They don't look very good, showing a lack of team play, which is not encouraging for the Nepali spirits, and it's also quite evident in the Peruvian team, as there seems to be a lack of strong team play in the spirits. Donk also often plays poorly against these spirits. Blad3 should have come up with a plan to involve the spirits more in the long game.
After yesterday's defeat, there should be a focus on work today. Some bad moods will be present in the team after the lost match, where they definitely could have won. There will be maximum pressure on the players, but they should return to the game. Often, after success, players become complacent, especially young players. So today, maximum concentration and cleanup are necessary for a 2-0 win. Astralis is currently experiencing some issues as a team, with Jabbi being out of form for a while. Ryu is trying to prove that they can beat t1, so there will be some fierce competition. Overall, I believe a calm 2-0 victory is possible.
Falcons begin their performance, being one of the favorites in the tournament, with Kyousuke in top form, endlessly grinding as a team and with high expectations. It's time to hit the tournament, although their current form may only be comparable to their spirits. They should easily beat Aurora 2-0. And with a new player on the Aurora team, Falcons have a clear advantage in terms of team play.
Absolutely regrettable, the Young Boys defense has been demonstrating this season, but particularly in recent times, with 16 goals conceded in the past 3 matches, including a 2-6 loss at home in this series. Where it was possible to say that the YB team still defended at home, now they are no longer able to do so, and overall this season, only the bottom-placed Winterthur team has conceded more over goals. YB GB have scored 40 goals and conceded 45 in 21 games this season, showing their attacking abilities (2 goals against Stuttgart are a good example), but they are in 6th place due to their inability to defend. Their opponents, similar to this team, also score about 3.5 goals per match and do not defend very well, but they are solid enough to score a couple of goals here.
The Luzern team loves to play in productive matches, especially in their home arena. In this season, they are one of the most productive teams in the Swiss league, scoring 79 goals in 21 matches. However, they also tend to concede quite a few goals, with an average of 4.2 per match at home. The St Gallen team is one of the top teams in the league, taking 3rd place and scoring the 2nd most goals. Their away matches are similar to their home ones, so it's unlikely that there will be a lack of goals in this match. Overall, the away matches for the St Gallen team are not as productive as Luzern's, but they still have an average of 3.3 goals per match and close to 4 goals in away matches. Based on this, I believe that the away team could cover the total goals themselves, but it's not realistic to expect an over from both teams.
Quite a high coefficient at 2.5 seems more likely. Heracles' bottom position in the league is due to their strong attack, which has overall scored almost one and a half goals per match (28 out of 20), with 18 out of 9 of those being scored at home. However, their bottom position is not without reason, as their defense is pitiful. With 52 conceded goals in 20 rounds, they are among the highest in the league and it is always expected that they will be heavily attacked by their opponents. Sittard is a mediocre club, ranked 10th, with a similar goal differential of 30:34 in 20 matches. This shows that they are capable of attacking but lack a strong defense, giving the home team a good chance. I believe at least 3 goals will be scored in this match.
The Lyon team is in excellent form with 9 consecutive wins and a very productive style of soccer. The opponent Lille is also strong and plays a highly effective soccer. Even in 6 out of the last 7 Lyon matches, there were 3 or more scored goals, while Lille achieved the same in 4 out of their last 5 matches. In their previous encounter this season, the teams played a high-scoring game, with the result of 1-2. I believe that the odds for an over bet are favorable, as it is not a common outcome when these teams meet.
Two serious teams and even though there are Italians, they play a productive football. Como is playing particularly well this season, especially at home, while Atalanta needs to bounce back after poor offensive performance against Belgium. The results of previous matches between the teams suggest a productive football, which I believe we can expect from this meeting as well.
Galatasaray does not seem as dominant after the new year as it used to be, but a team with such strength should easily win against the second-to-last team in the league at home. Galatasaray, scoring over two goals in the league and conceding only 2 goals, shows that the Turkish champions are heading towards a big victory.
The defeated Sinner shows that Djokovic arrived here to win. Alcaraz has problems with muscles and their spasms, and it is very likely that we will see something similar against Djokovic. The Serb, with his immense experience, is able to change his game and tactics and knows how to bypass the rules. Last year, Djokovic already defeated the Spaniard 3-1, and in the final, the Serbian realistically does not lose, and at the Australian Open he currently has a 10-0 record in terms of won finals. Of course, I was hoping for a higher coefficient, but this one also looks attractive.
If Djokovic reaches the final of the Australian Open, he will win.
And there have been 10 such finals.
Last year, Alcaraz had no chances in the QF against Djokovic.
In terms of rest, Djokovic has a clear advantage.
And I believe that history will repeat itself, as it often happens when a player is already packing their bags to go home, but something from above happens and they become the champion.
It's not the first time this has happened. Most recently, Sinner experienced it.
For me, this coefficient, considering all the nuances, is like candy.
Despite how poorly Efes may seem, it is still one of the best teams in Turkey. Currently, the team is going through a rough period, but they must start their recovery from something, and their team certainly has the ability to do so. For 4 consecutive seasons, Efes has won against Merkezefendi with convincing point differences of 15+. The lower ranks of the tournament table do not appear strong and the team composition is not excellent, so Efes must secure a win confidently.
Battle of the two underdogs. This year, Braunschweig, who still does not have a single victory, is currently on a 5-game losing streak, with most of the losses being by significant margins. Heidelberg, who were eliminated from European basketball, have shown improvement in their local league, with 2 wins against strong teams. Although Heidelberg has some injury problems, their team dynamic and play style in Germany has changed, evidenced by their 20 home wins in December. As a result, in this match they appear to be clear favorites.
The same situation as with the Italian match. Chelsea had a difficult game before the CL period, gave a lot of effort and today they are facing a serious challenge. Although Westham is at the bottom, the team shows signs of recovery, with the addition of Castellanos and good performances from Bowen and Summerville in the attack. The last 3 matches are all in Peru, two of them in the EPL. The form has been caught and in such a situation as Chelsea after the CL, they can catch up.
Although Rangers looked lost at the beginning of the season, now the team's stability is remarkable. 6 consecutive league wins and a win over Celtic away show the team's strength, and their elimination from the Europa League should bring even better results in Scotland. One of the strongest away teams in the league, Rangers have won all 3 previous meetings with the current opponent, making a win for them highly likely, especially since Hibernians lost in the cup to a lower league club and were crushed by Falkirk.
Having not lost at home against Aston Villa in 11 consecutive matches (including three games between 1936-1946), the Villa team appears to be in great form and is winning almost all matches in the fight for the title. Their rare defeats this season prove their strength. At the moment, Brentford is on a two-game losing streak, and they are one of the worst teams in the league in away games (with only 9 points and 20 goals conceded in 11 matches). Villa, who are one of the best home teams and in great form, must take care of business.
The last place in the league and the worst home team Osijek should experience yet another defeat after the league break. The conference league knockout team Rijeka is a solid team, which has already played two games and although they have only won one and will be without their defender due to a red card, Rijeka, who continue in the European tournament, are significantly stronger. This season, Rijeka has not lost any of the two games against each other, and when the odds are heavily in favor of this team, this bet seems very promising.
Bucks leaving the East is a serious possibility, especially with such high odds. Giannis is having another incredible season and it doesn't seem like his form will decline. Ryan Rollins is becoming a great player. Kevin Porter Jr is not yet there, but he will be, and if we don't count his non-basketball related issues, he is a great player. AJ Green is a complete sniper who can make shots in every game. Myles Turner is struggling right now, but he will start making shots soon. The recipe for the Bucks is clear - Giannis is the main man and the shooters are placed around him, and with this team, it's possible to win championships.
The main contenders will most likely be Cleveland, 76ers, and Knicks, maybe even Orlando, but it's disappointing and unclear which of them will rise this season.
Outrights (NBA 2025/26 - To Reach the Playoffs - Golden State Warriors : NO) @6.000 4/10
The West is very competitive. In the past years, it was not clear who would rank in the top 4 - 11.
The Spurs will still be in the mix, and the Rockets look strong. It's too early to count out the Kings.
Curry is 37 years old, Butler is 36, and Draymond is 35, so the core players are getting older and could potentially face the same injuries.
Milwaukee, with its rejuvenated team, currently looks very much alive, with Giannis continuing to improve as a player and proving to be a true leader, consistent, so I can easily imagine them in the top 4 of the regular season.
The Cavs are not convincing with 3.05, maybe they had a good start, but they collapsed in the playoffs.
76ers are above Orlando..
Knicks are definitely one of the options for second place with 4.6, but they still need to prove themselves in the playoffs.
Overall, my weak teams' championship looks promising this year. Despite their lack of experience in the championship, they often rise up to the Premier League. The rest of the teams don't have much chance unless these options occur:
Leicester - I believe they will bounce back, although they have struggled a bit. They still have a strong team and if they don't lose their morale after dropping down to the championship, I think they can definitely fight for promotion this season.
Middlesbrough - A good team in good form, nothing can stop them this season. I think they can definitely promote to the Premier League together with Leicester.
Coventry - Thanks to Lampard's magic, they have a shot at first place. I believe they have good chemistry and can rise to the Premier League, as long as they maintain their form.
In my opinion, these are the only options that can compete for promotion to the Premier league. The rest are either in bad form or good form, but I don't think they will last long. Leicester, on the other hand, is used to the championship and immediately bounces back to the Premier League. They have struggled with injuries in the Premier League but now I see that their players are no longer injured and in good form (sadly, some have left). But their main player, Abdul Fatawu (remember the name), can lead this team if he doesn't get injured. The team still has good players and promising talents, so I think they can continue their tradition.
First long-term bet for the new full season. Chelsea's coefficient is still over 2, which means they will finish in the Top 4, and I have no doubts about that. Last season, they finished fourth and strengthened their team impressively at the end of the season. It was clear that this young team is a force to be reckoned with, winning two trophies and beating PSG gave them a lot of confidence going forward. So yes, Chelsea will play Champions League football, but in terms of the main competition for the fourth place, I see Newcastle as the main rival and I don't think they have strengthened enough to challenge for it. As for the other teams, United and Tottenham? United have made too much progress in just one season and Tottenham have a lower level than Chelsea, plus they are also in the Champions League. Aston Villa seems destined for relegation and I don't see any other contenders. Overall, I believe Chelsea is closer to joining the top three of Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool, rather than fighting for the Top 4 spot, which I don't see them achieving in the upcoming Premier League season.