Panathinaikos vs Maccabi Tel Aviv: Analysis and Prediction – Panathinaikos will host Maccabi Tel Aviv in the EuroLeague quarterfinals.
Panathinaikos vs Maccabi Tel Aviv Odds
Panathinaikos Team News
Panathinaikos has done an excellent job during the regular season in the EuroLeague. They finished in second place with a record of 23-11. At home in Athens, they lost only three games, and one of them was against Maccabi Tel Aviv. This will only increase the level of motivation for the hosts.
During the previous summer, Panathinaikos underwent a complete overhaul. Ergin Ataman was chosen to lead the new project aimed at returning the “Greens” to the top of the EuroLeague. Perhaps not everyone expected it to happen immediately in the first season, but the Turkish coach has shown why he is one of the best in Europe. Mathias Lessort has had another impressive season, Kendrick Nunn looks unstoppable when attacking one-on-one, and Marius Grigonis is always ready to hit open shots. A significant threat in the closing moments of games is Kostas Sloukas, while Dinos Mitoglou, who is having the best season of his career, should not be forgotten. The atmosphere in the locker room is great, and they approach this series with optimism.
In the first game, Panathinaikos will have to deal with the pressure the most. They have been out of the EuroLeague playoffs for several years, and the fans will surely welcome this matchup with special emotion. If the players manage to stay focused only on what happens on the court, they will be favorites to take a 1-0 lead in the quarterfinals.
Maccabi Tel Aviv Team News
Maccabi Tel Aviv had three wins less than Panathinaikos after 34 rounds, placing them in seventh place. In the play-in, they demolished Baskonia, thus booking this quarterfinal series against the Athens giants. Last year, the “Pride of Israel” was eliminated at this stage of the competition, and now they want to go one step further.
Simply reaching the playoffs is a great success for this team. Due to the war events in Israel, they played only one game in Tel Aviv this season. Belgrade was their home for the past six months, where they played their home games. Despite this, they managed to finish among the top eight. Wade Baldwin deserves the most credit for this, as he has consistently performed at a high level and will likely be in the All-EuroLeague First Team. Lorenzo Brown experienced a certain decline, but his spectacular performance against Baskonia suggests a possible comeback. Bonzie Colson and Josh Nebo complete the dangerous quartet, while from the bench, the shooting threat from three-point range is always present with Tamir Blatt, John DiBartolomeo and Antonius Cleveland.
Conceptually, Maccabi Tel Aviv can match Panathinaikos at all positions. Defensively, they may not be at the level of the “Greens,” but they certainly have the potential for a tough fight. If they transfer that onto the court and if they hit shots from downtown, they can make the first game, as well as the series, interesting.
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Panathinaikos vs Maccabi Tel Aviv H2H
Maccabi Tel Aviv won both games against Panathinaikos this season.
Absences and Injuries
Panathinaikos has all players available. Rafi Menco is questionable for Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Panathinaikos vs Maccabi Tel Aviv Prediction
It’s a little bit surprising to see Panathinaikos as such a big favorite on paper. Maccabi Tel Aviv is the only team they failed to beat this season, and that’s not a coincidence. With the help of fanatic support from the stands, the hosts are indeed favorites to secure a win, but it’s much more realistic to expect a dramatic match and a decision in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter than a convincing double-digit win for Panathinaikos.
Tip-off Time: Tuesday, 23.04.2024, 19:30 CET
Prediction: Maccabi Tel Aviv +7.5
Odds: 1.75
Sportsbook: MyBookie
*Odds are active at the time the article is published
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