Bologna Virtus - Valencia

These should be highly coach-controlled games. Sfairopoulos should implement a physical rotation that will make Bayern's breathing difficult. Herbert should adapt, as releasing Edwards from the bench could easily disrupt the team. I am looking forward to some fierce battles, with the arena filled with support for both teams, so it will be interesting.

Even though a lot is at stake, I don't see any defensive matches here. They will try to reject each other. McIntyre's situation is unclear, he was playing poorly against Pao. It's clear that he will play, but it's hard to say to what extent. Bayern especially excels at attacking at home - they play a 0 defence game which brought them success against Peru and Herbert, so there is no need to change anything. This style of play is promoted by both teams. The game between Zvezda and Pao was at the maximum level, without any slow play or focus on defence - everything was about attacking. I think it will be the same today and it wouldn't be surprising if one team scores even 100 points, so I will go for a high over.

I think there is quite a bit of value here. Bolomboy is not here, so Petrušev will receive a lot of playing time in these important games. He is one of the main scoring options on the team, with an average of 15-16 points per game. Bayern always struggles against taller players, and their defense under the basket is very weak. This season, opponents playing against Bayern's height have often exceeded the point total. In one game, Petrušev played for just a period of minutes and in the other he played for 22 minutes and scored 25 points. Today, I believe he will play around 30 minutes, unless he causes problems for himself.

Bayern was one of the strongest teams at home and although Crvena Zvezda has high-level players, I believe that Bayern will finish their performance in the Euroleague at home and on Friday there will be a loss away. Both teams have had critical losses at the end of the season, their form is similar, I choose the home team.

Crvena Zvezda is not a defensive team like we were used to in previous seasons. Joel Bolomboy is no longer playing, which further weakens our defense, but opens up more opportunities for offense. Bayern's front line also does not have a strong defense, so I believe this will be a game where both teams will aim to score many points. Bayern had a good offensive season thanks to Peru's recruitment and in order to win the most important game of the season, they will need to maintain their style of play. It is unlikely that Bayern will win a defensive battle.

Another option from these matches. Bayern handicap is a home game, but their form is not as good anymore, and I feel more confident about Zvezda at the moment. I think they will win, but I am taking a safer option.

Real has two options and theoretically they choose their opponent: either the out-of-season motivated Olympian or the always well-prepared Fener. There won't be such excitement as a couple of rounds ago in Madrid, the pace will be slower and there should be an over break. With a clear motivation, it would be easy to take Real to secure a victory, but now I go with a slower pace (in the game).

Numbers speak for themselves and Argentina has been shooting 3-pointers less frequently this season. In the last 13 games, they have only made 2 3-pointers once. Their opponent is one that doesn't allow much space for Argentina to create plays for their teammates, and also makes the smaller Shorts look uncomfortable on defense. In the last game against Paris, they threw up 3 traditional 3-pointers and only made 1.

Real, although they came out on top in the previous match, still seem to have an inadequate coefficient and Paris has a greater chance of winning today, more than 20%. However, anything can happen in a single game. Real won both matches this season, but it was not an easy journey. Paris is a great team and with their fierce attack, they can score against even the strongest opponents, while Real does not seem to be having a great season despite finishing it well.

Even though these are crucial games for the 7th place, I don't expect anything other than points racing. Both teams are focused on attacking, and when it comes to the most important games, I don't think their playing style will dramatically change. I don't expect results like in the recent game, where the score was 105:104, but this total is definitely achievable for both teams.