Zalgiris vs Crvena Zvezda: Analysis and Prediction – Zalgiris and Crvena Zvezda will play a game in the EuroLeague second round.
Zalgiris vs Crvena Zvezda Odds
Zalgiris Team News
Zalgiris has been performing exceptionally at the beginning of this season. Since the commencement of the official competitions, they’ve played four matches and triumphed every single time. In the domestic championship, they have remained unchallenged, and they caused the first surprise in the EuroLeague in the opening round by defeating Virtus in Bologna.
What’s heartening for Zalgiris is the form that Keenan Evans is displaying at the start of the season. The American point guard had been playing splendidly at the beginning of the previous season too, before injuring his anterior cruciate ligament. He was sidelined for a year, but he already delivered 25 points in Bologna. Edgaras Ulanovas continues to showcase the same prowess as he did in previous seasons, and coach Kazys Maksvytis heavily relies on him. Over the past seasons, Zalgiris has always compensated for its shortcomings with team play, and it seems like this trend will continue this year.
Zalgiris has always delivered better performances at home than on the road, and they are known to upset the favorites, as we saw in the first round. The history of matches against Crvena Zvezda promises another nail-biting game.
Crvena Zvezda Team News
Crvena Zvezda, despite numerous changes to the squad, has been showcasing impressive performances at the onset of the new season. Between two victories over Igokea and Cedevita Olimpija in the ABA league, they bested Asvel in the EuroLeague season opener.
There were initial doubts about how the 10 new players in the Crvena Zvezda roster would fit into the system of coach Dusko Ivanovic, but at the start of the season, there seem to be no hitches. The Belgrade-based team has a roster where every position boasts at least two quality players. Shabazz Napier and Rokas Giedraitis have found their shooting rhythm, while Nemanja Nedovic, Milos Teodosic, and the rest of the squad contribute on both ends of the court. Asvel, at least on paper, is one of the weaker teams in the EuroLeague, and against them, Crvena Zvezda showcased their offensive firepower. If they aim to maintain their high ambitions, there’s no better test than the one in Kaunas at the beginning of the season.
Crvena Zvezda has assembled a team where neither the management nor the players are shy about their ambitions: they want a spot in the EuroLeague Final Four. That’s a distant goal, and it’s clear they can’t just leapfrog to it without taking the necessary steps. At the start of the season, they display brilliant gameplay, and now they aim to achieve a win in Kaunas after a four-year drought.
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Zalgiris vs Crvena Zvezda H2H
In the previous season, they played twice, and each team defended its home court advantage. Before the start of this season, they played a friendly match in which Zalgiris came out on top. In their last ten encounters, the Lithuanian team triumphed six times. Out of the seven games played with Zalgiris as the host, Crvena Zvezda has won on only two occasions. The last time this happened was in 2019.
Absences and Injuries
Nemanja Bjelica will definitely not play for Crvena Zvezda. All other players on both teams are available for their coaches.
Zalgiris vs Crvena Zvezda Prediction
Both Zalgiris and Crvena Zvezda have been playing well at the start of the new season, which is evident. However, when these teams face off, especially on Lithuanian soil, high-scoring games are rarely seen. The key point is that if Zalgiris aims for a win, they simply don’t have the offensive potential to match the depth of their opponent’s roster. Hence, we expect a game at a somewhat slower pace where the teams, combined, won’t exceed the set points limit.
Tip-off Time: Friday, 13.10.2023, 19:00 CET
Prediction: Under 158.5
Odds: 1.76
Sportsbook: 22Bet
*Odds are active at the time the article is published
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