I had the chance to witness the first Swedish match against the Germans, and they played impressively. Despite being behind in the game, they dominated their opponents and created opportunities one after another. Although the German team consisted of players regularly playing in the Bundesliga 2. Only one team can advance from the group, and it's a tough competition for everyone, especially with Peru in the mix. The Swedes showed they are capable of surprising everyone.
Two very different teams, Portland found their form, winning 5 out of their last 6 games, Dallas is heavily reinforced, loss after loss. Portland is on fire, averaging over 127 points per game. Dallas may lose everything but they lose with their main players who are able to score points making their games very productive.
Yesterday, this team opened a series for their season with a game against the LA Dodgers, which they won with a score of 8-2. The Dodgers are a formidable team... they have no weaknesses... In comparison, the Diamondbacks are a mediocre team that is capable of scoring, but their games tend to have high scores due to their poor defense and decent offense.
Somehow, Zemokas has total control here. Of course, the Nets have mushrooms, but the Lakers have one of the best offensive teams here, and they will score a lot of points, especially now that their big three have played together. The Lakers will come back home and I think they will try to put on a show for the fans after a successful road trip, so we could possibly expect over 130 points just from the Lakers. The Nets should have a high total as well, above their usual scoring abilities, because I think the Lakers will relax a bit against this opponent and their defense won't be as strong without Smart. My prediction is 130-105.
The Warriors, although understandable, are receiving a second chance in their two-point handicap against the Nets. I just don't think the Warriors have enough offensive power to defeat any NBA team, even those who are ranked highly. The Wizards, meanwhile, are struggling, with their young players running around without purpose. The Warriors' last 15-point win was against the Wizards a month ago, and before that, they had to fight hard to come back from a whole month. Without Curry, Butler, and Moody, it's not just difficult to beat this team, but to even take them on. The Wizards recently won by +8 against the Warriors, which was a tough challenge both at home and on the road, similar to their match against the Nets.
If I had to pick a winner right now, I would probably choose Denmark. There isn't a clear favorite yet. Finland is currently in the lead, but not quite convincingly and personally I don't see them winning at the moment. The contest is still about a month and a half away, so the odds will continue to change.
From what I've heard, Denmark just gives off 'winner vibes'. Their performance is good, engaging, polished, and Eurovision-ready. I don't think there is much to change before the big Eurovision. The performer has a strong, confident vocal. The last minute is more energetic and well-staged, which allows for a more memorable performance at Eurovision.
Another March madness game for a spot in the final 8, here 2 of the top American betters are going head to head, Michigan's offense is elite from both three-pointers and field goals, and they excel in other aspects of offense as well, it's no surprise they only lost a couple games the whole season. Alabama is a relentless team, they play with an aggressive offense and a strong defense, but they are hard to stop on offense and I can see a showdown where Michigan will do whatever it takes to score, but Alabama will not fall behind either.
As the culmination of March Madness approaches, the fight for spots among the last 8 teams intensifies. Duke, known for having the best defense among all American colleges, plays a suffocating game from the first minutes until the very end. St. Johns surprised everyone by making it this far, but upon closer examination, it's clear that their strong defense is what got them here. Their team is also incredibly athletic, with long players who put in a lot of work on the defensive end. I see two teams here that will counter each other's offenses, leading to a low final score.
It has been said many times, that such a stage has arrived in Euroleague, when the "Barcos" grandfathers cannot play and pull teams at this level. Recently, even their form in ACB seems difficult, as Punteris cannot play. The direct opponents are fighting for their place in the playoffs, so the match against Peru is very significant. I believe that "Zvezda" is a better and more versatile team at the moment, as most of their players have returned from injuries.
Teams have already met twice this season and split a win each. In the Ningbo standings, Better stands out, but the team plays poorly on the road. I believe this should not be an exception and the Royal fighters will once again reach Peru at home.
On the poker table is Doncic tonight, so I choose the larger over for LeBron, which is not complete dominion. Although Luka may play, chasing records and the MVP title in the regular season, he impressively averages 10 in the playoffs, but it would be wiser not to play, as we need him healthy for the playoffs. So I will try to take maximum risk to get a solid coefficient, as LeBron can still dominate against Brooklyn, who also have quite a few losses overall, so I wouldn't put a lot of money on this points total, but I think it's worth a try.
For three consecutive years, the favorite song of the audience ranked very close to Peru and took 2nd or 3rd place:
2023 - Käärijä
2024 - Baby Lasagna
2025 - Tommy Cash
This year, the most joyful and possibly the audience's favorite song could be Greece. I don't know if this year's Greek song will be as successful as the ones mentioned, but it definitely has potential. The song is truly unique. As a plus, I see that this year there are more countries supporting Greece as usual in Eurovision. Romania and Bulgaria have returned. However, the number of countries from the Balkan region has decreased. This year, Iceland, Ireland, and the Netherlands are not participating.
After defeating Olympiacos at home, Valencia must end the double week successfully. The strong and solid team is not very favorable for Partizan, who, although they also seem good, I do not think they will be able to resist such a strong Valencia team with so many injuries. The offensive hurricane and successful performance, as well as the crucially important successful finish of the season, make Valencia team very dangerous, and even though Partizan has nothing to lose, they cannot consistently play well against this team.
I didn't like how Hapoel looked against Real and the odds for the home team given in the Euroleague always have value. Even though Baskonia has relaxed completely in the Euroleague, they put up a good fight against Zvezda and, in my opinion, would have won if not for the controversial decisions made by the referees towards the end. The Basques can still play and especially at home. Before this losing streak, which began after winning the Copa, they had a challenging record at home with 8 wins and 4 losses. I believe they can still cause problems for others this season, and as Hapoel starts to struggle, they may begin to feel the pressure, as they are not far behind in terms of standings.
The Stone Tournament, World Championship, men, USA... this will be the second round meeting. Canada starts the tournament facing off against South Korea, this will be their second match in the tournament. Canada - Olympic champions, in this tournament they are one of the top favorites for the highest prizes. We cannot underestimate the Italians, they are in the European top 5, but they don't have a good future against Olympic Champions.
Stone throwing, World Championship, men USA... In the recently concluded Women's World Championship, Switzerland was victorious, and now it is the men's turn to start. Progressing China was defeated by today's opponent in the Olympics, and it was a bit of a misunderstanding, so today I am expecting a different result.
In my opinion, Cholet should be the favorites here, taking into account the normal circumstances it could be a 50/50 game, but here ASVEL has just lost Watson after a double week. They seem tragic on away games, so this is another significant disadvantage for them. Cholet has caught their form, winning the last 5 home games and 5 away games, including the game against Bourg.
Chemnitz captured 4 away games, in which they were unable to dictate their playing style and only managed to win 1 match. The match returns to the home arena and here I am already waiting for Chemnitz-style basketball. The home team is decently dynamic, although not playing at a high pace, but is particularly characterized by their productivity this season. Oldenburg's situation is similar, although the team's pace is not good, they have both a high offensive rating and a poor defense.
One of the top teams and one of the favorites for the World Cup, England, will be hosting the unpredictable Uruguayan team. Despite not having many top players, Uruguay is known for their passion and good performance in tournaments, and I believe they should be defeated. With a very successful World Cup qualification and a dominant style of play, I don't think England will lose to Uruguay.
The FIFA series tournament is taking place in Rwanda, where our brothers from Estonia will compete against a very weak African team. Although the Estonians themselves are not exceptional, this team has been looking better than all three Baltic states lately and has been quite threatening. After scoring goals against Italy and Norway, they now need to beat Kenya, who will try to gather a better team, but have a very weak defense. I believe that the Estonians will not be intimidated by the weather conditions and will achieve a positive result.
A little drop was observed in Fenerbahce's stock after their defeat to Olympiacos, but to me it doesn't seem like a tragedy, rather an opportunity. Such losses are very likely and should only strengthen Fenerbahce as the season comes to an end. The team is trained by possibly the best coach in Europe, so I can't imagine the final four without Fenerbahce. Of course, the finals will take place in Greece and it won't be easy, but in the end, everything depends on my assumption that Fenerbahce has over 20% chance of winning the Euroleague.
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.
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.