Zalgiris has been playing consistently for a long time now, but where they don't play consistently is precisely in their away games. They are playing against Valencia, who have only experienced two losses at home this season. They also lost the last two meetings between them, so I believe it's time for revenge. If the bet doesn't go through, it would be very sad.
The most productive team in the league, Valencia, is hosting Žalgiris, who is also capable of playing very well on offense. On average, the teams score 91.0 and 89.0 points respectively, so when these teams play each other, we can expect a bold and high-scoring game. Kaunas has not been known for high-scoring games, but I am hoping for a different result this time.
The coefficient already seems too big for me to ignore. I believe two equal teams are meeting here and I expect a tough battle from Žalgiris. Of course, the downside is that Sisko and Ąžuolas may be tired after the international break, but on the other hand, they should have had enough time to recover. Žalgiris has already proven this season that they can win against Spain and defeat the same Valencia.
Both teams may not have high pace or be very fast, but both have good players on offense. Both Barcelona and Milan have better offensive ratings in the Euroleague than the league average. The same situation applies to their defenses. If Barcelona is slightly below average, Milan has been one of the worst defensive teams this season. Barcelona has dealt with injuries throughout the season, so there should be no shortage of quality in their offense.
In the competitive distance, I believe Zalgiris can definitely hold on, as Kaunas has proven that it has a defense and can extinguish opponents' attacks. It is also pleasing that Zalgiris traveled to Spain demonstrating a strong offense, as it will be needed on opponents' courts, since it will be a difficult mission to dictate the pace against Valencia. Zalgiris has the quality, and Kaunas still has Goss who has not yet played.
The player who doesn't need any recoveries, for whom the game in the selections was like a breath of fresh air. For Brazdeikis, this opponent seems favorable enough according to the style of play. The offense should still dominate here, so Ignas definitely has something to offer. In the last 10 games, he has scored at least 5 points 9 times. In the last 5 Euroleague games - 4 overs.
Iggy played a good window, scored a lot. Today's opponent, who allows him to run and shoot, is a perfect fit for Iggy. I think rhythm was important for him and playing was better than not playing at all. He's gaining more and more confidence from the coach, started defending well, so his minutes are increasing and he's using his full talent to score 5 points.
The coefficient here is growing like on yeast and why not give it a try, especially when it's on the rise. Žalgiris looks good, with their leaders catching the game and the factor that some players were in national teams, because being in rhythm can be even more important than spending time without basketball. Valencia had a break, so it's unclear what form they will be in, often after breaks teams where no one played return out of rhythm and it takes a few matches to demonstrate their form again.
As you know, our second center (Birutis) is out, leaving only Kaunas. As a result, his minutes, although poor, will go to another Zalgiris player who is closest to his position. I think that Sleva will get to play around 5-8 minutes more today and in total it would be about 25 minutes. As his results show, he has scored double-digit points in five games (a total of 5). And out of those five games, two were against Spanish teams - Real and Baskai, so if this trend continues, Valencia could also be defeated. Perhaps Sleva's experience in Murcia comes into play here, where he had to play against all Spanish teams.
As the news goes, our second center out (Birutis), remains Kaunas, following his minutes, although poor, will fall to the next Zalgiris basketball player closest to his position. I think Sleva will get to play plus 5-8 minutes today and in general it would be about 25. I think that will be enough to exceed my chosen points average.
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