Monaco vs Barcelona: Analysis and Prediction – In the Round 20 of the EuroLeague, Monaco will host Barcelona on Thursday.
Monaco vs Barcelona Odds
Monaco Team News
Monaco has been playing fantastically in the EuroLeague recently. In their last six games, they have recorded five wins. Interestingly, all five victories came with convincing margins. They defeated Alba twice in a short period, with 20 and 15-point differences. They also beat Anadolu Efes and Bayern by 19 points, while they humbled Fenerbahce in Istanbul with a 30-point win. This winning streak has brought Monaco to a tie for first place in the EuroLeague with a 13-6 record.
The coaching change has definitely paid off for Monaco, at least so far. The team has been playing much better on both ends of the court. Vassilis Spanoulis may not have extensive coaching experience, but his playing experience is clearly respected by Monaco’s fiery players. Monaco has the second-best offense in the EuroLeague and the fourth-best defense. They finish the fewest possessions with turnovers, which further boosts their offensive efficiency. They are sixth in two-point shooting and average in three-point shooting across the EuroLeague. While they don’t have a very high number of assists, this is due to the fact that they have many quality individual players who prefer isolation plays. Mike James and Elie Okobo are undoubtedly the leaders of this team, both in scoring and in crucial moments of the game, with Jordan Loyd providing significant support. It’s also important to note that they haven’t changed much of the roster, which has been together for a while. They haven’t gained much from this summer’s signings, as Furkan Korkmaz has already left the team, and Nick Calathes has been dealing with injuries for some time. Monaco also has a large number of very useful players in the wing and center positions, who accept their roles as secondary contributors. Alpha Diallo has had an excellent season, but he has been out for a month. Monaco has managed to overcome this issue through more minutes and strong performances from Vittoria Brown. Overall, Monaco has an excellent team balance and clearly defined roles on the court. It seems that most of the team is content with their responsibilities and authority, making Monaco the team in the best form in Europe right now.
Monaco is in far better form than their opponent at this moment, but they need to prove it on the court. They appear much more serious and cohesive, with more solutions at the guard positions. However, they must maintain a high level of focus and motivation, as well as solid defensive play, especially against Barcelona’s best player, Kevin Punter.
Barcelona Team News
Barcelona has been very inconsistent this season, far from the expectations set by the club’s reputation. After two consecutive losses in the EuroLeague, they secured a 90-79 win against Paris on the road in the last round. After 19 games, they are in a group of teams with a 10-9 record. In the Endesa League, they have suffered two narrow losses in close finishes, to Real Madrid and Joventut.
The Catalan giant is currently in a deep crisis. It all started with the injury of Nicolas Laprovittola, and his replacement, Raul Neto, barely played double-digit minutes for Barcelona before suffering two serious injuries. This forced the club’s management to part ways with him, and coach Joan Pennaroya wanted to bring in Thomas Heurtel. Everything was agreed with the experienced French point guard, and he even traveled to Barcelona, but the deal was stopped at the last moment. All of this highlights the chaotic situation Barcelona is in. The team simply lacks enough quality and depth in the guard positions, and as a result, their offensive organization is suffering. Juan Nunez is still not at the level required for serious EuroLeague play, Dario Brizuela shows great fluctuations in his performances, and the strengths and limits of Tomas Satoransky are well known. All of this puts much more focus on Kevin Punter from opposing defenses. The former Partizan captain finds himself in a similar situation to what he faced last season in the Belgrade team. He still boasts solid numbers, averaging 16.5 points per game in the EuroLeague. He is one of the two players in the elite “50-40-90” EuroLeague club, shooting over 90% from the free-throw line, over 40% from three-point range, and over 50% on two-point shots. One of the few things Barcelona excels at in the EuroLeague is three-point shooting. They rank third in the league with 37.4%, but they are lacking in many other areas. They are ranked 11th in defense and 12th in offense. If they want to make the playoffs, they will have to improve many aspects of their game in the second half of the season.
This situation didn’t seem so bleak when Barcelona defeated Monaco by 15 points in the third round of the EuroLeague, but they travel to this game as underdogs. Against Paris, they played a very mature and high-quality game, managing to slow down their opponent’s offense, which was half the battle. Now, they will be tested in defending Monaco’s half-court offense, which is the second-best in the EuroLeague. In offense, they will need to find better shot selection and minimize their turnovers to have a chance.
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Monaco vs Barcelona H2H
In the first round of the EuroLeague, Barcelona was dominant against Monaco on their home court, winning 86-71. However, last season, Monaco came out on top in both encounters. They won 77-67 and 91-71.
Absences and Injuries
Monaco vs Barcelona Prediction
Monaco enters this game in excellent form. They are playing at a high level and securing easy, convincing wins in the EuroLeague. On the other hand, Barcelona is in a disastrous moment, with losses piling up, and it’s evident that there is a lack of understanding between the club’s management and the sports sector. Given everything we’ve seen recently, we expect Monaco to defeat Barcelona by a margin greater than the current handicap.
Tip-off Time: Thursday, 09.01.2025, 19:00 CET
Prediction: Monaco -5.5
Odds: 1.86
Sportsbook: 22Bet
*Odds are active at the time the article is published
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