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In the first round, I went for an under on Roanne at Gravelines, the margin was 67.5 and the best went through. At the moment, it was difficult to image that these two teams will battle to avoid relegation in the second part of the season, especially Gravelines, who were among the biggest title contenders, but Roanne as well as they played in the play-offs last season. However, the league is very tied and it brings many pleasant and unpleasant surprises. Regardless of Gravelines's poor results lately, I think Roanne are regarded as the favorites here without a valid cause. Gravelines have lost four in a row, but this situation reminds me of the one before Christmas when they also lost 4 in a row and then put their place in the league at risk. The players reacted with 5 wins in which they allowed more than 72 points on only 1 occasion. Roanne have major problems in offense and they have no players that could decide the game, which is confirmed every week. Their average is 68.1 points per game and even though these figures are somewhat higher at home (72.8), I think they will be below that average today. Both teams emphasize the importance of this game and I think we'll see a huge battle, much like in the first part of the season, and I don't think the hosts will get 70 points so easily...Total under is also a good option, but as I think Gravelines are slightly underrated here, I decided to go for team under on the home team. Details

Perhaps the crucial game in the battle for the semi-finals. The situation in the league is the following Schaffausen 36, Wintherthur 35, Kriens 28, Bern 23, Thun 21. St Gallen are already out with 16 points. Four games go into the semi-finals and three have secured their spots so Bern and Thun will decide the fourth place. These are local rivals as the distance between these two towns is 20-something kilometers and their recent games have always been close. The results from recent games: last season - 45, 49, 49 and 52 goals; this season - 46 and 54 goals. So, one game over this margin and in the game in which we saw 30 goals in the second half. Today's game is very important and I believe we will see a game much more similar to those from the last season. Both teams have played very tight games in recent league games. After the break, Thun lost by 27-24 against Schaffhausen and 27-18 against Wintherthur, they beat St Gallen by 28-22. On the other hand, Bern played three games after the EC, they lost by 23-21 against Kriens, 29-25 against Schaffhausen and beat Wintherthur by 23-21. The stakes are higher as the end of the season draws close and they couldn't be higher today. I expect a game of some 45-50 goals, definitely not over 55 as the margins suggest. This bet is widely available. Details

Bakken have been great in offense in recent games and I believe they will emulate that form today. In the first game, Bakken had only 36% field goal and 8/28 for three points and still went over this margin. Today's game has no importance and we should enjoy a great attacking performance from both teams. A good option is total over, but the offered handicap and the team margin for Minsk are pretty high, so I will go for the team over for the away team. Details

Lokomotiv are a better team than Spartak but this handicap is too big. Just 40 hours ago, they played a tough game in Germany, they suffered a major disappointment and were physically and mentally drained. It will not be easy to go into this game with maximum dedication and recent weeks have shown that Lokomotiv are not the best after a difficult Euroleauge game (home defeats against Nizhny and Enisey, the debacle in Kazan). On the other hand, Spartak have had the whole week to prepare. Narrow squad is this team's biggest problem, but after they were eliminated from the Eurocup, they only have one game per week and it is felt in their results. They have three consecutive wins in the VTB league which is the best confirmation of the fact. With the arrival of Bostic, Vetra has 6-7 solid players at his disposal who can carry the biggest load. Today, I expect them to play a good game as recent wins have reignited their hope for the play-offs so a possible win in Krasnodar would be a huge step forward. Lokomotiv have won the return game in the Russian Cup against Triumf by 11 points and that's the only team since December in which they've won by a margin bigger than this. The tiring rhythm of playing on two fronts is taking its toll and even if they win today, I don't think it will be so easy. Details

Opava have plenty of injury problems and it's obvious they're not hosting Usti in their best shape. Czudek relies on the defense in those situations, and that's what we can expect today. They conceded over 71 points only two times in the last 11 matches. On the other hand, Usti had a lot of flu problems, Stavel said some of the players will get to the court basically out of their beds, and that's a clear sign they're not in their best shape. Besides, he pointed out the defense as the key segment on their way to the win. His players won both matches this season against Opava, and I believe we'll be seeing something similar to the second of those matches, which ended with 138 points. They recently played the Cup, it ended with 74-52. True, Usti were without Mitchell, but even with him in, the match would be left far under this margin. Details

Although the game in Israel means nothing to Himki, the serious attitude among their ranks gives me confidence that they will beat Haifa, especially considering the bad situation of the home team. That would mean that this game is a direct duel for the second round. Even if Maccabi were to win, I doubt we will see a very nice game. If that happened, Nymburk would need a win, while Siena would like to say goodby to the crowd properly. Of the Euroleague games in their home court, Siena managed to limit Olympiacos, Unicaja and the offense-focused Bayern to 70 points or less, in the Eurocup Himki were limited to 75, Haifa to 73. On the other side, Nymburk's coach Kemzura points out that this is the match of the season for both teams, and if Himki win in Israel, Nymburk can get through on a defeat of up to -8. Last week they limited Haifa to 53 points at home, in a game that totaled 121 point. Siena are even more focused on defense, the match will likely be a direct duel for the next stage and I expect a tough battle with a score way under this margin. Details

This game bear absolutely no importance and we can expect an exhibition match. With Kiel, this usually means 60 goals or more and Porto have also shown they know how to play a fast game. The games against Kielce had 58 and 65 goals, 58 goals against Kiel in Portugal after 33 in the first half. Kiel's average is around this margin, Porto's at some 50 goals, but this includes games against defensively-oriented Dunkerque and Kolding, in much more important games than this. I doubt we will see a tight game here, I expect both teams to go into team over, thus putting the game into a total over. Details

Everyone in Dijon is focused on the national championship, there is very little talk of today's game. Although they are still at the top of the french league, they are far from securing the playoff, and every remaining match will be crucial for them. They've lost any chance of reaching the Eurochallenge quarterfinal, and I expect a lot of reshuffling in the roster today, which should reflect itself on the quality of defense. Ventspils are a hard team to break due to their toughness, capable of limiting Dijon to under 70 points, and they will certainly be particularly motivated here. In case they win in France and lose in Turkey, which is a realistic scenario, they are still in the game for the second place in the group. Ventspils are the leading team of the Latvian championship, they won in Riga a few weeks ago, which means they certainly have the quality. Here they have the motivation too, Dijon will likely play less than solid defense, and that would leave more room to Ventspils. I've struggling to choose between a counterhandicap and an over on the away team, and chose the counterhandicap in the end, as it is more widely available. I believe Gaziantep will beat Triumf, and besides, even if this match had no major significance, I doubt Dijon would even get near a double-digit win. Details

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This match is important for both these clubs, and I think they'll rely on a strong weapon in these circumstances, the defense. The first match in Ukraine ended with 141 points, and even though a lot of changes happened in the team since the season started, I expect something similar today. Azovmas reinforced the defensive with Mitrovic's arrival, and in the last matches in the championship, they conceded 74 and 57 points. They have about 152 points in the VTB League in the away matches, but matches against the superfast Oktjabr and Astana raised that average. I expect this match to be similar to one in Riga when we predicted the similar margin, and they were well under it. On the other hand, if we don't count in the match against Oktjabr at the beginning of the season, Minsk were regularly well under this margin in their home matches in the VTB League. Today's match means a lot for both teams, both have to go for the win, Minsk for the play-offs, Azovmas so they could escape the bottom of the league table. Considering all that, I think this margin is way too high, and I don't think we'll be seeing a game with over 150 points today. Details

Jindrichuv Hradec are the weakest team of the league, especially in the away games, where they have 1-13 ratio. All the defeats were with at least 12 points of difference, and nine with at least 20 points difference. They lost all the matches they played against Brno this season, the first one on this court with 15 points difference when Brno were without any foreigners, and the second one on the neutral court (Jindrichuv Hradec had a penalty) when Geiger and McClain just joined Brno. Brno definitely have a roster for the play-offs, I would even dare say that with these reinforcements, they have a team for the first six positions of the league, and if they had this roster from the beginning of the season, we'd definitely be seeing them on the positions that Usti and Opava hold right now. The results of their last matches confirm that and I think they're much more of a favorite here than the odds would suggest. Brno's ratio is the only reason for the margin being this low (-14.5 before Jindrichuv Hradec played an away match against Usti a few weeks ago, it ended 79-65). But, we have to discern Brno with and without the Americans. Henderson and Zacrhla are questionable today, but Henderson wasn't present in the first matches either, and even if these two are out even though it's not confirmed yet, there won't be any difference. Geiger and McClain will take the responsibility on themselves again. This is a very important match for Brno if they want to go through to the play-offs and I believe we'll see them in their true state. If anyone wants, they can try the handicap, too, but I decided for the more secure option that I take with a higher stake. Details

Even though Neptunas are an offensively-minded team, I think this margin is set too high. Samara have to be aware they have to slow the hosts down, they shouldn't go into a shooting contest and their poor defensive performance against Tartu, especially in terms of three-pointers, was the best warning. After all, Samara can't score 80 against anyone so easily and we could see this against Oktjabr at home, who are the worst defensive team in the league. There have been many changes in the squad, they will need some time to put things in order and they had a very long journey this week. This is the last chance for Neptunas and I don't think they will rush here. I expect a game similar to the one against Minsk that went way under this margin. Details

1.30 on the Czech team against the champions of Israel? Not realistic at all, in my opinion. Today's game is crucial for the Israelis, as a defeat by 6 or more points would put them in a situation where they have to beat Himki in the last round to reach Round 2 (worse head-to-head with Siena and Nymburk) but the way the Russians are playing, no one wants that. Nymburk are definitely not capable of beating opponents like this with ease. I expect a tighter game than the odds suggest and I wouldn't at all be surprised if the visitors win. Details

Mich has already been said in the preview. Both teams have had a tough time in the final part of the Cup, which should point towards a tough game. The home team have a very limited roster at their disposal, huge injury trouble and will have a very hard job to do today. Under on the home team is an even better option, but due to it being less available I've decided to go with total under. These teams already played twice before this season, in 160 and 128 point games, and previous games in Opava remained under this margin. Teams are definitely tired after a hard weekend so I doubt we will be seeing an offensive festival, and this margin is above the season average of both teams, especially for Prostejov, who played almost all their games vs tough opponents with lower scores (Pardubice 126 and 156, Nymburk 134, Dečin 165and 138, Usti nad Labem 138, Nova Hut 140, Kolin 133 and the earlier mentioned 160 in the first game in Opava). Details

Honestly, I don't understand the reasoning behind such a margin. It is true this game is not crucial for either of the teams, but I expect a tough match. Tartu have one of the best defenses in this competition, and only Antwerp (47) scored over 67 in Estonia. The philosophy Bazarovič runs, on the other side, is well known, and he will look for a victory through defense here. The situation is somewhat better after they brought in a few more players, but this is a rather shuffled up team, and it is normal for things to still stutter on defense. The first game in Russia ended under 140 points in regular time, and I wouln't be surprised by a similar scenario today. All things considered, this margin seems too high to me. Details

I think Chalon's attacking efficiency is being underestimated here. After that game with Roanne and the comeback that started it, Chalon played 18 games and stayed below this margin in only two when they scored exactly 71 against Cedevita and in the annulled Cup game when they scored 76 against ASVEL in overtime, 69 in regular time. However, the starters had 9/34 field goal which I don't see happening again so easily. The only other team that kept them under 80 was Le Havre while they scored at least 80 in the remaining 15 games, even at away games against defensively strong Nancy and Dijon. Le Mans have the best defense in the league, but Wood's return made them more potent and I believe they will go with a faster-paced game. When they hosted offensive teams, the games ended around or over this margin. Chalon scored 89 against Le Mans in the first part of the season and they were much weaker. They are coming here with a new reinforcement and I believe they will go over this margin. Details

It has not been officially confirmed yet, but the way things look at the moment, it seems all four of the Gaz Metan players will not be appearing. Even if they do, they will not be in best shape. Antwerp are a stronger team with high hopes in this competition and they simply must go for the win today. The away team don't work well with tough teams, as seen vs Tartu and Samara, but Gaz Metan are not that kind of a team. With this weakened roster, 0-3 score in the competition so far and big problems in the championship, I doubt they can give Antwerp any trouble. Details

Dunkerque seemed pretty poor in the first games of the Champions Leauge but I think they are fairly underestimated here. With a potential win by over 3 goals, the French team could get only two points behind Wisla (with a better head-to-head score), and they have a home game against Porto and away against Kolding, i.e. games in which they should get at least two points. On the other hand, Wisla have a tougher schedule - a home game against Kolding and away game at Kielce. Dunkerque were up until yesterday at the top of the French league and shared the first spot with PSG, they are legitimate candidates to take the title and are a team with enormous quality. Their offense is often lacking but their defense can limit any team. Even though they were defeated by Montpellier this weekend, they only conceded 26 goals against a team that crushed St. Raphael the day later. It is hard to crush them, and the only teams that beat them by more than four goals are Kiel and Kielce and Wisla is currently far from this rank. This is the game which the French can even win with the right defensive approach and these odds suggest we should see an easy win for Wisla. I definitely can't agree with that and I will go with a higher stake. An under 28.5 goals for Wisla is also a good option. Details

Triumph have been getting great results in recent weeks and I think the odds are unjustifiably high on them. We should not forget that they have a return fixture in Krasnodar in three days and Lokomotiv would be happy here with any kind of win. Triumph can match them, they have lost only two home games this season, they even put up a great resistance against the mighty CSKA. They are even better now than they were then as it was necessary for Karashev to organize all reinforcements but now he's established the balance in his team. This team does not depend on the efficiency of one or two players - the have great Americans at the perimeter, they have Raković and Landry in front court, tricky Kulagin...Lokomotiv haven't been emphasizing the VTB League lately and the question is whether the Cup is a priority for them at the moment, but even if it were, I think they can't get a convincing win here. Details

This will be duel of two different styles of basketball. The margin for total points is at a high 167.5, while Samara went over 160 only once this season, vs Oradea in the Eurochallenge, when the game totaled 163. On the other hand we have Oktyabr, whose basketball style is now common knowledge. The rookies in the league are playing run-and-gun, and although their coach repeatedly voiced his displeasure with the defense, the players have yet to show some major progress. Bazarevič, who coaches Samara, pointed out this game was one of the key matches in the battle for the playoff, and I believe we will see Samara in their best edition today.
I had a choice of several options, such as handicap on the home team, or under on the total, but in the end I chose under on the away team, kind of a middle ground. I believe we will not be seeing a 170+ point game, but Oktyabr's defense does not inspire much confidence, despite all the issues Samara have on offense. On the other hand, in the 20 games Samara played in all the competitions this season, it was in only three that they allowed the opponents to score over 79.5, in away games vs Triumf and Riga, where they conceded precisely 80, and in a home game vs the mighty Himki, when they were weaker and demolished early in the game. Oktyabr play better at home, and it was Samara that limited them to the least points scored in Volgograd, only 74. Today's game is even more important, and I believe Samara will know how to control the away team. Details