It’s all about playoff positioning when Panathinaikos take on Virtus Bologna in Euroleague Basketball on Friday
Panathinaikos and Virtus Bologna both have postseason basketball in their near futures but Friday’s clash will test their mettle in a clash of Euroleague Basketball heavyweights.
Key details
Who: Virtus Bologna (17-14) vs Panathinaikos (20-11)
Where: Virtus Segafredo Arena
When: Friday 29 March at 20.30 CET/19.30 UK & Ireland/14.30 EST
Last time out
Panathinaikos bounced back from defeat to rivals Olympiacos with wins in the double round week over Crvenva Zvezda and FC Barcelona. The latter win brought them above the Blaugrana into second place in the Euroleague Basketball standings. Ergin Ataman’s side has now won 5 of its last 6 games.
Virtus Bologna lost both of their games in the double week. First came defeat at Zalgiris Kaunas. That was followed by a loss to Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade. Luca Banchi’s team has now lost 4 straight in the competition.
Key battles
It’s a game featuring Panathinaikos. Above all else, that means one thing. Mathias Lessort is going to be a factor. The Frenchman is surely going to make an All-Euroleague team by the end of the season. Reducing his impact is the top priority for any opponent of the Greens. Virtus Bologna is no exception.
For Panathinaikos, the obvious challenge is Tornike Shengelia but he’s not who I’m picking here. Iffe Lundberg is rounding nicely into form. The Dane benefited greatly from the international break. Limiting his impact will be key here for the visitors.
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Need to know
This is the first season of Euroleague Basketball with play-ins. That means Virtus Bologna needs to shore some things up. A playoff spot is beyond them but a top 8 finish, which means two bites at the cherry, is within its grasp. Victory here would go a long way towards securing that.
With Panathinaikos, it is all about maintaining form and securing home court. As things stand, the Greens sit second in the table. If they drop 2 of their last 3 games, then it gets interesting in a hurry.
What the bookies think
The sportsbooks are offering great value on the visitors. Panathinaikos are 3/4 favourites in some markets. That is coming at the expense of any value in betting on Virtus Bologna. The home side no longer than 5/4 on any market in Euroleague Basketball betting. The spread has Panathinaikos as -1.5 favourites.
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What we think
Luca Banchi knows that he can’t keep this losing skid going. This Virtus Bologna team needs some momentum going into the play-ins. That means I expect a really spirited performance by the home side in this game.
Ergin Ataman may be fiery in-game but don’t be fooled. Beneath that wild demeanour is a cool mind. He’s going to be smart here and not force things but he also knows that home court is a big prize. That all adds up to a tense affair.
The prediction
This one should be tight enough. Panathinaikos have a talent advantage but there’s more than that to consider here. Virtus are somewhat more desperate right now. That means they will be hungry but also at more risk of making mistakes. I’m taking the Greens straight up.
Pick: Panathinaikos at 3/4
The post Preview: Virtus Bologna vs Panathinaikos – Euroleague Round 32 appeared first on BallinEurope.
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