Virtus vs Zalgiris: Analysis and Prediction – Virtus and Zalgiris will play in the first round of EuroLeague.
Virtus vs Zalgiris Odds
Virtus Team News
Bologna’s team has had a strong start to the new season, already securing their first trophy, the Italian SuperCup, with a victory over Brescia in the final. In the first round of the domestic league, they defeated Scafati on the road.
It’s been an eventful summer for Virtus. After public disputes with the club president, Sergio Scariolo left the coaching position, and Luca Banchi took over. In terms of player roster, there have been some changes, but nothing that drastically alters the core of the team. Certainly, the most significant departure was Milos Teodosic, who joined Crvena Zvezda. There were also long-standing speculations about the captain, Tornike Shengelia, potentially leaving, but the Georgian stayed with the team and was the standout player in the first round of the domestic league. New additions to the team include Bryant Dunston, Ognjen Dobric, Achille Polonara, and Jaleen Smith.
In the first round, Virtus will face a very quality team, well-led and with a clear game plan. The visitors know what they want and how to achieve it, so the hosts can expect a very challenging match. Nonetheless, we believe Virtus will secure a win in their season debut.
Zalgiris Team News
Zalgiris started the new season with two wins in the domestic league. In the first round, they defeated Juventus on their home court, and in the second round, they secured a win against Pieno Zvaigzdes, but in an away game.
Until a few days ago, Zalgiris made very few changes, only a couple of players, and it seemed like they were entering the new season stronger than they were in the previous seasons. However, the departure of Ignas Brazdeikis to Olympiacos disrupted many things. His absence, especially in terms of scoring, is expected to be compensated by Brady Manek. Currently, he is the second top scorer of the team, but averaging 11 points in 16 minutes per game looks quite decent. Playing time has been well distributed so far, with no one standing out significantly.
Zalgiris was indeed one of the most pleasant surprises of the previous season. Coach Kazys Maksvytis did an outstanding job. If it weren’t for injuries to some key players, they could have achieved even better results. Now, in the first round, they face a team that aims to make a better impression than last year. We believe the guests won’t give up easily, but it will be tough for them to secure a win.
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Virtus vs Zalgiris H2H
Last season, Zalgiris won both head-to-head matchups against this team.
Absences and Injuries
Iffe Lundberg is currently out of the home team and will likely miss this match. Ognjen Dobric has not played yet due to an injury he sustained in the FIBA World Cup final. For the guests from Lithuania, Kevarrius Hayes missed the last match. We will see if he will be ready for this duel.
Virtus vs Zalgiris Prediction
Although in the previous season Zalgiris seemed much more serious and compact, and despite not many changes in the teams, we believe in the win of the home team. In the previous seasons, the guests won both times, but it seems that Virtus team has clicked with the new coach and they appear much better than in previous seasons when they often seemed like a very bad team.
Tip-off Time: Tuesday, 05.10.2023, 20:05 CET
Prediction: Virtus -3.5
Odds: 1.73
Sportsbook: 22Bet
*Odds are active at the time the article is published
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