The battle to make the postseason of Euroleague Basketball is entering the final strait. Who comes out on top when Partizan host Anadolu Efes in Belgrade
The chances to make the play-in places, never mind the playoff places, are reducing in Euroleague Basketball. Partizan and Anadolu Efes meet on Thursday in a game that feels must-win for both teams.
Key details
Who: Partizan (12-14) vs Anadolu Efes (11-15)
Where: Stark Arena, Belgrade
When: Thursday 29 February at 20.30 CET, 19.30 UK/Ireland, 12.40 EST
Last time out
Partizan were stunned at home by a battling FC Bayern side. That result was their second defeat straight and meant they were below .500 before Euroleague Basketball took its break for the national cups and EuroBasket 2025 qualifiers.
Anadolu Efes didn’t want that break to come as they pulled off back to back wins over Olimpia Milano and Maccabi Tel Aviv to stay relevant in the race for the post-season.
Key battles
With Anadolu Efes, it starts with Shane Larkin. Despite his side’s struggles, Larkin is putting up MVP numbers in Euroleague Basketball. Stop him, and Partizan put an enormous dent in the plans of Anadolu Efes.
On the Partizan side, it’s hard to look past Kevin Punter and James Nunnally. Both of them are classic Zeljko Obradovic guys and they will set the tone for what Partizan bring to this game.
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Need to know
There is no atmosphere as electric or intimidating as the Stark Arena when Partizan play at home. Despite that, Partizan have dropped a couple of games here where they have been clearly favoured to win. That should favour Anadolu Efes who have struggled mightily on the road and could do with a game against a team that doesn’t make the most of such a fortress.
What the bookies think
I’m very surprised by how lopsided this is. Partizan are favourites at 4/9 while Anadolu Efes are as long as 9/5 in some markets. I didn’t expect to see prices that good for Efes or that tight for Partizan in Euroleague Basketball betting.
The point spread also has Partizan as clear cut favourites at -5.5. That’s much wider than I expected the market to be.
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What we think
As you could probably gather from the previous section, I’m expecting a close one here. These are two well matched sides. The strengths and weaknesses vary wildly. That should make this a fascinating one to watch, even before you consider how wonderful the Partizan crowd is.
The prediction
I hate all the betting options here. I’m just saying that up front. Partizan should have enough to get over the line and win. That said, punters should be disgusted they aren’t getting better value than 4/9. I’m taking this but 8/11 would be a much fairer price here.
Pick: Partizan at 4/9
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