Slovakia, Final Four against Peru, Slovan leads 2-1 in the series. Peru has been putting up a strong fight in the series, but it would be impolite to expect a second consecutive loss for Nitrians today, especially considering they are the regular season champions with a better attack in the tournament. I am predicting an away win.
Although Monaco lost against PAO, anyone who watched the game could see that the playing was just not there. Eko, for one, played some tragically bad games and yet still managed to hold his ground against the Greeks. At home in their small arena, the support was definitely a contributing factor. Monaco has talent, there's no need to talk about a short rotation as these are individual games with enough players on the team. Nedovic and Tarpey trained with the team. Barca doesn't impress, their lineup certainly isn't ambitious and is dependent on veterans. Clyburn swore at the beginning, if not for him, they could have lost against Zvezda. Monaco should play at a good pace and maintain it, as Barca under Pascual is strategically stronger in positional basketball. Both games this season were quite productive.
Even though Monaco lost against PAO, anyone who watched the game could see that the team simply did not perform well. One Ecobo played some tragic games, but still managed to keep up with the Greeks. The support from their small arena at home certainly added to their performance. Monaco has talent and there's no need to talk about their short rotation, as they have enough players for each game. Nedovic and Tarpey trained with the team. Barca didn't impress, their lineup is not ambitious and relies on veterans. Clyburn made a promise at the beginning, without him they could have lost against Zvezda.
Despite being in good form, Lens is fighting for the title. Meanwhile, Brest is in a weaker position, but this season they were able to defeat Marseille, Lille, and Monaco at home, and overall they have been performing well at home. In contrast, Lens has been struggling away from home and have not been as stable as their opponents. In recent matchups, Lens has come out victorious, and I believe that today will be the day when Brest will be able to challenge Lens, considering their good home form this season.
Although Gaubas is considered a prominent wrestler, I have no doubt about his ability to win one set. His techniques work well and he can defend himself well, so if there is anything to hope for, it is a good result in the first set. Later, there may be psychological difficulties if the first set is unsuccessful. However, physically, being strongly built and having a taller height, Canada can offer more than Gaubas, especially with the added psychological aspect this year. The odds are worth the risk and the attempts.
Although Gaubas is considered a prominent fighter, I currently have no doubt about his ability to win a set. His skills are excellent, and he can defend himself well. If there is any hope, it is for a good result in the first set, but there may be nuances later that could be psychologically challenging if the set is unsuccessful. Physically, Canada is solid and can offer much more with its height, and this year's mental strength has also greatly improved. The odds are worth the risk and the attempt.
Hugo, although he is not the greatest clay expert, due to favorable conditions, he can shine here. Of course, Atman is not a weak player either, he is also left-handed and both of them are left-handers, so I think it should be a close match. I sympathize more with Humbert, although he cannot be trusted too much, but experience should play a significant role in this pair.
You simply cannot pass by the fact that behind it lies a reduced points total, with its current average being 9.1 points, but giving only 6.5, which means it is a value bet. Knowing that in this season, Monaco has lost - 25 points, and in the previous one - 27, and in rare cases does not lose two-digit totals, the reason for this is the weak defense from the French side, specifically from James, who plays for 30+ minutes and does not want to watch the game from the bench due to the points he has accumulated.
Barcelona's backup sniper Brizuela, when Punteris doesn't score points, the coach gives a chance to Dario and as history shows, he succeeds playing against Monaco. In two years, he has played in eight matches, and in six of them he scored double-digit point totals. Today, with his 15 point line, there is a 9% chance that he will pass, but practice shows that it happens every third match.
Recently, during the regular season, I had faith in the strength of Barcelona and I still believe in the capabilities of the Spanish club. Monaco has a lot of problems and although the skill of their basketball players allowed them to reach where the team is now, it is difficult to trust in Monaco. Knowing all the difficulties Monaco is facing, Barcelona seems significantly stronger and seeing how inconsistently Monaco can play, I believe that the third time will not be a lie for the Spanish club this season.
In the regular season, Sūduva, as usual, dominated over Neptūnas' reserves. At home in Marijampolė, the team won impressively by a margin of 38 points and although Neptūnas' reserves now seem significantly better, Sūduva simply dominates in this NKL season. With a cup win, an improved consecutive record, and dominant home basketball even in playoffs, the team should easily win the start to the final.
Norrie is underestimated too much, I would say. Although Machacus is not bad and has a good serve, Norrie can also respond in the same way. He knows how to play angled shots and it often causes problems for many during the match. It wouldn't be surprising if the score was 2:0.
At home, Leicester always plays confidently and patiently waits for opportunities to score. In 22 home matches, they have scored 63 goals, but have also let in 30, which is a tragic defense for this season. One of the main factors why this club is struggling so much is because their attack is solid, but their defense is ranked as low as 23rd amongst the teams, which is much lower than expected. Millwall is fighting for promotion to the Premier League and though they are not a high-scoring team, they have a strong attack in away matches and often concede just one goal per game. I believe this will be a calm match with both teams scoring.
The royal club, left without Champions League, is clinging to the last straw of the La Liga championship. Falling behind with a significant points difference, the team does not lose motivation and will even play against Barca. With the return of Mbappe and Bellingham, the team is giving hope once again. However, the defense of the Betis team has been weak lately, with two goals conceded against Girona, four against Braga, and even five against Real in January. Betis can score at home, as they did against Madrid in their last match-up. Therefore, Real will have to score not just one but at least three goals, with a high odds coefficient. Real has created many opportunities, and with a strong and in-form offense, we can expect good scoring, making three goals a very convincing score, with a decent odds coefficient. Therefore, I believe it is worth taking the risk.