Benfica vs PAOK: Analysis and Prediction – Benfica will play at home against PAOK in the FIBA Champions League second round.
Benfica vs PAOK Odds
Benfica Team News
Benfica reached the group stage of the FIBA Champions League through the qualifiers, where they overcame three obstacles. The current Portuguese champions were better than TSU, AEK Larnaca and Norrkoping. In their domestic league, they faced certain difficulties during October, but they eagerly await this match.
Due to the situation in Israel, the game between Hapoel Jerusalem and Benfica was postponed two weeks ago, making this their first encounter in the group stage of the FIBA Champions League. The biggest star of this team is Toney Douglas, a former NBA player. His decision to continue his career in Portugal surprised many, but it also speaks to Benfica’s ambitions. Among the new players are Trey Drechsel, a former member of Partizan, and Terrell Carter. Compared to the previous season, they still have players like Betinho Gomes, Ivan Almeida, Jose Silva and Jose Barbosa.
Benfica’s goal is not to finish last in this group, and realistically, PAOK is the only team they might hope to surpass in the standings. This underscores the significance of the match. Benfica has the quality to win this clash, but it depends on their defense being at a high level along with solid three-point shooting percentages.
PAOK Team News
PAOK pulled off one of the biggest surprises in the entire competition in the first round of the FIBA Champions League. They defeated Galatasaray at road by 77:88 and hope to return triumphantly from the capital of Portugal after conquering Istanbul.
Andrew Harrison was fantastic in the win over Galatasaray and will be the primary offensive option for PAOK throughout the season. Elvar Fridriksson is an excellent three-point shooter, and American Jamuni McNeace has scored in double digits in all games this season. These three players are the individuals around whom PAOK’s offensive concept revolves, along with Lithuanian Laurynas Beliauskas. The team is led by Fotis Takianos, who was chosen as the best coach in the Greek League two seasons ago while at Larisa.
When you beat Galatasaray in Istanbul, it’s impossible not to expect a similar outcome in Lisbon. However, these games reveal a team’s seriousness. PAOK is theoretically better than the Portuguese champions, but if they don’t take Benfica seriously, they won’t return happily from Lisbon.
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Benfica vs PAOK H2H
This is the first time Benfica and PAOK will play against each other.
Absences and Injuries
Ivan Almeida didn’t play for Benfica due to a minor injury in the domestic league over the weekend, but he should be available for this match against PAOK. The guests are arriving in Lisbon with all their players.
Benfica vs PAOK Prediction
PAOK has shown in all their games this season that they can adapt to the opposing style of play. They’ve performed well in both low-scoring and high-scoring games. For Benfica, this will be their biggest challenge so far. If they can’t defeat PAOK at home, they’ll likely end up 0-6 in this group. All of this could lead to a more cautious style of play, resulting in fewer points than the offered line suggests.
Tip-off Time: Wednesday, 01.11.2023, 20:30 CET
Prediction: Under 157.5 points
Odds: 1.74
Sportsbook: 22Bet
*Odds are active at the time the article is published
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