Slovakia Extraliga, women's division... visitors - the last four away matches, four dry losses 0-3! Taking into account that Nitra is a stronger and more experienced national volleyball team, the fifth consecutive defeat away, there is a lower chance. "Piranijos" from Brusno, on the other hand, is a young and ambitious team, which can put up a fight at home. I believe that from the first games, their experience will show and they will prove that they arrived today fully prepared for the away match. I am predicting a win for the first set for Peru as the visitors.
The fantastic revenge against Zvezda was, now it's time for revenge against Maccabi. I believe conclusions will be made after analyzing that painful loss in Kaunas. We will work on defense and Cisco will be aggressive in offense, even when Goss and enough time to shine are missing. With decreased rotation, only the best defenders will come in handy for Zalgiris. We have seen this before when Goss was injured. Maccabi doesn't seem as confident lately, with 3 losses in the Euroleague, so it's necessary to take advantage of this weaker team if we are still thinking about making it to the playoffs.
I am going to watch the Warriors play the Hawks tonight. The Hawks are a team that promotes very fast and aggressive basketball, comparable to the pace of the Heat in the league. Their defense is also average in terms of ranking, so they often give up a lot of points, which will be advantageous for Curry to play very effectively tonight. Curry has already collected close to 30 points per game this season and has been consistently scoring for some time now, regardless of his age. Tonight, I believe he will have many good shots, and if he manages to score around 35-40 points, there probably won't be a blowout as the Hawks are a solid team. This shouldn't affect how many minutes he plays.
Bothdvi are in decent form, playing aggressive football and not shying away from creating opportunities. However, when their offense is working well, their defense often suffers. Lyon has been promoting this style of play for several seasons now, but when their offense is working, they can score against any team. Lille demonstrates very strong football at home, scoring multiple goals in their last home game and scoring 4 goals in several periods.
Both teams are in good form, both play attacking football and don't shy away from creating opportunities. However, when the offense is strong, the defense often suffers. Lyon has been promoting this style of play for several seasons now, but when their offense is working, they can score against anyone. Lille demonstrates very good football at home, and in their last home game period, they scored 4 goals several times.
Challenger Glasgow, gentlemen... the first qualifying round. Ryan N. (26m.) from the Netherlands, is expected to participate and qualify for such level tournaments this season, but today he will face a local representative - the young Henry S. (19m.), who has a strong desire and potential on this surface. The latter, skilled in Peru, had some tough matches in the past and achieved decent results. Overall, Henry must pass through both qualifying rounds here.
It seems like a small total, considering the game between the teams. Brescia has the second best attack rating in the league, while Tortona ranks third. Tortona plays at a very good pace and, although they have a good attack, they also have a weak defense. Brescia's situation is similar, with one of the best attacks but not the best defense.
Varese is the fastest team in the Italian league and has been able to boast about it for several seasons now. The biggest problem this season is the weaker offense of this team, but when playing away games, their opponents are not superior in defense. Treviso plays at a good pace and has a better offense than Varese, but their defensive rating is the worst in the league, so it will be more difficult for them to compete against running opponents.
Nairobi ITF, both met in the same Kenya at the end of last year in the final, and then won by a Kenyan representative 21-year-old Angella Okutoyi in three sets, although the fight was intense, with even a 29-year-old Italian Colmegna having break point opportunities. Despite being a young Kenyan playing at home with good support, considering the second H2H, with the Italian having more experience over, plus the fact that the Kenyan player had played two matches of three sets before the final, I would say the chances are quite good for the Italian.
Nairobi ITF, they both met at the same place in Kenya at the end of last year and also in the final, and then Angella Okutoyi, a 21-year-old representative from Kenya, won in three sets, even though the fight was even, with Ghana having 29-year-old Colmegna with break point opportunities. Although the young representative from Kenya plays at home with good support, considering that it's the second H2H and with Italy having more experience, plus the fact that the representative from Kenya had two matches of three sets each before the final, I would say that the chances are quite good for Italy.
Myanmar. Just an ordinary Dagon Port match, where we can expect goals. The team doesn't change their style, attacking aggressively with great force, and now they are also in great form on offense, scoring many points. However, their defense still faces many problems and in this match it seems that even their offense will have a difficult time fighting for points. As usual, Port will create chances for scoring, but their opponent this time is the league leader, with a strong offense, and playing on their home field where United usually plays effectively. All signs point to a fun match with many goals.
Having caught a very good form and fighting for the league title, Rangers defeated Aberdeen 2-0 at home in their last match and controlled the game. Although it will be harder to play away, Peru should once again celebrate Rangers. Aberdeen looks tragic this season and even though the team had a minimal spark, now they are in a rut and lose almost every match, so the prediction is quite clear.
Although Ajax Netherlands is not as popular as before or as PSV, they still hold a high position as a strong team. Their good form and consistently scored goals look very promising from the side of Ajax, and it should continue when they play against Telstar. Being a team fighting for survival, they don't often lose at the end like they did at the beginning of the season, but when faced with serious opposition, they tend to surrender. The worst performing team at home, Telstar, concedes a lot of goals, so Ajax should be able to score and win.
Milan is a very solid team in good form, and this season they have only lost two games in a row, so their stability is noticeable. Now, it's time for Peru after the unlucky games. It's normal that there will be more focus and motivation before playing against Fiorentina, even though they are fighting to avoid relegation. Milan is in great form and playing good football, while Fiorentina's poor season gives hope for a successful outcome for the visiting team.
Although the match won't be easy, the Virtus team seems to be the clear favorite. Venezia, who have a decent number of solid basketball players, are not performing well in defense. On the other hand, Virtus this season know how to effectively punish and play successfully in terms of point collection. Even though it's been a tough week, Virtus still seems to be in great shape, and Venezia at home has a long losing streak which must come to an end.
Finally, after losing in the Israeli league, Hapeol should regroup and focus on this championship, especially against a strong team like Ironi. Hapeol consistently plays very well against teams of this level, even without using their full roster or substitutes, who try their best in this league, so a double-digit handicap seems very likely.
Although the match is an away game, the tendency of Žalgiris this season, when the team plays well, it overwhelms its opponents, and in the LKL, Žalgiris consistently wins by large margins, especially against lower-ranked teams. This is despite injuries on the Žalgiris team, but with a deep bench, Žalgiris appears to be much stronger than Šiauliai, which is already clear. The line does not seem as high as I expected, considering the impressive performance and consistency of Žalgiris in the LKL this season.
There is a psychological handicap for Pauliukevicius here. Salkovskis, although still upset about the trauma caused by that slap, could feel the strength of Ignas during their conversation. This is not the first time Salkovskis has encountered resistance from Dirkst, but this time there was also a strong opponent in the ring - Ignas. Ignas, on the other hand, participated, fought, and each time seemed to handle the pressure better. This should bombard Pauliukevicius with the Salkovskis case, and Edvinas will need to succeed in catching that one decisive blow.
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.