EUROPE: Euroleague

I don't know about the total of the game because for me it is hard to predict how teams are going to play. However, I think that this game will be close and Pao will do everything to win this game that they could play the last match at home. So, it is worth to take Pao +handicap

89-82 and we have profitable pick ++

Referee announced for Euroleague final four

What do you think of tonight's match guys? I still have no big clue for both matches

Zalgiris - Fenerbahce

Total - looks very risky with these season tendency and possibility with fouls before end of the game. Also these teams productivity are also on high level but intense and defense especially from Fenerbahce could bring low scoring game. So if I needed to choose then under 156 @1.934 Pinnacle

Handicap - 6.5 for both sides looks no bet from my perspective. I prefer Fenerbahce -3.5 or Zalgiris +8.5 so the options is to wait live for me

Money line - of course no value picking Fenerbahce so Zalgiris with @3.30 at Bet365 would be worthly taken.

CSKA Moscow - Real Madrid

Total - where CSKA plays there is no value picking under and whatever game it is final or just 1st game of the season. Maybe it would be worthly if their opponents be better team at defense but this time you are great team which prefer great tempo basketball and you get similar opponents too. So my pick would be over 172.5 @1.934 Pinnacle

Handicap - with full squad CSKA are better team than Real Madrid but in crucial situations and that intensity game I believe Real Madrid is dark horse but still +3.5 for them can not be my bet.

Money line - as I said CSKA are better team and if they would meet 10 times I think that 6 or 7 times the winner would be CSKA. But tonight's just one game and these players like Serge Lull, Rudy Fernandez or Luka Doncic can make their spectaculars shots at the crunch or clutch time of the game. @2.57 for Real Madrid.

But still there is plenty of time to think about the picks so at the moment this is just my opinion

Thanks for your review. I agree with you about what you said. I think that we will see a great fight between Zalgiris and Fenerbahce. The result of the game can be close and Fene is going to feel pressure while we saw how Zalgiris can play well and confidently against strong opponents. It is better to take Zalgiris +handicap.

Meanwhile, in the game between Real and CSKA I would also prefer to take over. We know how these teams can play well and score many points.

However, good luck to everyone!

Zalgiris - Fenerbahce

under ++

Zalgiris handicap +8.5 ---, fenerbahce -3.5 ++

Zalgiris ml --

CSKA - Real Madrid

over ++

Real Madrid ML ++

Altough I bet only on Zalgiris - Fenerbahce under

Tommorow probably I will share my opinion about last matches

I would go with Real in the final while I will miss the game of the third place because it is hard to guess how teams are going to be motivated. However, I really liked how Real played against CSKA. I think we should see many points in this game (over) but Real can win it.

Zalgiris - CSKA Moscow

Total - the best plus for over that the game is for 3rd place but some of additional rotation come out from both teams and it's risky to take over but you never take under on CSKA games. At the moment I still more about over 171.1 @1.98 at Pinnacle.

Handicap - pretty confidence about Zalgiris + handicap. For me Fenerbahce are stronger team than CSKA and today we get one point bigger handicap for Lithuania team. +7 @1.86 Pinnacle

Money line - pre match Zalgiris ML or to wait live for CSKA 1.9 odds because there is no value picking up 1.4-1.5 odds in these kind of games.

Fenerbahce - Real

Total - lottery

Handicap/ml - lottery

New Euroleague Champions!!

Yeah, they really deserved to win! They played well in both games and what a performance from vunderkind Doncic

End of an era: Juan Carlos Navarro retired



It’s official. Juan Carlos Navarro, a Spanish icon, and a EuroLeague legend announced his retirement.

After 20 years in Barcelona and one season in the NBA with Memphis, Juan Carlos Navaro decided to call it a day. It was already known that he was negotiating with the club the terms of his retirement and finally on the 17th of August it was officially announced.

According to the press release: “‘La Bomba’ leaves behind him a successful 20-year career with Barcelona’s senior team. He will continue to be part of it, by having a role within the structure of the club’s basketball section.

He will be incorporated to the structure of the basketball section from the upcoming season, as it was established in the contract signed in September 2017, once his sporting career is completed in the first team. The details will be explained shortly in a press conference offered by the player himself at the Barcelona facilities.

Born in Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Navarro finishes his career as a player of the first team, which has been 20 seasons (1997-2007 and 2008-2018), in which he has achieved a total of 35 titles. He is the most important player with the most sporting successes in the history of Barça basketball“.

Together with Pau Gasol, Navarro made the Spanish national team dominant for more than a decade, winning in total 10 medals, three of them gold. In 2006 he led the Spaniards to the top of the world, winning the FIBA World Cup.

He is has won numerous MVP titles, he is a two-time EuroLeague winner and the all-time leading scorer in the modern era of the competition. He won eight Spanish league titles and seven Spanish cups.

He spent all his career in Barcelona with the exception of the 2007-08, when he played for the Memphis Grizzlies and made the All-rookie team in the NBA. He made his debut with Barcelona’s senior team back in 1997, when he was 17 years old.

Seems that well known NBA players not afraid anymore to move to Europe and play in the second highest level tournament Euroleague. I'm very happy that Euroleague growing by a big steps and because of that more players are interesting to play here.

Rule changes for the 2018-19 EuroLeague and EuroCup season



The changes made by FIBA in the rules are also applied in the EuroLeague and the EuroCup.

The new season brings also new changes in the rules of the EuroLeague and the EuroCup. They are the same rules applied by FIBA for the new season.

According to the press release:

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 7DAYS EuroCup players, coaches and fans will be greeted by a number of rule changes, which have been introduced for the new season in the FIBA Official Basketball Rules.

Perhaps the most significant change is an alteration to the punishment of technical fouls, which will no longer result in an automatic change of possession. The offending team still concedes one free throw to its opponent, but the game will resume with the ball given to the team in possession when the foul was called.

Another important amendment is aimed to prevent defensive players from slowing down the game in crunch time. From now, players who cross the boundary line during the final two minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime, hoping to delay an inbound pass, will be penalized with a technical foul.

There is potential for greater creativity from players and excitement for fans with the change that allows players to throw the ball against the backboard and regain possession without anyone else touching the ball, making it possible for players to assist themselves for an alley-oop dunk!

Other key amendments are:

* All throw-ins following unsportsmanlike and disqualifying fouls or fighting situations shall be administered from the new frontcourt, with 14 seconds on the clock.

* Whenever a foul or violation is called against the team in control of the ball, the shot clock shall be reset at 24 seconds if the throw-in is in the new backcourt, and 14 seconds if the throw-in is in the new frontcourt.

* In the final two minutes of a game or in overtime, when coaches take a time out with possession of the ball they will be allowed to decide whether the subsequent throw-in is in the frontcourt or the backcourt. The decision will be communicated at the end of the time out.

* If a live ball lodges between the ring and the backboard, unless between free throws and unless a possession of the ball is part of the foul penalty, it will be a jump ball situation resulting in an alternating possession throw-in. The shot clock shall be reset to 14 (same offensive team) or new 24 seconds (change in offensive team).

Finally the Euroleague are coming back this evening! I'm very excited about new season and the teams because most of the team improved a lot during the summer transfers and I expect more closes matches and underdogs win. At the moment Barcelona handicap looks value for me as they sign some good players and CSKA basically like always strong with the main players but they still have a lot where improve. Their results in the friendlies was not so good. Probably I will share more thought's for the upcoming matches.

Calathes have some stomache problem and he missed tha last Panathinaikos match so there is big chance that he will be not fit enough to play through his average time or play in general at all.

Darussafaka - Buducnost

Darussafaka is not the same as previous season a lot of key players left the team and the biggest move from them was David Blatt who went to coach Olympiakos. Buducnost playing in new Euroleague format first time and proved theat they can compete here when they won ABA league. Besides their lost against Armani at home they have really good rosters and of course balkan players have mentality to fight whatever result is. Darussafaka lost against Real Madrid in NBA style game and it's hard to look and took something from that game when you allowed other team to score 109 points. I see here a close game and the Buducnost +6.5 @1.892 at Pinnacle looks the right choice.



Maccabi Tel Aviv - CSKA Moscow

I was pretty confidence taking the total over 166.5 or 167.5 but Jeremy Pargo is out for tonight and this could be big thing for Maccabi on the offense. So at the moment I skipping any of the bets regarding this game.

Bayern - Panathinaikos

Hard to predict on the handicap or ML but for me this game looks for low scoring game. Both teams outscored their total in the first games just because of the right opponent for it. So under 156 @1.909 Pinnacle my pick

Gran Canaria - Barcelona

If the Kevin Pangos would step up in this game Barcelona should win through the handicap also otherwise this game could end 50/50.

Anadolu Efes - Zalgiris

Probably the hardest match tonight to predict but If I would needed to choose I would bet Zalgiris +6.5 or even small stake on ML. They lost first match against Baskonia and made a big choke on the Lithuania basketball league against Neptunas loosing them by 12 points. After that match Sarunas Jasikevicius kept the whole team in the lock room until late night just by asking what they are doing and trying to explain what they are playing for and that Zalgiris is a special team. Meanwhile Anadolu Efes looked great against Bayern and also were able to comeback in the Turkey basketball league against Darussafaka. Great changes during the summer with the good signings. With their new coach Ataman they improved a lot on defense. Should be intense match and as I said Zalggiris +6.5 or small stake ML in this situation could be worth taking. Also under total but if it reaches live to 160.

Panathinaikos - Gran Canaria

Pao always was a great home team and playing with underdogs they still giving their 100 percents and pushing the whole match. They lost against Bayern and should be motivated to crush the new Euroleague side. Meanwhile Gran Canaria made a big comeback against Barcelona and won their first Euroleague game. Although they win but it's the first time ever for them playing 2 Euroleague matches in a few days. I think that after that big win against Barcelona they could not be rested enough and it's should be very hard for them to play against Pao. Should be easy Greece club win with -13 handicap @1.917 Pinnacle.

Olympiakos - Olimpia Milano



Olympiakos is a great team with a great coach and by for they playing one of the best basketball in Euroleague. Meanwhile Milano signed some well known European scorer star like Nemanja Nedovic, Mike James and they look more dangerous on the paper as well. I don't want to underestimate Olympiakos in this game but clearly I see a good chance for Italy club to play for a win. Olympiakos won against Khimki who now are 0-2 and playing awful basketball based on the 3 pointers, but they won against very good Baskonia team. Milano won against Buducnost and give a proper fight to Real Madrid. I think that Milano individuals players skills are inconvenient for the David Blatt and his players. Should be one hell of a fight between these teams and the Milano handicap +7.5 @1.854 Pinnacle are worth to take in my eyes.

Very hard round in Euroleague to predict for me personally.

Anadolu Efes - Fenerbahce

Quite low odds for Efes to go with them against balanced and stable Fenerbahce. Fenerbahce lost Tyler Ennis with the big injury but they already found a replacement for him signing Eric Green. Both teams and coaches know each other very well and that the reason why I would want bigger odds for Efes or Fenerbahce. Probably the best decision to play higher handicaps on the live because it's should be close game imo.

Bayern - Baskonia

Baskonia should win this game and be super aggressive and angry after the lost against Olympiakos. Bayern good team but I think that they are not strong enough to be competitive for the teams who are contenders for final four. So Baskonia -4 @1.862 at Pinnacle looks worth taking.

Milano - Khimki

Can't go with Milano when the team on the road are on the 0-3. Khimki rested Gill and Shved in VTB league and this could be helpful for them. Both teams loves scoring the 3 pointers and this game should not be exception. I would like to take Khimki +7.5 or higher handicap which avoid the range of fouls if the game would be close at the end.



Olympiakos - Maccabi

Olympiakos should start this game with defense if they don't want to repeat another similar game like it was against Milano. They can't run against teams like Maccabi who have the players like Scottie Wilbekin. After the lost against Milano looks like Blatt wasn't happy how the team played on defense and pushed to players in the Greece league where they beat Ifaistos 83-46 with the impressive defense. The line already higher from the opened lines and this looks more value for me. Under 161 @1.917
Pinnacle

Real Madrid - Buducnost

Real Madrid looks great and they love to keep scoring against underdogs whatever results on the board. Should be similar game regarding the handicap like it was against Darussafaka. Buducnost very unstable they had a 0-19 streak against Darussafaka and got beaten against Maccabi because of the 4th quarter (6-20). Real Madrid -18.5 @1.970 Pinnacle