponents today with Rowland and especially Marković, who is strong on defense and getting more and more time from coach Itoudis. The inner line of Banvit with Davis, Catenkin and Kuq, and with Simmons as a great forward, is too much for the thin rotation Olin can put up against them. They lost to Karsiyaka at home by -23, -7 vs Besiktas and -8 vs Usak. Banvit are better than any of those teams, and seem to be playing great in the league. Itoudis seems to have found the right rotation with Cantekim, Kuq and Veyseloglu of his locals, whom he combines with high quality foreign players like Rowland, Mejiao, Prepelič, Simmons, and Marković. Olin cannot follow that, and if their scoring also fails, or if Banvit put up the defense they usually do in the league so far, I would not be surprised by a 15 point loss. Details

These two teams already played a Cup game here in Mersin, before the championship started. Telekom won 79-75, led by guard Ramel Bradley who got injured in the mean time, which ended this season for him. With him gone, Telekom have lost a lot on the offense, and his substitute Radivojevic is a completely different type of player. This is why I'm not surprised that 6 of the last 7 games Telekom have played ended under 153 points. In the last round game vs Olin Edirne, one of the worst defenses of the league, they played a 152 game, with the remaining five unders decisively below 150 points. Mersin are not very reliable on defense, but they've improved lately. Wins vs Tofas and Aliaga brought them a lot of confidence and they are aware of the importance of this game. This might be a crucial game for Telekom's coach if he is to keep his job, so I expect a tense and heated game from the very start. The stakes are high, Telekom's offense is not very reliable, and it all points to a good under on a high margin. Details

Karsiyaka are playing in front of empty stands today, as a penalty for the riots of their fans, who are usually a great support to them. Gaziantep have been losing games under coach Zdovc's leadership, but their progress is clearly visible. The Slovenian expert has already put his stamp on the team, slowing down the tempo and improving defense. I think they have enough firepower for a competitive game in the quiet atmosphere of the Izmir arena. Details

These two teams are at the very top of the league in their defensive performance, and it is no wonder that their first game this season, the Cup one that also took place in Usak, ended with Galata winning 72-67. Of that, the free throw rich last quarter netted a total of 51 points. Usak have four unders to a 147.5 margin in their last five games. Galata can certainly answer in kind to a tough defensive match, and I am sure they will not repeat the Trabzon incident a few days ago when they allowed 30 points in the second period, briefly losing control of the game. They managed to get things back in order through defense in the second half. At the same time, Usak don't have the individual quality of Trabzon with Penney and Stoll, they play team basketball, disciplined and organized. In those conditions, I see this as a 140 point match... Details

Karsiyaka keep getting worse, and their games are not close to the ones from the first part of the season. A thin roster, only four foreigners in the rotation, which coach Sarica pointed out for the first time, and which, with the weak national players ' rotation, creates more problems each time. When Dixon and Dibler aren't in the right rhythm, there are big problems, and today they're facing an even more difficult test. Fener have Onan, Preldzic, Sipahi, Mahmutoglu, so, enough national players to carry on the rotation. Preldzic will play +35 minutes, so Obradovic only has to rotate one national player constantly. Sarica doesn't have the privilege to do the same, and that's a handicap. Galata easily defeated them the last weekend, and if McCalebb does a good job on Dixon today, they'll have a hard time once again. Details

The clash between the direct rivals for the King's Cup will, as it seems, not be a very beautiful game. Zaragoza's defense improved significantly lately, their games are ending with around 130 points scored, and the last game against Gravelines shouldn't be taken into consideration since it had no importance whatsoever. Besides, as soon as they started putting pressure on the opponent in the last quarter, they conceded only 6 points, which says a lot about the defense. Bruesa played 69-61 against Unicaja, they play a lot of games with small number of scored points, they don't have the front court which go for the offensive rebound. Not only that, Bruesa are one of the worst teams in the league when it comes to rebound. I therefore conclude that this will be a tough game with a small number of points scored. Details

Laboral did great in many games against strong opponents, when their motivation was high. They beat Macabi twice, Panathinaikos home, they lost to Valencia and Kuban in the last seconds of the game, they've played a great last quarter a few days ago and managed to get back at Russians. When it comes to the number of good players and quality, they are a better team than Bilbao, who have a lot of ups and downs and struggle a lot. They got lucky and beat Oldenburg on Wednesday to get through. Had the Germans been a big tougher in defense, they would have won the game. Laboral have players who can stand up to Bilbao's players in every position, and I give them my trust in this Bask derby. No team will be letting go or relaxing, that's for sure, the game will provide enough motivation, and, there's a battle for the King's Cup going on at the same time. Laboral have almost the entire team ready since only Bjelica won't play today. Nocioni is playing that position anyway. Their back court is better than Bilbao's, they have more options on the point guard position - Bilbao depends on Lopez exclusively when it come to it. Scariolo, Hodge, and Hurtel will work on stopping his today. Pleiss and Hamilton will be a tough task for Gabriel, who prefers shooting from outside the key. There's a lot of arguments for the team from Vitoria this time. Details

History can be quite tricky, and I'm opposing history today because the circumstances have changed. Manresa won all of the 14 home games against Murcia, but I don't agree that they are favorites for the win today. Manresa played a draw against Valladolid, who are doing horribly, they were losing against Bruesa, missed the chance to do something against Fuenlabreda away last week. Plus, they lost seven consecutive games - out of the eight they played. Murcia stood up to Real home, they could have won against Valencia. I think they have players in every position who can stand up to Manresa. Murcia's coach talked about the home team's point guard Walters, but he has a great defender Sam Miguel, who can cause a lot of trouble for Waters. Murcia's front court is by no means weaker than Manresa's, especially after Larsen got injured. Bernie Rodriguez didn't play much against Valencia, he missed all four three-point shoots, but I don't think he'll do as badly today. Details

Ringsted have a backcourt that can harm you a lot if you let them play and if you aren't aggressive against them. The fact that their main back is a guy who played a few minutes per game for Denmark in the juniors' World Championship in Bosnia speaks for itself. They were left with 20 goals in the first match against Kolding, because Kolding had a good approach and played the defense like the one we're used to see. That's exactly why I expect KIF to give their best, after the debacle they had against Holstebro. They've lost their wing, but they have a kid who can do the job there. It's important that Jorgensen, Boldsen, Hvidt, Viudes and Laen are ready, they'll make a wall that Ringsted can't go through. In this arena, they defeated Skjern 38-22, GOG 32-20 BSV 36-30, and recently Arhus 33-30, which could have been a lot more if they weren't resting the players for Skjern... TMS scored 21 against Sonderjyske at home, 20 against Nordsjaelland, and today they'll have big problems once again. Details

Yesterday can serve as a proof that, even though some games and situations can be irrelevant, one simply can't afford to relax. Everyone gave their best, both those who were supposed to, and those who didn't have to. That is what I'm taking as a reference point today. I am sure that there will be no relaxing and that the Russians will do their best. The Spaniards have to - they're on a three game losing streak, and they have the tough road game in Bilbao, which is very important for the King's Cup. Kuban won three out of their four EuroLeague games, they lost only to Maccabi (75-73). They could have won that one as well, but failed to score in the last two minutes. They proved they can handle any team, they have great players, key individuals from the last season are still there. Not one of the Laboral's players can stop Brown, Hendrix and him are working very well together. Williams finds extra motivation in games such as this one, Kalnietis is reliable and they can stand up to Laboral in almost any position. I would say that the Basks have advantage only in the forward position (San Emeterio and Hang). If I had to choose, I would say the Russians will win. Details

Arhus' key players are over 30 years old, and the injured back court player Olsen will be replaced by the young Krarup, who is able to move fast, and who can pierce through defense. This is their third game in 5 days (they played on Monday and Wednesday). 63 and 53 goals were scored in those two games, and having given their maximum against Skjern on Wednesday, I don't have the least doubt they will meet ready-for-the-chase GOG today. GOG have many young players who can keep up with that, and I think they will be the ones setting the pace, even though this is their third game since Sunday as well. One of those two last games was the tough clash with Sonderysjek on Wednesday (29-29). GOG won their first head to head game 34-29. I don't count on such efficiency today, but over 53 goals should be scored... Details

Here I can easily copy the subtitle of the preview and anyone with any knowledge of French handball will understand everything right away. After Edin Bašić got injured Chambery went into a dive, and losses to teams like Tremblay, Nimes and Selestat are not an accident. Dunkerque are far stronger than those three, having recently beaten Kielce and PSG and played a tied game at home vs Montpellier, and are coming to Chambery in full strength. They lived through a scare vs Dijon last week, but there is truth in the saying that truly good teams win even when playing badly. This Dunkerque is getting stronger with every passing season, and are without a doubt the strongest team of the league next to Montpellier. Chambery's backs are two uncontrolled fellows, Nyokas and N'Guessen, with very little rotation, and Panić is not fully fit either. They will hardly find a way through the best defense of the league to score against the goalie who will be playing for France in the European Championship (Gerard). For all those reasons, I'm betting on the away team... Details

Fener and Barcelona stormed through Pionir arena, but CSKA will not, as they are not that kind of a team. Messina went crazy last week after they lost vs Himki, who scored 90+ points on them. He sent a clear message to his players not to play like that, and I believe we will see results of that today. I think this will be a game similar to the one between CSKA and Nanterre in France (62-59). Partizan have been such a team for years now, and even the last seson's away game for CSKA in Pionir ended 62-62, with the Russians winning in extra time. We will see another 60ish point game today, so this margin should be played. Details

Valenciahave been having many problems with organizing their defense lately as emphasized by Sato, one of the crucial defenders. In previous seasons, Valencia had similar "life or death" games against ASVEL. And they were always up to the task. They often left their rivals at 60 points and today they will bite from the first minute to the last and there will be no relaxation unless they are up front by 30 points and that is not too realistic. ASVEL's last three games have been very poor- they scored 56 against Le Mans, 61 against Dijon, 72 against Paris....I believe they will not get too much out of their game today as well. In Ribas, Valencia have a man who can stop Jackson and that's half the job you need to do to stop ASVEL. Details

Melsungen can stand up to Fuchse - the draw in Berlin last season and a convincing win at the beginning of this one were no coincidence. Both teams improved greatly since that 1. round, which is why I expect a proper war today. Fuche's physically powerful defense with two good goalkeepers know how to handle Fuchse's offense. If they do a good job against Jaszka, they'll even have a chance of winning. This Melsungen are a strong team, they played a tied game against Lowen home recently, beat Hannover away easily, lost by three goals against Kiel away, and I don't see how could it happen that Fuchse win by 4 or more goals today. Besides, this is a direct battle for the places in Europe. A success today would get Melsungen very close to their first European competition ever. Given their game and ambition, they absolutely deserve it. Details

This is a fight for mere existence - the only games Emsdetten won, they won thanks to the defense, 27-23 against Lubbecke, and 24-23 against Minde. I'm convinced that both Minden and Lubbecke have a better offense than Gummersbach at the moment. Emsdetten lost the first match against Gummersback 27-23, even though they were leading 13-11 at the half-time. It was in the first round, and today, the situation is alarming for both teams. A defeat would cement Emsdetten in the dangerous zone, while the defeat for Gummersback would be a great blow for them. Their defense, with the goalies Ristovski and Lichtlelin is the strongest asset of the team, the offense with Putics, Bult, and Schindler on the middle isn't very encouraging. So, I believe we'll see a mostly defensive match. Details

Lack of motivation for this game won't be a problem. Kolejiler are doing great, they are headed for the play off, they're capable of beating even Novgorod in Russia, or PAOK in Thessaloniki...they played a draw game with Tofas in Bursa. Their team are different than last season. I think a lot of that stems from a good defense. However, I believe they will struggle with some things in offense today as well - Vrankovic proved in the Cup that he knows how to stop Golubovic. Turk Telekom lost fourth games in a row to their city rivals, and questioning their motivation is unnecessary, especially because they played a great game against Usak last weekend. It was a Cup game that ended with a 72-68 score. Telekom also had Bradley at their disposal. While he was injured, their defense got significantly worse, which is why they scored well under 150 points in the four out of the last five games. The only game over was the one against Karsiyaka home (they scored 96). That won't happen today and 154,5 therefore seems a bit too high. Details