Vreston's European Basketball Thread 2011-2012

[Elad]

ok then. i apologise for my previous words.
Just read your "writing tone" once again.
I am not better than you, not better than anyone.
I am up Units at Euroleague too, but nothing special.

Anyway, just open a thread here to write your predictions.
Sorry again.

First of all, everything is cool bro no hate
I only meant to express disagreement with Vreston he claimed that everything is too hard and all the dogs cover the line and I gave the explanation tmo,of course I did not mean to say is easy and swagger.

Here my thread: http://forum.sbrforum.com/nba-basket...al-thread.html

Now you can talk about tomorrow, Maccabi will host Barcelona at Nokia Arena,any thoughts?

Good luck everyone!

[Vreston]

I'm glad you guys sorted that out!


The more opinions, angles and discussions, the better.

First of all, everything is cool bro no hate
I only meant to express disagreement with Vreston he claimed that everything is too hard and all the dogs cover the line and I gave the explanation tmo,of course I did not mean to say is easy and swagger.

Here my thread: http://forum.sbrforum.com/nba-basket...al-thread.html

Now you can talk about tomorrow, Maccabi will host Barcelona at Nokia Arena,any thoughts?

Good luck everyone!

To clear this up I didn't claim that EVERYTHING is too hard and that ALL the dogs cover. You can re read my previous post to see that. I was talking specifically about YESTERDAY'S games.


The reason I chose Panathinaikos yesterday was because I truly believe they were capable of covering. It was just one of those days for them I guess. They actually came back and lost by 5.
Also I made an observation that things have been quite unpredictable this year in the Euroleague.

I post my plays on what I truly believe will happen. Sometimes it's the favorites and sometimes the dogs and sometimes the totals. You can check my thread from last year to see that if you want to.
The truth is that I've noticed some epic meltdowns in many European games this season and that's the main reason for my comment.
Anyway, I will move on and take every day as it comes.

Good luck with your picks as well!

[Haxior]

Zalgiris is the team you should avoid betting this year. They have good players, but still play like crap. Yesterdays game is good xample of that. They are terrible at closing games.

[innn]

I will go with Maccabi Barcelona did not impress me

[kobstopa]

I'm glad you guys sorted that out!


The more opinions, angles and discussions, the better.






To clear this up I didn't claim that EVERYTHING is too hard and that ALL the dogs cover. You can re read my previous post to see that. I was talking specifically about YESTERDAY'S games.


The reason I chose Panathinaikos yesterday was because I truly believe they were capable of covering. It was just one of those days for them I guess. They actually came back and lost by 5.
Also I made an observation that things have been quite unpredictable this year in the Euroleague.

I post my plays on what I truly believe will happen. Sometimes it's the favorites and sometimes the dogs and sometimes the totals. You can check my thread from last year to see that if you want to.
The truth is that I've noticed some epic meltdowns in many European games this season and that's the main reason for my comment.
Anyway, I will move on and take every day as it comes.

Good luck with your picks as well!

[Elad]

I'm glad you guys sorted that out!


The more opinions, angles and discussions, the better.






To clear this up I didn't claim that EVERYTHING is too hard and that ALL the dogs cover. You can re read my previous post to see that. I was talking specifically about YESTERDAY'S games.


The reason I chose Panathinaikos yesterday was because I truly believe they were capable of covering. It was just one of those days for them I guess. They actually came back and lost by 5.
Also I made an observation that things have been quite unpredictable this year in the Euroleague.

I post my plays on what I truly believe will happen. Sometimes it's the favorites and sometimes the dogs and sometimes the totals. You can check my thread from last year to see that if you want to.
The truth is that I've noticed some epic meltdowns in many European games this season and that's the main reason for my comment.
Anyway, I will move on and take every day as it comes.

Good luck with your picks as well!

All cool bro,I'm sorry for the misunderstanding,and one more thing,las year Pana also lose 11HC at home to Rytas in the Top16,but in the end thay was the champ...lol

Zalgiris is the team you should avoid betting this year. They have good players, but still play like crap. Yesterdays game is good xample of that. They are terrible at closing games.

They have tons of motivation especially in the opening of the season when Lawson play for them,but thay losers,players like Javtokas received a lot of mone and they forgot to play basketball,their coach is very poor,last game against Maccabi he put on the bench every player who managed to play well,this team its like Efes,good players and bad bad coach.


This time game pf the week is really hard to capp,last year when Barca come to Nokia thay was 6 points dogs(start with +3 and close +6)at the end Barca cover and also won in OT,this year Barca struggle to beat teams like in the last years,thay lose to many tims this year in the road,to Madrid,lboral,Siena,Cajasol..on the other hand Maccabi O looks very good with Mallet,in Nokia Maccabi always can score 85+points and if thay gonna do this i cant see Barca win this one,last week the line was +3 to Maccabi so i want to put big big money on Maccabi +10(teasr)but now with how the line move i really struggle to make a pick.

BOL to all

[Vreston]

I'm writing today's post in a completely pissed off mood because I had done a lot of research on the Spanish games and I had some strong picks, but I only just got the chance to come online and the games had started and were in the middle of the 4th quarter. What's worse is they're shaping up to be just as I had expected. I hope they're losers in the end so I don't feel so bad because for now I'm boiling.

Anyway, I'll post some other picks I selected in the Italian league and what I think about the Barcelona game which is the only one left for later in the Spanish league.


Italy Lega 1

Milano - Scavolini
Pick: Scavolini +5 @ 1.90

The expensive Milano team is in a mess. Their best appearance of late is the fight they put up in the Euroleague against Ulker losing 65-63. The only reason their head coach Scariolo is staying is because they have to pay him a high compensation if he gets fired. Against Varese last week they had one of those epic blackouts in the 3rd quarter where they scored only 4(!) points and finally lost by 10 (64-74). They've got players that cost millions of euros but no chemistry, bad defense, obvious scoring problems and they need a leader at point. To top that off their fans are fed up and are starting to show it at the home games. Today they are hosting Scavolini that has won 6 out of their last 7 and are in second place in the league only 4 points behind leader Siena. I don't know when Milano will break loose, they're bound to, but today I'll take my chances with the 5 point cushion and a good Scavolini team that is 5-3 in away games.

Vanoli - Casale Monferrato
Pick: Casale Monferrato +4.5 @ 1.95

Here we have the two teams at the bottom of the league. Both are fighting for survival and it should be a tough game. Vanoli has made a lot of changes and doesn't have the chemistry as a team to do much yet. They easily lost to Cantu last week, but Casale will give them a battle. They lost to Sasari last week in the final moments of the game and has generally been an unlucky team that has lost its last 5 games by less than 8 points and is, in my opinion, better than their record suggests.

Umana Venezia - Montepaschi Siena
Pick: Montepaschi Siena -7.5 @ 1.90

Venezia has been doing well this year and has playoff hopes. They had time to rest as they had last week off. They have a good team with experienced players, but their problem is their depth on the bench. This week they are facing Siena which had been struggling this year. When I say struggling I mean they weren't demolishing their opponents like they did last year. They are showing signs of their old selves. Last week they beat Teramo by 21 points and beat Real in Madrid easily by 19 in their Euroleague game this week. If Siena is serious they can easily cover. I'll take my chances and roll with them here.


Spanish ACB

Barcelona - UMAM Murcia
Pick: Barcelona -18.5 @ 1.90

Barcelona is the clear favorite here and also for the Spanish Championship where at the moment they are tied with Real for first place with 31 points. The good news for them is that their captain Navaro has returned and with him they are a much better team. Navaro is a player that will give them answers as he is one of their better scorers. This will help them have a more stable performance since they haven't been that dependable in the scoring department. The truth is they haven't been playing like last year and they've had times when they have had "dead" minutes with their scoring. They have a good defense though and usually keep their opponents between 60-70 points give or take a few. The problem has been that they haven't been covering those high spreads they've been getting. With Navaro back I hope this changes. They are coming off a big win in Israel against Maccabi (71-57) in their Euroleague game.
If Barcelona wants to they can cover the -18.5.
Murcia is at the bottom of the table and generally is not a team with stability. They are another example of a team with a problematic offence with "dead" minutes during games.

[Elad]

Hi man,I want to comment on the Barca bet,the result lies, Barcelona played bad on Thursday, and Maccabi did not use it,only in thge last min this difference increased,also basket in the last sec,if you saw the game you should know that Barcelona did not play well,now on the ACB this team one of the worst in covering ATS,you also sad "their captain Navaro has returned and with him they are a much better team" last game against Maccabi he play like a shit and onlu do bad for his team,Coach just got it in the second half and only then he bench him until the end.

Good luck today man!

[Vreston]

I'm writing today's post in a completely pissed off mood because I had done a lot of research on the Spanish games and I had some strong picks, but I only just got the chance to come online and the games had started and were in the middle of the 4th quarter. What's worse is they're shaping up to be just as I had expected. I hope they're losers in the end so I don't feel so bad because for now I'm boiling.

Anyway, I'll post some other picks I selected in the Italian league and what I think about the Barcelona game which is the only one left for later in the Spanish league.


Italy Lega 1

Milano - Scavolini
Pick: Scavolini +5 @ 1.90 - Loss (81-70)

The expensive Milano team is in a mess. Their best appearance of late is the fight they put up in the Euroleague against Ulker losing 65-63. The only reason their head coach Scariolo is staying is because they have to pay him a high compensation if he gets fired. Against Varese last week they had one of those epic blackouts in the 3rd quarter where they scored only 4(!) points and finally lost by 10 (64-74). They've got players that cost millions of euros but no chemistry, bad defense, obvious scoring problems and they need a leader at point. To top that off their fans are fed up and are starting to show it at the home games. Today they are hosting Scavolini that has won 6 out of their last 7 and are in second place in the league only 4 points behind leader Siena. I don't know when Milano will break loose, they're bound to, but today I'll take my chances with the 5 point cushion and a good Scavolini team that is 5-3 in away games.

Vanoli - Casale Monferrato
Pick: Casale Monferrato +4.5 @ 1.95 - Won (73-74)

Here we have the two teams at the bottom of the league. Both are fighting for survival and it should be a tough game. Vanoli has made a lot of changes and doesn't have the chemistry as a team to do much yet. They easily lost to Cantu last week, but Casale will give them a battle. They lost to Sasari last week in the final moments of the game and has generally been an unlucky team that has lost its last 5 games by less than 8 points and is, in my opinion, better than their record suggests.

Umana Venezia - Montepaschi Siena
Pick: Montepaschi Siena -7.5 @ 1.90 - Loss (62-60)

Venezia has been doing well this year and has playoff hopes. They had time to rest as they had last week off. They have a good team with experienced players, but their problem is their depth on the bench. This week they are facing Siena which had been struggling this year. When I say struggling I mean they weren't demolishing their opponents like they did last year. They are showing signs of their old selves. Last week they beat Teramo by 21 points and beat Real in Madrid easily by 19 in their Euroleague game this week. If Siena is serious they can easily cover. I'll take my chances and roll with them here.


Spanish ACB

Barcelona - UMAM Murcia
Pick: Barcelona -18.5 @ 1.90 - Won (90-53)

Barcelona is the clear favorite here and also for the Spanish Championship where at the moment they are tied with Real for first place with 31 points. The good news for them is that their captain Navaro has returned and with him they are a much better team. Navaro is a player that will give them answers as he is one of their better scorers. This will help them have a more stable performance since they haven't been that dependable in the scoring department. The truth is they haven't been playing like last year and they've had times when they have had "dead" minutes with their scoring. They have a good defense though and usually keep their opponents between 60-70 points give or take a few. The problem has been that they haven't been covering those high spreads they've been getting. With Navaro back I hope this changes. They are coming off a big win in Israel against Maccabi (71-57) in their Euroleague game.
If Barcelona wants to they can cover the -18.5.
Murcia is at the bottom of the table and generally is not a team with stability. They are another example of a team with a problematic offence with "dead" minutes during games.

Milano woke up in the 4th quarter to take the win and cover (finally). Casale not only covered, but won outright, Siena lost which for me was the upset of the day. They had a great 3rd quarter, but couldn't quite make the comeback and finally Barcelona won in blowout fashion by 37 points!

[Vreston]

Hi everyone.

Hope to have a profitable weekend.

My first pick is from Italy. Starting in a few minutes.

Italy Lega 1

Casale Monferato - Cimberio Varese
Pick 1: Cimberio Varese +2.5 @ 1.90
Pick 2: Under 146.5 @ 1.90

Casale is in last place and got a tough win in OT last week against Vanoli. Varese plays the perimeter and relies a lot on 3pt shooting. They have an experienced team and are looking to get into the top 4 teams.
Going for them today and the under.

Will be back later with more I hope.

[Vreston]

OK let's see these are some of the games I've set apart for today.

There's nothing very clear cut, but hopefully things will go my way.

In the German Bundesliga (I don't really like playing this league actually because I find them quite unpredictable, but...)

s. Oliver Baskets - Phoenix Hagen
Pick: s. Oliver Baskets -9 @ 1.90

s. Oliver didn't do well for us the last time I chose them a couple of weeks ago and had an upset loss at home to Frankfurt. They came back to their winning ways last week against Gottingen even though they played a bad game and won by 10. They did this because they have a really good defense which let them take control of the game and led them to the win. They have a really strong home court, a good coach and players.
Hagen lost by 10 to Artland last week at home and they are a team that depends a lot on 3's and don't play much defense. If s. Oliver plays the defense it can, then they should take this one.

Geissen 46ers - Ratiopharm Ulm
Pick: Ulm -5.5 @ 1.90

This is another one I like in Germany. Geissen is not doing that well and is toward the bottom of the table in 14th place. They don't have that much quality and have weaknesses offensively. Ulm, on the other hand, has been pretty convincing and presently holds second place in the league. Against Bayreuth last week they played very well and went on a 42-15 run and never looked back. This is one of those games that are "must win" if they want to stay at the top and compete for first place.


BBC Bayreuth - Walter Tigers Tubingen
Pick: Bayreuth -4 @ 1.90

I was thinking about posting this play or not and then I decided to come back and do it.
Bayreuth has a more positive atmosphere after they changed their new head coach. They have played well against stronger teams and are hosting Tubingen which has proven that it shouldn't be feared away from home. They have easily lost their last three away games, two of which were by 22 and 15 points. They did have their best game against Bayern last week at home, but I'll take what I think is the more quality team.

Italy Lega 1

I've already got an open game in this league and in the other game today I'll roll with the total.

Benetton Treviso - Avellino
Pick: Under 154.5 @ 1.90

I actually was thinking about taking Avellino +4, but now I'm getting them +3.5 so I decided to go with the total instead. Benetton doesn't have anything special this year, but they've managed to play good basketball at times. Fatigue could be a factor in today's game since they also had a game midweek in the Eurocup where they got a big win in Moscow (70-71). Avellino, I hear, has been having some financial problems. They have good chemistry and a strong offense that relies a lot on 3 pointers. This is one of those teams that has "dead minutes" offensively.
In Benetton's last 3 games at home the scores have not gone over 144 points and Avellino's last game away at Bolognia ended with a final 132 points. Though both teams could run up scores on any given day, the trend has been toward the under and hopefully some of the fatigue I was talking about earlier will play a role for Benetton's offense.


France Pro A

Nancy - Asvel Lyon-Villeurbanne
Pick: Nancy -7 @ 1.90

Since I'm making so many picks today I might as well make one from France!
The champs Nancy are stronger as of late since they are starting to pick up after a small slump. Nancy still has hopes for first place as it's now in third and it's possible as they are only two points behind. They beat LeMans last week by 18 at home. They also have a strong home court crowd. Villeurbanne doesn't have much depth on the bench and could be a little tired after their Eurocup game a few days ago where they lost to Aris, a team with lots of problems, by 17 points (77-60). Last week they beat La Havre by 7 but they blew a 20 point lead they had at some point.

[Vreston]

Hi everyone.

Hope to have a profitable weekend.

My first pick is from Italy. Starting in a few minutes.

Italy Lega 1

Casale Monferato - Cimberio Varese
Pick 1: Cimberio Varese +2.5 @ 1.90 - Won (58-64)
Pick 2: Under 146.5 @ 1.90 - Won (58-64)

Casale is in last place and got a tough win in OT last week against Vanoli. Varese plays the perimeter and relies a lot on 3pt shooting. They have an experienced team and are looking to get into the top 4 teams.
Going for them today and the under.

Will be back later with more I hope.

Both these wins came in overtime. Even so the under was still 22.5 points under the 146.5! That one was way off. Too bad all of them are not this easy...

[Vreston]

OK let's see these are some of the games I've set apart for today.

There's nothing very clear cut, but hopefully things will go my way.

In the German Bundesliga (I don't really like playing this league actually because I find them quite unpredictable, but...)

s. Oliver Baskets - Phoenix Hagen
Pick: s. Oliver Baskets -9 @ 1.90 - Won (88-76)

s. Oliver didn't do well for us the last time I chose them a couple of weeks ago and had an upset loss at home to Frankfurt. They came back to their winning ways last week against Gottingen even though they played a bad game and won by 10. They did this because they have a really good defense which let them take control of the game and led them to the win. They have a really strong home court, a good coach and players.
Hagen lost by 10 to Artland last week at home and they are a team that depends a lot on 3's and don't play much defense. If s. Oliver plays the defense it can, then they should take this one.

Geissen 46ers - Ratiopharm Ulm
Pick: Ulm -5.5 @ 1.90 - Won (70-76)

This is another one I like in Germany. Geissen is not doing that well and is toward the bottom of the table in 14th place. They don't have that much quality and have weaknesses offensively. Ulm, on the other hand, has been pretty convincing and presently holds second place in the league. Against Bayreuth last week they played very well and went on a 42-15 run and never looked back. This is one of those games that are "must win" if they want to stay at the top and compete for first place.


BBC Bayreuth - Walter Tigers Tubingen
Pick: Bayreuth -4 @ 1.90 (57-79)

I was thinking about posting this play or not and then I decided to come back and do it.
Bayreuth has a more positive atmosphere after they changed their new head coach. They have played well against stronger teams and are hosting Tubingen which has proven that it shouldn't be feared away from home. They have easily lost their last three away games, two of which were by 22 and 15 points. They did have their best game against Bayern last week at home, but I'll take what I think is the more quality team.

Italy Lega 1

I've already got an open game in this league and in the other game today I'll roll with the total.

Benetton Treviso - Avellino
Pick: Under 154.5 @ 1.90 - Won (71-72)

I actually was thinking about taking Avellino +4, but now I'm getting them +3.5 so I decided to go with the total instead. Benetton doesn't have anything special this year, but they've managed to play good basketball at times. Fatigue could be a factor in today's game since they also had a game midweek in the Eurocup where they got a big win in Moscow (70-71). Avellino, I hear, has been having some financial problems. They have good chemistry and a strong offense that relies a lot on 3 pointers. This is one of those teams that has "dead minutes" offensively.
In Benetton's last 3 games at home the scores have not gone over 144 points and Avellino's last game away at Bolognia ended with a final 132 points. Though both teams could run up scores on any given day, the trend has been toward the under and hopefully some of the fatigue I was talking about earlier will play a role for Benetton's offense.


France Pro A

Nancy - Asvel Lyon-Villeurbanne
Pick: Nancy -7 @ 1.90 - Loss (70-82)
Since I'm making so many picks today I might as well make one from France!
The champs Nancy are stronger as of late since they are starting to pick up after a small slump. Nancy still has hopes for first place as it's now in third and it's possible as they are only two points behind. They beat LeMans last week by 18 at home. They also have a strong home court crowd. Villeurbanne doesn't have much depth on the bench and could be a little tired after their Eurocup game a few days ago where they lost to Aris, a team with lots of problems, by 17 points (77-60). Last week they beat La Havre by 7 but they blew a 20 point lead they had at some point.

It turns out I shouldn't have gone back and posted the Bayreuth play. They completely lost that game and they didn't even win one quarter. They just didn't show up. Also the Nancy loss was unexpected. They only had one winning quarter (3rd). I expected them to win at least. Oh well.

Can't complain. The day ended 5-2.

[Vreston]

I've got to make this short because I'm on the run to get back to work. Had to work all day yesterday too so I didn't make or post plays (unfortunately it turns out). Anyway this is what I like for today.


Euroleague

Panathinaikos - Fenerbahce
Pick: Panathinaikos -11 @ 1.90

Unics lost yesterday giving Panathinaikos a gift. All Pana needs now is a win in Russia. Fener shouldn't have a chance in Athens.
They are having some internal problems I hear between the coach and the center. I can't really understand why there is such a low spread. Last week they beat Fener in Turkey by 21 and today the spread is only 10.5 (went up to 11).

[Vreston]

I've got to make this short because I'm on the run to get back to work. Had to work all day yesterday too so I didn't make or post plays (unfortunately it turns out). Anyway this is what I like for today.


Euroleague

Panathinaikos - Fenerbahce
Pick: Panathinaikos -11 @ 1.90 - Loss (72-62)

Unics lost yesterday giving Panathinaikos a gift. All Pana needs now is a win in Russia. Fener shouldn't have a chance in Athens.
They are having some internal problems I hear between the coach and the center. I can't really understand why there is such a low spread. Last week they beat Fener in Turkey by 21 and today the spread is only 10.5 (went up to 11).

I'm pretty pissed off at this loss. Panathinaikos could have easily won by at least 14 to 15 points based on their play during the game. They just sat back in the last quarter.

[Vreston]

For today I like the following game:

Germany Bundesliga
Ratiofarm Ulm - Brose Baskets
Pick: Ratiofarm Ulm +6.5 @ 1.90

Ulm has been the big surprise in Germany this year. They have invested a lot in their team and have a steady full house in their games. They are undefeated at home and in great form as they have 11 wins in their last 12 games. This is a game that will decide if Ulm can take first place while playing current first place Brose. They will be playing at home this time as the last time they played was away at Brose's home court and that game they lost by only 5 points. This is a game of the year type situation for Ulm and I expect them to give it all they've got against Brose especially at home.

[Vreston]

For today I like the following game:

Germany Bundesliga
Ratiofarm Ulm - Brose Baskets
Pick: Ratiofarm Ulm +6.5 @ 1.90 - Loss (74-102)

Ulm has been the big surprise in Germany this year. They have invested a lot in their team and have a steady full house in their games. They are undefeated at home and in great form as they have 11 wins in their last 12 games. This is a game that will decide if Ulm can take first place while playing current first place Brose. They will be playing at home this time as the last time they played was away at Brose's home court and that game they lost by only 5 points. This is a game of the year type situation for Ulm and I expect them to give it all they've got against Brose especially at home.

Wow, this one was off. Obviously I overestimated Ulm even though they've been so dependable so far. They had a total meltdown in the second half especially in the 4th quarter. Luckily my soccer pick on Arsenal was a hit at better odds so I was still up at the end of the day.

[Vreston]

Hopefully today I can turn things around.

Spanish ACB

CAI Zaragoza - Estudiantes
Pick: Zaragoza -6.5 @ 1.90

Zaragoza has been more than impressive this year. Hopefully they won't run out of gas today.


Joventut - Barcelona
Pick: Barcelona -9 @ 1.90

Barcelona has been picking up the pace lately after many games of not covering the high spreads they were being given. Hopefully today, like last week, they will take care of this team with a difference.


Bilbao - Manresa
Pick: Bilbao -8 @ 1.90

Bilbao has taken care of Real Madrid twice in the last week and seems to be rolling. I'll be rolling with them hoping their form continues today. They have to win this one if they want to stay in the top 8 and have a cushion.

[Vreston]

Hopefully today I can turn things around.

Spanish ACB

CAI Zaragoza - Estudiantes
Pick: Zaragoza -6.5 @ 1.90 - Loss (75-72)

Zaragoza has been more than impressive this year. Hopefully they won't run out of gas today.


Joventut - Barcelona
Pick: Barcelona -9 @ 1.90 - Won (52-79)

Barcelona has been picking up the pace lately after many games of not covering the high spreads they were being given. Hopefully today, like last week, they will take care of this team with a difference.


Bilbao - Manresa
Pick: Bilbao -8 @ 1.90 - Won (88-60)

Bilbao has taken care of Real Madrid twice in the last week and seems to be rolling. I'll be rolling with them hoping their form continues today. They have to win this one if they want to stay in the top 8 and have a cushion.

Easy wins and covers for Barcelona (by 27) and Bilbao (by 28), but Zaragoza not covering really pissed me off. They had been covering a lot as of late, but today unfortunately they didn't do me the favor and ruined a perfect day.

[Vreston]

I've been away for a while, but I'm back again today with the following:


CAI Zaragoza - Unicaja
Pick: Zaragoza -4 @ 1.91

(I'm placing this one at William Hill because they're giving me a hook. Bet365 has them -4.5)

Zaragoza has been a very positive team this year and they have been good to me so far except for once. They have an experienced team and a hot home crowd. Their center Archibald is back and they will be able to play with two big men if they want to. They want to make it to the playoffs and they're hungry and enthusiastic.

Malaga, on the other hand has had lots of injury trouble. They have a good roster, but they've lost 11 out of their last 12 in all competitions! They're having trouble scoring over 60 points too. Bad numbers from 3 etc. But their main problem is the injuries. Even if they get some players back for today's game, they won't have practiced. In their last game they lost at home to Bilbao 55-59 and were eliminated from the Euroleague. Also their coach knows his job is on the line with another loss.

If Unicaja didn't have all these problems it would be a different game. I'll go with Zaragoza since they are strong at home, they have a very supportive crowd and they are motivated for the playoffs. If Malaga suddenly reacts then I don't know what will happen. They have all those injury problems, bad results, coach is on thin ice and they played on Thursday where they gave it their all and they had to travel.

[Vreston]

I've been away for a while, but I'm back again today with the following:


CAI Zaragoza - Unicaja
Pick: Zaragoza -4 @ 1.91 - Won (76-59)

(I'm placing this one at William Hill because they're giving me a hook. Bet365 has them -4.5)

Zaragoza has been a very positive team this year and they have been good to me so far except for once. They have an experienced team and a hot home crowd. Their center Archibald is back and they will be able to play with two big men if they want to. They want to make it to the playoffs and they're hungry and enthusiastic.

Malaga, on the other hand has had lots of injury trouble. They have a good roster, but they've lost 11 out of their last 12 in all competitions! They're having trouble scoring over 60 points too. Bad numbers from 3 etc. But their main problem is the injuries. Even if they get some players back for today's game, they won't have practiced. In their last game they lost at home to Bilbao 55-59 and were eliminated from the Euroleague. Also their coach knows his job is on the line with another loss.

If Unicaja didn't have all these problems it would be a different game. I'll go with Zaragoza since they are strong at home, they have a very supportive crowd and they are motivated for the playoffs. If Malaga suddenly reacts then I don't know what will happen. They have all those injury problems, bad results, coach is on thin ice and they played on Thursday where they gave it their all and they had to travel.

Nice and easy win today with Zaragoza. One win is all I need to make it a nice profitable day!

[kobstopa]

good to see u back with it

[Vreston]

good to see u back with it

Thanks man!

[Vreston]

There are a few games I like for today.

I don't think they are as clear as yesterday's game, but they look good.

Spanish ACB

Obradoiro - Real Madrid
Pick: Real Madrid -8.5 @ 1.91
(William Hill is giving me the hook.)

Real is just one point behind Barcelona. Real knows that Barcelona has a tough game today against Bilbao and could lose. So Real has to be careful and secure the win against a team they could demolish if they want to.


Lagun Aro GBC - Estudiantes
Pick: Lagun Aro GBC -7 @ 1.90
(bet365 as usual)

This one is tough. Lagun has been great this year, but Estudiantes is also a tough team with experience fighting to stay in the league. I don't know if this is too much of a public play, but I'm posting it anyway.

[Vreston]

There are a few games I like for today.

I don't think they are as clear as yesterday's game, but they look good.

Spanish ACB

Obradoiro - Real Madrid
Pick: Real Madrid -8.5 @ 1.91 - Won (69-83)
(William Hill is giving me the hook.)

Real is just one point behind Barcelona. Real knows that Barcelona has a tough game today against Bilbao and could lose. So Real has to be careful and secure the win against a team they could demolish if they want to.


Lagun Aro GBC - Estudiantes
Pick: Lagun Aro GBC -7 @ 1.90 - Won (103-81)
(bet365 as usual)

This one is tough. Lagun has been great this year, but Estudiantes is also a tough team with experience fighting to stay in the league. I don't know if this is too much of a public play, but I'm posting it anyway.

Nice easy wins today from Spain. Put that together with yesterday's pick and today's soccer pick and that makes a nice 4-0 weekend. Hope you all had a good weekend as well!

[Vreston]

There are mid-week games in Europe today.

I was thinking of a few plays, but I'll stay disciplined.


Spanish ACB

Joventut - Bilbao
Pick: Bilbao 0.0 @ 2.00

This should be interesting. Joventut has been on the rise with two important wins. They have a pretty good home court as well. I know Bilbao is the better team and they've won quite a few away games this year. This week there is no Euroleague, but they still want to secure a good spot in the playoffs.
They have a good offense, a great young coach, a solid roster and I see them coming away with the win.

[Vreston]

There are mid-week games in Europe today.

I was thinking of a few plays, but I'll stay disciplined.


Spanish ACB

Joventut - Bilbao
Pick: Bilbao 0.0 @ 2.00 - Loss (91-67)

This should be interesting. Joventut has been on the rise with two important wins. They have a pretty good home court as well. I know Bilbao is the better team and they've won quite a few away games this year. This week there is no Euroleague, but they still want to secure a good spot in the playoffs.
They have a good offense, a great young coach, a solid roster and I see them coming away with the win.

Just one of those days I guess.

[innn]

am I sorry Vreston to read this just now but you forgot to mention all the missing players from Bilbao: D'or Fischer , Roger Grimau and Mumbru
it was all on news

[Vreston]

am I sorry Vreston to read this just now but you forgot to mention all the missing players from Bilbao: D'or Fischer , Roger Grimau and Mumbru
it was all on news

I believed in Bilbao because I thought they would really try to win this one. They want to have a good position in the playoffs and they couldn't afford to lose points. Sometimes when a good player (or even some good players) are out, the rest of the team tries even harder to compensate for it. Anyway, at least it was a light bet.

[Vreston]

Euroleague quarterfinals today.

Unics Kazan - Barcelona
Pick: Barcelona -4.5 @ 1.90

Barcelona wants to finish things off and they have the players and the quality to do it. Unics had a great run this year for its first time in Euroleague. They know they can't pull off 3 wins to pass to the next round and Barcelona wants to get things over with and concentrate on their position in their league in Spain.

[Vreston]

Euroleague quarterfinals today.

Unics Kazan - Barcelona
Pick: Barcelona -4.5 @ 1.90 - Won (56-67)

Barcelona wants to finish things off and they have the players and the quality to do it. Unics had a great run this year for its first time in Euroleague. They know they can't pull off 3 wins to pass to the next round and Barcelona wants to get things over with and concentrate on their position in their league in Spain.

Barcelona wins it for us and advances to the next round!

At first Unics started the game out strong. They led 34-28 at the half, but Barcelona came back strong in the second half winning the 3rd & 4th quarters by 7 and 11 points respectively.

I might have a play for the next game of the night. Still thinking about whether I should post it.

[Papadontpreach]

the only play for Tel Aviv and Panathinaikos you need to know and play is the UNDER 150/149.

Total way off imo and will be shocked to see anything over 140...

[Vreston]

Euroleague

Maccabi Electra - Panathinaikos
Pick: Panathinaikos +1.5 @ 1.91

I found this line at bwin. Bet365 has them +0.0 and William Hill -2

Starts in a few minutes.

[Vreston]

Euroleague

Maccabi Electra - Panathinaikos
Pick: Panathinaikos +1.5 @ 1.91 - Won (69-78)

I found this line at bwin. Bet365 has them +0.0 and William Hill -2

Starts in a few minutes.

The series between them is now tied 2-2 and it moves back to Athens. Maccabi made a run for it in the fourth quarter, but Panathinaikos got the rebounds and made the free throws to secure the game.

[Vreston]

Unfortunately I couldn't come online for Friday's Euroleague games, but today I have something.

Spain ACB

UCAM Murcia - CAI Zaragoza
Pick: CAI Zaragoza +4.5 @ 1.90

Murcia is in 16th place in the league (out of 18) and is fighting to stay in the league. I haven't seen anything special about this team. That's probably one of the reasons they are in this position. They have problems on offense with lots of "dead" minutes. They try to put more pressure on defense though. They have the third worst offense in the league. On the other hand, Zaragoza has kept the scores really close with much better teams such as Barcelona (they lost by 1 point), Caja Laboral, Lagun Aro etc. They also want a spot in the play offs so they should be motivated to cash in this year's effort.


Barcelona - Valencia
Pick: Valencia +10.5 @ 1.90

Barcelona is the the favorite of course. They have not been that convincing lately though especially in Spain. Barcelona will be in Constantinople for the Euroleague Final 4 after winning the ticket earlier this week. They seem to be having problems with offensive consistency during their games. They have a very good defense which may well be one of the best in Europe. They are not playing the same basketball as last year that's for sure though. They haven't been winning games with big differences like they used to either. Those who have taken Barcelona ATS this year have gotten burned quite often (me included...).
Valencia, on the other hand, has been a team on the rise. They've gotten better with their new coach. They want to make up for lost points. They have a good team with good players and I'm betting they will start to roll. They also advanced to the Final 4 (of the Eurocup though).
I'm going to take Valencia plus the points today and hope that Barcelona doesn't suddenly wake up and roll over Valencia.