Igokea vs Split: Analysis and Prediction – Igokea will host Split in the first match of the 15th round of the ABA league.
Igokea vs Split Odds
Igokea Team News
Igokea is in a very poor streak of results. The team from Laktasi has suffered five consecutive defeats, with three of them occurring in the ABA League, causing them to drop in the standings. Currently holding a 9-5 record, they are still far from the danger zone of relegation.
Igokea underwent significant changes at the end of 2023. After being relegated from the FIBA Champions League, the club’s management decided to give young basketball players a chance and to relieve the budget. Departing from the team were Nikola Tanaskovic (Buducnost), Nemanja Gordic (Spartak), Zoran Nikolic (Vojvodina), and Stefan Moody (Palencia). It’s not surprising that the team experienced a string of losses, with a particularly challenging defeat against Crvena Zvezda, where Igokea set a negative record with only 48 points scored. Igokea is now at a new beginning, and head coach Jovanovic faces the difficult task of building a new style of play and assigning new roles to his players. Nevertheless, even in this revamped roster, Igokea has the quality to compete with the majority of teams in the ABA League.
Igokea has a strong motivation to break the losing streak, and achieving this will require a much-improved offensive performance. It is certain that Marko Jeremic and Mario Nakic will see increased playing time in this duel, with the defensive priority being to stop the American duo of Lewis Sullivan and Shannon Shorter.
Split Team News
Split finished the year 2023 in good form. The team secured six wins in the last seven matches, with the only expected defeat occurring in the away game against Crvena Zvezda. This impressive run brought Split to a 5-9 record in the ABA League.
Entering the new year with high confidence and minimal changes to the player roster, Split welcomed young talent Vito Kucic, replacing Lovro Gnjidic, who moved to Mega. The key to their recent success lies in the improved performances of the American duo who started the season. Shannon Shorter and Lewis Sullivan turned the season around with their outstanding contributions, showcasing the team’s character by coming back from a 19-point deficit in the away game in Podgorica. This triumph undoubtedly provided additional motivation to continue their good form into the new year.
To achieve a favorable result in Laktasi, the players of Split must execute solid defense and apply pressure on Igokea’s young players responsible for ball distribution. Kosta Kondic and Ognjen Stankovic lack sufficient experience and tend to be prone to fluctuations. Additionally, in the offensive phase, the American tandem is expected to contribute a significant portion of the points
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Igokea vs Split H2H
These two teams have faced each other in nine ABA League matchups. The first encounter of this season went in favor of Igokea with a 95-90 victory on the road, making the overall head-to-head record 7-2 in favor of the team from Laktasi. Igokea holds a 3-1 record on their home court, but the opposing team won the most recent duel.
Absences and Injuries
For the clash against Split, the home team faces questionable regarding Nikola Maric’s participation due to an injury. Maric had already missed the duel against Crvena Zvezda. On the other side, Split doesn’t have any issues and is expected to field a complete lineup.
Igokea vs Split Prediction
Despite Split currently being in better form, it is expected that after the break and a few joint training sessions, Igokea will perform much better than at the end of last year. Despite the departures, the team still has several players with the quality and experience to lead their team to victory.
Tip-off Time: Thursday, 04.01.2024, 17:00 CET
Prediction: Igokea -5.5
Odds: 1.80
Sportsbook: 22Bet
*Odds are active at the time the article is published
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