Yalovaspor has won two of their last eight games, but the encouraging sign is that these two victories came in the last four rounds. In the current season, they have played 14 games, achieving only three wins and suffering 11 losses. At home, they have a record of three wins and four losses.
At the beginning of the season, Yalovaspor was considered one of the top candidates for a quick return to a lower division. However, with these recent victories, they have positioned themselves as serious contenders in the fight to stay in the league. As is the case with almost all teams in the Turkish Super League, Yalovaspor’s best players are foreigners; in fact, the team’s top five scorers are all non-Turkish players. Since his arrival just over a month ago, David Nichols has taken on the role of the team’s leading scorer, followed by Jaylen Johnson, who had been the top scorer before Nichols joined. In the past few days, the team has parted ways with a couple of players: big man Egemen Guven and guard Ahmed Hill, who joined during the season but failed to make an impact, leading to his contract being terminated. Neither player was a crucial part of the team, but their departures reduce an already limited rotation. The departure of Guven, in particular, may have a greater impact since he is a domestic player, and it is mandatory in the Turkish Super League to have at least one domestic player on the court at all times. Like most teams, Yalovaspor struggles with having a sufficient number of quality domestic players. In terms of statistics, Yalovaspor is among the weakest teams both offensively and defensively in the league. Only Merkezefendi has a worse offense, and Yalovaspor is the team with the second-highest number of turnovers. Regarding defense and rebounding, Yalovaspor ranks as the third-worst team in the league.
A big question remains whether Yalovaspor’s defense can slow down Manisa’s top players, as Lee and Bess are excellent scorers and not easy to stop. However, we believe the game will be decided in rebounding since both teams have significant issues in this area. If Yalovaspor manages to take control of the boards, they will have a good chance of securing a victory in this match.
Manisa has been improving recently and showing more consistent performances, which is a notable success compared to the first part of the season when they mostly lost games in the Turkish Super League. Like their opponents in this match, Manisa currently has a record of three wins and 11 losses in the league. On the road, they have secured one win and suffered six losses.
Unlike their rivals, Manisa is also participating in European competitions this season. Their performances there have been better than in the Turkish Super League. They advanced to the Round of 16 in the FIBA Champions League after a two-legged victory over Chemnitz. The team’s entire game revolves around Shabazz Lee and Hugo Besson. Lee has delivered some phenomenal performances this season, earning a brief stint with Maccabi Tel Aviv before returning to Manisa and continuing his stellar play as if he had never left. In the recent game against Chemnitz, he scored 28 points. Besson is the team’s second key player and led the squad during Lee’s time with Maccabi Tel Aviv. In addition to these two stars, Manisa has several other intriguing players capable of making an impact when given the opportunity. While Manisa boasts solid shooting percentages, their offense ranks in the league’s bottom third, primarily because only Darussafaka turns the ball over more frequently. Their struggles are even more pronounced on the defensive end, where they rank as the worst team in the league and have yet to find their rhythm.
It’s clear that Manisa’s defense will face a significant challenge, and their overall success will heavily depend on their defensive capabilities. While the offense is expected to perform well, it will all be in vain if their defense falters and allows their opponents to find their scoring rhytham.
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Yalovaspor vs Manisa H2H
Yalovaspor has won the last two encounters between these teams, but those games were played five years ago.
Absences and Injuries
The hosts are expected to field their strongest lineup. Martynas Echodas was listed in the squad for the game against Chemnitz but did not play for Manisa, while Jo Acuil also missed that game for Manisa.
Yalovaspor vs Manisa Prediction
Although we are still in the first half of the season, this match will be of great importance for both teams, especially for the hosts, who are likely to fight for survival until the end of the season. We believe that the visitors are a stronger team than Yalovaspor and will demonstrate that in this away game. Manisa simply has far more offensive weapons, and it is hard to imagine that the hosts will be able to counter the offensive firepower of Manisa.
Tip-off Time: Friday, 17.01.2025, 17:00 CET Prediction: Manisa -4.5 Odds: 1.77 Sportsbook: 22Bet
*Odds are active at the time the article is published
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