Romanian Cup Final

Although two strong Romanian teams are facing each other, Cluj's dominance in Romania is greater than that of Zalgiris in the LKL, which says a lot. Even though Oradea, which was eliminated from the FIBA Eurocup, does not have the same roster as Cluj, who are even among the top teams in the ABA league, it is certain that they will celebrate the victory with a significant margin.

Two strong performances from one of the best teams in Germany show that Wurzburg is back in form. The recent Lowen team, even at home, is far from being as capable as Wurzburg. Having broken their streak of 7 losses, Lowen should once again be defeated. In Europe, Peru must be taken more seriously and played with greater determination in the league.

Finally, we have a normal line-up again when Žalgiris plays. Now that we don't have to play in the Euroleague, we can expect better performance and dominance from Žalgiris in the LKL. The Kėdainiai club will be missing one of their leaders and it's time to defeat a weak LKL team, and Žalgiris is in a very favorable position in this situation.

The drama around Monaco continues as this season unfolds. It was announced that Monaco players received their salaries for the month of December except for the sole player, Mike James. Mike James' posts on social media seem to be directed against the club and after such news, I doubt whether he will show any principles. The opponent is tough and principled, and the format is also one where we can expect some hard basketball. But it wouldn't be surprising if he doesn't play at all.

The Turks have a different beast at home and in my eyes, they have all the chances to resist or even defeat Peru. Peru has not reached Atletico and experienced defeat against Liverpool. Galatasaray often played their most solid matches against high-level teams. Juventus has been on an unsteady wave lately and their results have been very unstable, their defense seems weakened, which is excellent news for a team like Galatasaray.

For tomorrow, let's feel a bit calmer for the tournament standings for second place, since the next opponents in the LKL will be Žalgiris and then Lietkabelis. Concentration must be at its maximum today, I don't believe in the Juventus coach and the whole season the team is completely unstable, unable to handle pressure from the very beginning, and just floats in some tragic form. I would see the same with Šiauliai today.

I think that Borussia Dortmund has an advantage at home against Atalanta. The Germans play at a high tempo and put a lot of pressure on their opponents at the Signal Iduna Park stadium. In the first match, it is important for them to establish a lead before the return match in Italy. Atalanta tends to play more cautiously away from home, but it's not easy to withstand the pressure in Dortmund for a long time.

I believe that the over 167.5 in this match seems reasonable, as "Nevėžis" often forces their opponents into a more open scenario - their season profile is clear: they score an average of ~82 points, but also allow ~90 points. Recently, "Žalgiris" has also had a higher overall average, and if there will be an over rotation and tightened defense, the pace will naturally increase. 167.5 does not seem like a high barrier to me, especially if "Žalgiris" quickly gains an advantage and the game turns into a more free-flowing points race.

I believe that over 174.5 makes sense here, as both teams play at a high pace and have good offensive averages. In the mutual matches this season, the scores were 92:85 and 96:99 - in both cases the limit was exceeded. Moreover, the trend in recent matches is the same: in games between Juventus and Rytas, there are often around 179-183 total points, so 174.5 seems achievable even if the game slows down at times.

I believe that in this quarterfinal against Latvia, Sweden should dictate the tempo from the first minutes. In the group stage, the Swedes have demonstrated one of the most productive offenses - lots of shots, a high pace, and constant pressure in stretches.

Latvians had difficulties defending for longer stretches without the puck and this can result in consecutive goals against them. The head-to-head history also clearly favors the Swedish side - in the last few championships, they have scored 6-7 goals.

Therefore, a line of over 4.5 Sweden goals seems reasonable, especially if the favorite takes control early and doesn't start playing in a defensive mode.

I believe that in the eighth-finals against Denmark, the Czech Republic has a realistic chance of scoring at least 5 goals (over 4.0). Although the Czechs lost some close matches in the group stage, their offense is strong - especially in the third periods, where they consistently find ways to score 2 goals.

The head-to-head history is also favorable - in the last few World Cups, the Czechs have scored 7 goals against the Danes. Denmark plays an open and fast-paced style in this tournament, and their goalkeeper situation is not stable. Taking into account the depth of the Czech offense and their current form, reaching the 4-goal mark seems achievable, and a fifth goal is a very realistic scenario.

Both teams are in good form, overall the teams meet in great form and I think we should see 3 goals here. At home, Dortmund have a streak of 5 straight wins, in which they have scored at least 3 goals in four of them, and overall they have played very productive matches in the Champions League this season (with a record of 19:17 goals scored and conceded in 8 Group stage matches). Of course, Dortmund will dictate the game in front of their fans, but Atalanta will also have their chances, even after losing Gasperini and Lookman. They are one of the strongest attacking teams in Italy and I believe it will not only be a competitive game but also end with a realistic score of 2-1 in either direction.

The Champions League is back and the knockout stage begins. Galatasaray welcomes Juventus in the early match and I think BTS. Gala will give a good fight at home to Juve, as their team is full of talented attackers and in this year's edition of the CL, they have scored against both Liverpool and Atletico at home. Add to that the fact that Juventus' defense has not been in top form, with 9 goals conceded in their last 4 matches, and it seems likely that the Turkish club will make their mark. As for Juve themselves, it's clear that they are the favorites in this match, as under Spalletti they have shown a great attacking game and have been scoring quite often. But they also have some games where they struggle to score, such as their recent loss against Inter. Overall, Juve's performances have been attractive, even when playing with 10 men. Personally, I think a 1-1 or 1-2 result is realistic here.

It seems like such a big deal, this total against the KMT. Some are looking towards the approaching semifinals, while others are already on vacation. Rytas emotionally charged themselves up against Neptunas, but they let chaos reign against Siauliai, which is not their usual style. The referees, facing a lot of criticism, should use their penalties wisely, which should be a lesson for them. Winning the game, the referees should maintain normal contact.