Igokea vs Crvena Zvezda: Analysis and Prediction – Igokea will play at home against Crvena Zvezda in the ABA League opener.
Igokea vs Crvena Zvezda Odds
Igokea Team News
Igokea will open the season against one of the two main favorites for the ABA League title. Last year was very turbulent for this club. At one point, they feared relegation, but now they are ready to compete again for a place in the playoffs.
To prevent a repeat of last season, Igokea sought out players with significant experience in the market. Nemanja Gordic returned to the club after nearly a decade, and they also brought back Jackie Carmichael and Edin Atic. Stefan Moody, a high-quality point guard, will be responsible for scoring, and Zoran Nikolic and Nikola Tanaskovic will hold down the post. Veterans Marko Jeremic and Dragan Milosavljevic will play crucial roles, and it’s worth mentioning that Mario Nakic has returned after a serious injury.
Whenever Red Star or Partizan play in Laktasi, they feel as if they’re on their home court. Over 80% of the audience roots for the Belgrade teams, making it seem like Igokea is the visiting team. This will be the case once again.
Crvena Zvezda Team News
Crvena Zvezda was defeated by Partizan in the ABA League finals by 3:2 in June. This left them without the title for the first time in five years, and now they will be highly motivated to reclaim the regional throne. The journey begins with an away game against Igokea.
Between the two seasons, Crvena Zvezda has almost completely changed its roster. Shabazz Napier, Rokas Giedraitis, Mike Tobey, Adam Hanga, Milos Teodosic and Nemanja Bjelica are just some of the big reinforcements that have arrived at Mali Kalemegdan this summer. Head coach Dusko Ivanovic has assembled a team to his liking, and the first games will show how well the job has been done in that aspect. One thing is certain: Crvena Zvezda has great depth in the roster.
Knowing how much more powerful Crvena Zvezda and Partizan are compared to all the others in the ABA League, any loss against weaker teams could mean losing the top spot. Red and whites felt this the most in Zagreb last season when a defeat against Cibona may have cost them the title. That’s why the focus will be exceptional this time.
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Igokea vs Crvena Zvezda H2H
Crvena Zvezda won both games against Igokea last season. In Laktasi, the score was 76:70 in favor of the red and whites. Interestingly, Igokea won the three games prior to that, which were played in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Absences and Injuries
Jackie Carmichael is questionable, while all other players are ready for Igokea. Nemanja Bjelica will not be in the Crvena Zvezda team due to injury.
Igokea vs Crvena Zvezda Prediction
Crvena Zvezda didn’t look impressive during the friendly matches, but it’s realistic for things to be different in official games. However, Igokea also has quality, so we expect the home team not to lose by a double-digit margin on their home court. Igokea’s head coach Vladimir Jovanovic will have a special motivation as he was dismissed from Crvena Zvezda last year after just a month into the season.
Tip-off Time: Saturday, 30.09.2023, 20:00 CET
Prediction: Igokea +10.5
Odds: 1.75
Sportsbook: 22Bet
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