Cedevita Olimpija vs Igokea: Analysis and Prediction: Cedevita Olimpija and Igokea will play the opening game of ABA Supercup.
Cedevita Olimpija vs Igokea Odds
Cedevita Olimpija vs Igokea (1/2): 1.18 / 4.42
Asian Handicap (-10.5 / +10.5): 1.83 / 1.83
Total Over/Under (164.5): 1.83 / 1.83
*Odds are active at the time the article is published
Cedevita Olimpija Team News
Cedevita Olimpija played three games during their preparatory period, mostly against quality opponents. Initially, they lost by Efes, then they outplayed the German team Syntainics MBC. Their last challenge was against the newly-formed team of Panathinaikos, resulting in a somewhat surprising win over the Athenian ‘Greens’.”
Reflecting on the previous season, Cedevita Olimpija was successful. They clinched the domestic championship of Slovenia, and they concluded their journey in the ABA league in the semifinals, defeated by Partizan. Their performance in the EuroCup was less than stellar, as evidenced by their negative record 3-15. During the transfer window, they underwent a coaching change; Jurica Golemac was replaced by the Italian expert, Simone Pianigiani. In terms of the roster, only four players from the previous season remained with Cedevita Olimpija: Edo Muric, Zoran Dragic, Karlo Matkovic, and Rok Radovic. Among the most significant new additions, the following names are certainly worth highlighting: Jaka Blazic, Justin Cobbs, Nikola Radicevic, Sean Armand and Shawn Jones.
Cedevita Olimpija’s basketball players clinched the first ABA Super Cup. This tournament will serve as an additional opportunity for team cohesion and to gauge their strength against rivals in the upcoming season. Given the significant changes in the team, it’s expected that it will take time to achieve the preset goals. One of these goals is certainly the trophy in Podgorica, because winning any tournament, even during the preparatory period, can provide additional momentum for the team at the start of the season.
Igokea Team News
In the preparatory period, Igokea played four games. Three of those games were part of an international tournament commemorating the club’s 50th anniversary. There, they faced off against Galatasaray, CSKA, and Turk Telekom. Earlier, they played against Mega without taking win.
The results from the previous season sounded alarms in Laktasi, leading Igokea to be among the first teams in the region to initiate the transfer period. In the ABA league, they fell short by just one win from the playoffs, while they claimed the domestic championship of Bosnia and Herzegovina by defeating Borac in the final. Vladimir Jovanovic remained at the helm and retained the core of the team. The return of Nikola Tanaskovic is immensely important, and new additions to the team include Edin Atic, Zoran Nikolic, Jackie Carmichael, and Marko Jeremic. The latest acquisitions are Stefan Moody and a returnee to the team after ten years, Nemanja Gordic. With their arrivals, the team’s roster is complete, and they’re fully prepared for the upcoming season.
After several seasons in which they reached the ABA league playoffs, returning among the top eight is undoubtedly the primary goal. Winning the trophy in the domestic championship is taken for granted and is not up for debate, so Igokea is entering the next season under a certain amount of pressure. The ABA Super Cup in Podgorica will be the first real test to gauge their strength against teams that will be their main competitors in the race for the playoffs. Surely the opponents in the international tournament they hosted were a notch above, so losses in those games don’t necessarily mean anything definitive. The real challenge is yet to come.
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Cedevita Olimpija vs Igokea H2H
These rivals have faced off 26 times in their history. Cedevita Olimpija has claimed 14 wins while the remaining 12 games went in favor of Igokea.
Absences and Injuries
A member of Cedevita Olimpija, Edo Muric, suffered a severe injury towards the end of the previous season, and the date of his return to the court is still unknown. Jaka Blazic played in the FIBA World Cup with a back injury, so his status remains uncertain. On the other side, Mario Nakić is recovering from an injury. According to information from the club, there’s still occasional swelling on his knee. However, he played in Banja Luka and Laktasi, so it’s expected that he will also play now.
Cedevita Olimpija vs Igokea Prediction
A clash between two teams entering the season with clear ambitions. The quality is likely on the side of Cedevita Olimpija, but not to the extent that the bookmakers have set. We believe that the team from Laktasi is more than capable of competing with Cedevita team and may not suffer a defeat by a margin greater than 11 points.
Tip-off Time: Monday, 18.09.2023, 12:00 CET
Prediction: Igokea +11.5
Odds: 1.75
Sportsbook: 22Bet