Virtus vs Alba Berlin: Analysis and Prediction – Virtus and Alba Berlin will play a game in the EuroLeague third round.
Virtus vs Alba Berlin Odds
Virtus Team News
After two rounds in the EuroLeague, Virtus has a split record. They lost to Zalgiris in the season opener, even though they held a 15-point lead twice. In the second round, they then pulled off an upset by defeating Monaco on the road.
Luca Banchi is the new head coach and brings with him a notably successful CV. It’s evident that it will take some time for him to implement his desired system in the most experienced team in the EuroLeague. From what we’ve seen so far, Tornike Shengelia truly stands out as the leader of this team. The immense experience brought by Marco Belinelli is invaluable, while role players like Ognjen Dobric, Daniel Hackett, and especially Jaleen Smith in the point guard position, add depth to the squad.
It’s clear that Virtus can compete with the best, as they’ve already demonstrated at the start of the season. However, they are also prone to dips in performance during games. We saw this against Zalgiris. But the upcoming game is one they should win if they aim to live up to their ambitions.
Alba Berlin Team News
It was clear even before the start of the season that Luke Sikma’s departure would be a significant setback for Alba. Even with him, they struggled to make significant progress, and this trend continues at the start of the new season, where they’ve recorded two losses.
Alba Berlin hasn’t been shining at the onset of the season, continuing the poor performances witnessed during the previous campaign. Johannes Thiemann is playing in excellent form, with Tim Schneider and Gabriel Procida providing solid support so far. However, certain injuries, coupled with the necessary adjustment period for Sterling Brown to adapt to European basketball, present issues they need to address promptly. As mentioned earlier, injuries have been troublesome, and without key players, it’s challenging for them to match up against stronger teams.
After two opening losses, they now face an away game against Virtus, and historical data indicates that this opponent has traditionally been tough for them. It’s likely that this trend will continue during their upcoming visit to Italy.
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Virtus vs Alba Berlin H2H
In the last five head-to-head games between these two teams, Berlin’s Alba has won only once.
Absences and Injuries
Achille Polonara will not be available for Virtus. On the other hand, Marcus Eriksson and Yanni Wetzell are confirmed absences for Alba, while the status and potential appearance of Khalifa Koumadje will be determined on the day of the game.
Virtus vs Alba Berlin Prediction
Virtus has formed an experienced team with the aim to challenge the best and surpass their own expectations, hoping at the very least to reach the play-in round. Their opponent now is from the “lower tier”, a team that everyone sort of chalks up as a win even before the game starts. It’s now up to Virtus to justify their quality and the role of favorites on the court. We have no doubt that they will do so, so our betting recommendation leans towards a Virtus win by a margin greater than the given handicap.
Tip-off Time: Thursday, 18.10.2023, 20:30 CET
Prediction: Virtus -7.5
Odds: 1.71
Sportsbook: 22Bet
*Odds are active at the time the article is published
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