Although many basketball analysts predicted before the season that Olimpia Milano would definitely finish in the top 8 and Zalgiris would probably stay in the 12th-16th places, it seems that the predictions will not be confirmed. Olimpia Milano is not finding its way to victory and continues to be one of the most unstable teams in the league. Zalgiris, meanwhile, has improved its game and is now one of the hottest teams in the league.
Zalgiris
Zalgiris (10-15) has bounced back from a dismal start to the season, which started with just 3 wins in 12 games. After shooting just over 20% from three-point range in the first 10 games of the season, Zalgiris managed to improve their shooting, which led to the wins. Zalgiris has now won 7 of the last 10 games, 4 of the last 5, including 3 consecutive home wins. In the last 5 meetings played, they have beaten Alba Berlin (104-80), Villeurbanne-Asvel (79-74), Olympiacos (94-69) and Baskonia (74-60). The only defeat in the last meetings was against Anadolu Efes (91-96), only after a very hard fought game.
Zalgiris has all players except Marius Grigoris ready for the court. Only R. Jokubaitis from Zalgiris Kaunas was away to help the Lithuanian national team in the Eurobasket qualifiers, while all the other players were preparing for this game with the team. Zalgiris is the clear favourite for Friday's game, but the fact is that the Milan team is well-balanced and can really surprise, so it should not be underestimated.
Olimpia Milano
Olimpia Milano (11-14) attracted some big names in the off-season, including Italian basketball professor E. Messina. It must be stressed that it is the "names" that this team has attracted, because the team's game is absolutely not clicking, and if the start of the season could have been promising, the team's supporters are once again disappointed. In principle, the chances of fighting for the 8th seed are not lost, but looking at the results of the last few games and the quality of the game in general, if nothing bold changes, we are unlikely to see Milan in the play-offs. 6 defeats in the last 7 games played, with the only win coming after eliminating a 14-point deficit and a miraculous escape against one of the league's outsiders, Bayern, on their home court.
Meanwhile, their last away win was on 18-10-2019 against Alba Berlin. That was just over 3 months ago, and in that time they have lost 9 consecutive away games, which just goes to show once again how weak this team is in other arenas. The biggest hope for Milan in today's game is the leadership and leadership of S. Rodriguez, who usually plays well against Zalgiris. If he can feel the rhythm of the game, make shots and create chances for his teammates, Olimpia may have a chance to win. However, the chances of this happening remain very slim.
Forecast
Zalgiris Kaunas has won 3 consecutive home games, the last two by more than 24 points. The team looks in great shape, all players know their roles and feel comfortable in them. Meanwhile, the Milan team is still not discovering its identity, we do not see a stable game, the results are poor and, in fact, there is little positivity in the team. Zalgiris should resolve things well before the end of the match, where the formalities will have to be settled.
Zalgiris Kaunas -6, 1,9 kof., betsafe
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