Ukraine vs Portugal: Analysis and Prediction – Ukraine will play against Portugal in the EuroBasket Qualifiers Round 2.
Ukraine vs Portugal Odds
Ukraine Team News
Ukraine opened their EuroBasket qualifiers with a defeat to Slovenia by 87:73. Despite making a strong impression in the first half, they couldn’t find a solution for Jaka Blazic’s three-point shooting in the third quarter. Klemen Prepelic also posed significant problems for them, so now they shift their focus to Portugal.
Due to the ongoing war in their country, Ukraine plays their home games on neutral court in Latvia. The atmosphere is undoubtedly not the same as it would be under different circumstances, but they must find a way to triumph if they want to be part of EuroBasket in 18 months. In the absence of NBA players, Oleksandr Kovliar has taken on a leading role. The Obradoiro point guard scored 23 points against Slovenia, and Ukraine will need another stellar performance from him. Vyacheslav Bobrov is also someone whose experience will be crucial in making the right decisions tomorrow.
The fact remains that Ukraine and Portugal are the two weakest teams in this qualification group. This means that their head-to-head matchups will decide who advances to EuroBasket and who does not. Kovliar is undoubtedly the best player on the court, and his top-notch performance is essential for Ukraine’s triumph.
Portugal Team News
Portugal was much closer to win in the first round than Ukraine. They were defeated by Israel 70:72 at home, despite having a chance to pull off an upset. To change that this time, they will need to shoot much better from beyond the arc.
In the game against Israel, they had a disastrous 2/21 three-point shooting. It’s surprising that with such shooting percentages, they were only one possession away from the team that secured the win. Portugal hasn’t appeared in EuroBasket since 2011, but the opportunity seems to be present now. There are many veterans playing in the domestic league, mainly for Benfica and Sporting, and they know each other well. Travante Williams has been with Manresa this season and leads the national team, while Diogo Brito and Rafael Lisboa play crucial roles, with high expectations for Miguel Queiroz.
Portugal will seek their chance through faster play and easy transition points. They have greater athletic abilities than Ukraine and will try to prevent their opponents from dominating the boards. If successful, they might create an upset.
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Ukraine vs Portugal H2H
Ukraine and Portugal have never played an official game before.
Absences and Injuries
Alex Len and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk are not playing for Ukraine due to NBA commitments, and veteran Viacheslav Kravtsov is also absent. Portugal has no injury concerns.
Ukraine vs Portugal Prediction
In terms of individual player quality, Ukraine has a slight advantage over Portugal. Since the game is played on neutral ground, small details are likely to determine the winner. Portugal had terrible three-point shooting percentages against Israel, and it’s unlikely to repeat. They might not defeat Ukraine in the end, but we don’t believe they’ll allow a convincing defeat either. The difference is simply not that high.
Tip-off Time: Sunday, 25.02.2024, 20:00 CET
Prediction: Portugal +7
Odds: 1.76
Sportsbook: MyBookie
*Odds are active at the time the article is published
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