CEZ Nymburk - CAI Zaragoza

This match determines a lot, so there will be no easy running and confusion, there will be tension. The ending has a strong defensive structure in all positions, with Harding and Guda leading the way, who are essentially the backbone of the team. The veterans in the defensive line know how to protect the result, heroically playing until the last seconds. Rytas does not have any flow, they might suddenly start playing poorly, still dealing with various scandals of racism. I would expect a more ugly game rather than such a cosmic total.

After both teams' defeats, in this format, every loss can change everything fundamentally. Today, Peru is essential, so I am waiting for maximum effort and good defense. Gran Canaria has the second best defense rating in the tournament, they were able to stop the Italians scoring only 77 points, which can also be done with the Czechs. Nymburk may play faster basketball, but they cannot boast of a high scoring rate, as they lack quality and higher level players. In order to compete with Gran Canaria, it is necessary to work hard on defense.

Today's morning cannot catch up at all, and even while playing their game, they still manage to give up points very often, even up to 90 points. With Galatasaray, one should not expect any different game than the usual points race. Rytas has a strong desire to be champions in the league, but that desire mostly shows in points gathering. Galatasaray is not such a strong team in terms of offense, but Vilnius will have to adapt.

I would say that the main driving force behind this team is Harding and Walker, even though Harding stands out more in this duo. However, his points total is significantly higher than Walker's, so I lean towards Walker's over, which seems very appealing. Yes, a few days ago his Instagram post caused a stir and made me wonder if he really has such a narrow mindset, but we must look at basketball where he can confidently score 30 points with his playing style on a good day. It won't be easy, as Gala's defenders are practically all taller, but Walker has speed and the ability to make unexpected decisions, scoring three-pointers when no one expects it, much like players in the Euroleague such as Hifi, Howard, and others. So, I believe that someone scoring an average of 12-13 points can easily reach that total, even against taller opponents. My guess is around 18-20 points.

Even though its numbers in the LKL are modest, Fiba had a good start and had a significant impact in the game against Holon. Its size should increase the number of minutes this evening, as they will need to defend against taller defenders, such as Harding who is only good at scoring. Therefore, I believe there will be a bigger rotation among these defenders when solving the problems with taller opponents. Yes, Speedy may be slower today because of his mass, but his long arms, IQ, and court vision should still give him about 20 minutes. He can even provoke mistakes from the opponents, as it's hard to take the ball from a player like him with long arms. Therefore, the total also seems absurd, maybe around 9.5 points, but I am still considering it. Overall, I'm confident that Vilnius will produce those 7 points comfortably under this pace.

Although the dominant center and the defense against Rytas can do it boldly as he did in Manisa, the overrated line increases the desire for defense to fight more, even though they are players in different positions, but the main instruments play in the position of White, who started to dominate when Palemeris fell out, and when Palemeris returns, the selfishness in the defense will increase and I think they will not look for as much help in the front, where the advantage is not as clear as in defense. The talent may be similar to Gala in defense, but the height handicap should also influence the desire to punish Vilnius.

We need to go already before the massive, when the odds are so high. The fact is, I hope for a tense game, with under, but that doesn't mean that the morning won't take it in this case. Pozzeco is a coach without a plan, who quickly gets confused and becomes a fake player in the eyes of the team, tactically weak. Cummings will not be 100% ready after his injury, veteran EM no longer plays with those legs, Gillespie defends, but is weak on offense, Palmer is the only all-around strong option. The open boys in the frozen LT should also be ice cold on the court, the support from fans will be record-breaking, there is a lot of motivation after the LKL defeat, so they should fight three times harder here to compensate for the shame.

I placed a bet in the morning when the odds were 2.10, it's a shame I didn't share my prediction. It's difficult to say where the bookmakers saw Rytas as the favorite. Additionally, Galatasaray lost their first game against Le Mans. They are one of the favorites in the Champions League and have a very strong team. Rytas' game is not convincing, with 4 consecutive losses in the Lithuanian Basketball League, they could also lose to Zalgiris or Lietkabelis, but losing to Gargzdai or Utena - what's next? The team is struggling after losing Radzevicius, there are major gaps in the 4th position, players like Brukne and Lukosius are performing poorly and are easily defeated. Walker can have a great day, but sometimes he struggles, and he also struggles with defense as the team attacks him strongly. We're facing a tough opponent, let's hope for success.