The week in Euroleague action is a bit top-heavy this week both figuratively and literally: Eight of the 12 games scheduled will be going down on Wednesday night, and most of these figure to be blowouts of the highest order. The bookmakers over at Euroleague/Ball in Europe sponsor Sporting Bet have double-digit pointspreads set for three Wednesday matches – topped by the insane 20-point handicap given ASVEL Basket in the French team’s visit to Madrid – and could easily have made another two 10-pointers as well.
The mostly one-sided handicap lines and over/unders for Wednesday’s slate of games follows.
Maroussi BC vs Baskonia
Handicap: Maroussi plus 4
Over/under: 154.5
CSKA Moscow vs Union Olimpija
Handicap: CSKA Moscow minus 13
Over/under: 141.5
Cibona vs Zalgiris Kaunas
Handicap: Cibona minus 2
Over/under: 143.5
Entente Orleanaise vs Unicaja
Handicap: Orleanaise plus 6
Over/under: 146.5
Fenerbahce Ulker vs Montepaschi Siena
Handicap: Fenerbahce plus 7
Over/under: 145.5
Asseco Prokom vs Panathinaikos
Handicap: Prokom plus 10
Over/under: 156.5
EWE Baskets Oldenburg vs Real Madrid
Handicap: Oldenburg plus 9
Over/under: 152.5
FC Barcelona vs ASVEL Basket
Handicap: Barcelona minus 20
Over/under: 146.5
Immediate thoughts: How does Montepaschi stay this low-regarded? The Italians have hardly flexed their collective muscles in three Euroleague games thus far, outscoring opponents by an average 27 points; Fenerbahce, meanwhile, may be the most deceptive 2-1 team thus far, barely getting past ASVEL and finding little rhythm in the lackluster win against Cibona. Siena minus the points here!
How does CSKA Moscow maintain its reputation? True, Olimpija is early on already looking to get noted as one of the disappointments of 2009-10, Moscow looks less like a slightly surprising Sweet 16 contender and more like a rebuilding squad in disarray – which they are – week by week. It sure wouldn’t be surprising to see the visitors “surprise” with a close game in the Russian capital.
And won’t Panathinaikos cover that 10 points? I mean, would you want to be Asseco after Pana suffered an embarrassing loss to one of the few Euroleague teams that can compare to the defending champs in 2009-10? About the only ones that know suffering like the home team might experience tomorrow night are the Greens who heard coach Obradovic’ rage after the Madrid defeat…
The one to watch: Cibona vs. Kaunas.
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