Žalgiris

Kauno Žalgiris (13-9) enters this match after an impressive victory against the Valencia team. The easy end of the game almost turned into a nightmare when, with 40 seconds left and leading by 7 points, Valencia, with just 3 seconds left, took the lead by one point after a successful three-pointer by S. Van Rossom. Nevertheless, Marius Grigonis demonstrated why he is considered one of the best players in crucial moments this season and secured the victory for Žalgiris with a difficult two-pointer.

The match against Valencia was indeed ambiguous: on one hand, it can be said that the team demonstrated a winner's mentality and managed to close out a practically lost game, but on the other hand, it is clear that with a +7 lead and 40 seconds left to play, it could have been played more calmly to avoid a dramatic end. In this match, it was noticeable how well Žalgiris moved in offense: only 17 three-pointers were taken, 9 of which were successful, demonstrating that the shots were chosen from good positions and three-pointers were not overused.

After the match against Valencia, in which J. Lauvergne recorded a double-double (13 points, 12 rebounds), his contract was extended. We can recall the last time a contract was extended mid-season with B. Davies. After the contract extension, the player started to show even better results and became an obvious team leader. It will be interesting to see if the contract extension will also affect the Frenchman's game.

Baskonia

Baskonia (9-13) has been playing very inconsistently this season: a few consecutive wins are followed by a few consecutive losses, and the story keeps repeating. Currently, the Basques have a 4-game losing streak (76-96 Ulker; 82-91 Maccabi; 77-84 Alba; 77-83 Lyon-Villeurbanne). The last 2 matches against Alba and Asvel raise many questions, while the losses against potentially stronger teams like Ulker and Maccabi can be somewhat justified. Alba is currently in 15th place in the standings, and the Asvel team is 14th. The team clearly lacks stability and a clear leader, a position that R. Giedraitis tried to fill at the beginning of the season, but recently Rokas has also been struggling.

A pleasant surprise in this season's Baskonia team has been the Italian A. Polonara, who is among the team's top scorers in every match and also among the players with the most rebounds. Although Polonara does not have a stable three-point shot, this 29-year-old forward uses his athleticism well and fights effectively under the basket.

It is difficult to say where the biggest problems of this season's Baskonia arise from: it can be argued that the coaching staff is not doing their job or that a weak roster has been assembled, but essentially the roster looks capable of fighting for a spot in the top 8 and showing better results than we see now.

Prediction

The favorite for this match according to bookmakers is the Baskonia club, with odds of 1.6 for a win, while Žalgiris has odds of 2.35. Looking at both teams and their recent performances, it is quite clear that Žalgiris is experiencing a much better period and will enter the match with a more positive mood. Baskonia is a dangerous team, especially at home, but Žalgiris is unfairly underestimated in this match, and based on the offered odds, betting on a Žalgiris victory has value.