This weekend, national cup competitions took place, but unlike the Lyon team in France, Olympiacos did not participate in the Greek Cup. This means that Olympiacos could focus entirely on preparing for the upcoming EuroLeague battles, so the team will enter this match as a clear favorite. On the other side of the barricades, Lyon Asvel had to play 3 matches in 3 days in the French Cup, but they failed to win the final. They lost 69-77 to the “Dijon” team, which demonstrated excellent basketball, and the Lyon team, considered the favorite, had to settle for second place.
Olympiacos
Currently ranked 13th in the standings, the Greek team is having a truly disappointing season. During the season, almost half of the team's roster was changed, and they also parted ways with the head coach. However, after long journeys, G. Bartzokas returned to lead the team, and Olympiacos' situation began to improve. If the team previously experienced long losing streaks, the situation has stabilized recently, and they have won 4 out of the last 7 matches. It is also worth mentioning that Olympiacos has significantly improved their home game, winning 3 consecutive home games and defeating one of the EuroLeague leaders, CSKA, a week before the EuroLeague break.
In a team shaken by changes, the undisputed leader this season has been the Serbian N. Milutinov, who averages 10.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in 25 minutes. In this match, the second most valuable player of the team, G. Printezis, who missed a couple of games due to injury, should also take to the court. The performance of this well-known Greek player has improved since G. Bartzokas joined the team, so his good play will be very important in future matches. However, we will not see the excellent form of V. Spanoulis in this match, as his season is likely over due to a serious injury.
Lyon-Villeurbanne
Currently ranked 9th in the standings, the Lyon-Villeurbanne Asvel team has been a pleasant surprise for many basketball experts and fans. Before the season, this team was predicted to finish last, in 18th place in the standings, but with 9 rounds left until the end of the regular season, Asvel is very close to the playoffs and has every chance to fight for a spot. The biggest problem for the Lyon team is the stark difference in performance at home and away. They have won 8 out of 13 home games, while they have only achieved one victory in 11 away games.
Although the Lyon team is certainly not one of the most talented teams in the tournament, they stand out for their physicality, making it quite difficult to play against them away, as shown by the statistics. However, in away games, this team is undoubtedly one of the weakest in the league, so it will be interesting to see if Asvel can pose a more serious challenge to the Olympiacos team.
Prediction
Olympiacos had much more time to prepare for this match, as they did not participate in the Greek Cup. Meanwhile, the Lyon team had a tough week, playing 3 consecutive matches and having only a few days to prepare for this away match. It is likely that Asvel players will not be in their best form, and knowing that this team does not shine in away games, the predictions are quite bleak. Olympiacos won their last 3 home games by double digits (against Bayern 89-72, Baskonia 80-70, CSKA 72-59), so considering all the circumstances, another double-digit victory is likely here.
Olympiacos -8.5, 1.9 odds, betsafe
More sports analyses can be found here.
