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Looking at the Paris Levallois roster the names of Klemen Prepelic, still in great form and winner of the last Eurobasket with Slovenia and ex NBA star Boris Diaw immediately pop up and are the uncontested leaders of this team. Gavin Ware had also a great start in the season but the good news stop there I'm afraid. Starting point guard Louis Campbell is almost 39 years old now and he has obviously lost a step while the rest of the supporting cast also seems weak and the injury to Roderick Odom during preseason doesn't exactly help matters. In the french league Paris Levallois have won just once in their first 4 matches while losing all 3 home games played. Darussafaka's biggest win this summer was actually keeping legendary coach David Blatt at the helm and while they had to reshuffle their roster after getting relegated from the Euroleague, the new additions look very promising placing them certainly amongst the big favourites for the Eurocup crown. Despite losing badly in their opening game for the turkish league, the quality gap between Darussafaka and Paris Levallois seems quite big to justify backing the turkish team at these odds.

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Venezia are back in the competition after a successful campaign last season when they reached the quarterfinals. Bramos and Peric are back with the team but key player Ejim left for Kazan. Orelik, Johnson and Watt are the main additions and what is evident immediately is their very deep roster with at least 10 players expected to have a significant role. Banvit are the finalists of the last edition of the Champions League but what has been their biggest strength, their backcourt consisting of Theodore, Korkmaz and Orelik are gone, so repeating last season's feat looks difficult at the moment. That being said though, coach Filipovski and frontcourt duo of Vidmar and Kulig are back providing some stability while they have made some astute additions with Odum, Caloiaro and Taylor. All things considered I still expect them to remain competitive this season and are getting seriously underrated tonight by the bookies. Anything over 2.75 looks excessive to me.

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I rarely bet against in form teams but I am obliged at making an exception here as the circumstances are rather unique. But first let's see the facts. Ludwigsburg have started the new season with 8 straight wins (6 in the Champions League, 2 in the Bundesliga) and seem to have already developed a good team chemistry despite keeping just 2 players from last season's roster (Thiemann and McCray). PAOK on other hand have lost both the games they played so far (against Aris for the greek cup and Promitheas for the greek league) and for that reason we have a completely lopsided set of odds. On closer inspection though there are a couple of objections. Ludwigsburg have faced a very low level of competition so far. More specifically they prevailed against Bosna, Cluj, Brussels, Bremerhaven and Frankfurt, so not exactly world-beaters. PAOK on the other hand lost both their games amidst a mini injury crisis that forced Dillard, Koniaris, Jones and Margaritis to either miss the matches or play in less than optimal conditions. Considering also that Dillard and Koniaris are both point guards, one can see the complications created here. The last update from Greece says everyone should be available for tomorrow so that is a big boost for PAOK. Finally I have to say I like this PAOK team. They have a nice mixture of veterans and young talents, considerable european experience, an ambitious new coach and I'm convinced they can make some noise in this group. To be honest I was not expecting more than 3.00 for the visitors' win, so 5.33 is simply too big to ignore.

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Two teams with similar (playoff) ambitions this season but also quite similar apparently in terms of strength at least judging their potential based on their transfer moves and their first official game played a couple of days ago. Their similarities extend in their roster construction priorities as well. They have both kept a good part of last season's teams while injecting a much needed dose of athleticism with players like Diagne, Blazic for Andorra and Olaseni, Eyenga for Fuenlabrada. The set of odds fails to reflect what are essentially two evenly matched teams, even more so with Andorra's Burjanadze currently injured and perhaps the bookies are reading too much into Andorra's impressive 14-2 record at home last season. In any case with odds for a Fuenlabrada win standing comfortably over 3.00 at the moment, there is considerable value backing the visitors to prevail here.

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Gipuzkoa may have been surprisingly competitive against Gran Canaria in their opener but getting the hot favourites label in the match versus Betis is very premature in my opinion even more so with starting point guard Cherry still injured. Visitors Betis were equally solid in their opening game despite losing to champions Valencia and just concluded the signing of point forward Blake Schilb who should give them a big hand down the road with his vast experience and versatility and will debut tomorrow in all probability. Quite happy to back Betis at 2.55 here.

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I'm quite intrigued by the roster new coach Banchi has put together this season with Torino. Established veterans like Washington, Mbakwe and Vujasic with considerable Serie A experience, Poeta, Iannuzzi and Mazzola enhancing the italian element of the team and newly arrived Lamar Patterson who I suspect may become one of the protagonists in the league. Last but not least a very deep bench and players capable of occupying multiple positions on the court which increases versatility and is essential in case of injuries. All things considered a playoff spot seems like the minimum expectation for Torino. Brindisi's ambitions have been lowered this season as a result of their main sponsor's reduced economic support. That's not to say this is necessarily a bad team. The additions of Tepic, Randle and Giuri are astute moves that should provide invaluable leadership and experience but the rest of the roster consists mostly of unproven players and especially the performance of their backcourt duo of Barber and Suggs is going to be crucial for Brindisi's fortunes. Considering though the increased level of competition in Serie A this year, I'm having trouble seeing how they can aspire to anything more than a safe mid table position. This set of odds seems quite wrong in my opinion and I see no reason not to go with the visitors Torino here.

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Gran Canaria should maintain their status as a top-6 team in Spain this season. They kept Casimiro as coach and almost half of last year's roster (Pacecniks, Baez, Aguilar, Rabaseda, Pauli, Oliver) while adding interesting pieces like McKissic, Seeley, Balvin and Mekel. The two games already played in the Supercopa by Gran Canaria against top competition (Real Madrid and Valencia) seem to confirm this assessment. Gipuzkoa are newly promoted to ACB and unless they add some serious talent to their roster, they should have a very tough time avoiding relegation. The team seems to lack in most positions with only exception being the center where Norel is a nice pick up from Zaragoza and should complement nicely with Agbelese. Other than that though there is not much room for optimism. To make things worse they have to face Gran Canaria without their starting point guard Cherry, out because of injury. I would be surprised if Gran Canaria fail to get an easy double digit win here.

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Capo d'Orlando were rewarded with a Champions League spot after their great 2016/17 season in Italy when they surprised quite a few people with their astute signings like Fitipaldo, Archie and Iannuzzi. While they retained just a couple of players from last season (Delas-Stojanovic) they followed the same philosophy in the transfer market bringing in talented youngsters like Inglis, Kulboka and Edwards, constructing a very interesting team with good depth but still too early to judge with certainty. Saratov is also a new team. They brought back just Frazier from last season's roster and signed a new coach (Andrea Mazzon) and 5 new Americans most notable Coty Clarke and Micah Downs. While Saratov have already a few games under their belt and 3 wins out of 4 matches (but also an embarrassing loss at home to Keravnos), it is also true that they didn't exactly scare anyone considering the low level of competition faced so far. I would say this is the typical high risk-high reward kind of game. Capo d'Orlando are playing their first ever game in european competitions but are an intriguing team and Saratov may find themselves in trouble if not at their best. I will keep the stakes lower considering there are quite a few question marks regarding both teams.

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Capo d'Orlando were rewarded with a Champions League spot after their great 2016/17 season in Italy when they surprised quite a few people with their astute signings like Fitipaldo, Archie and Iannuzzi. While they retained just a couple of players from last season (Delas-Stojanovic) they followed the same philosophy in the transfer market bringing in talented youngsters like Inglis, Kulboka and Edwards, constructing a very interesting team with good depth but still too early to judge with certainty. Saratov is also a new team. They brought back just Frazier from last season's roster and signed a new coach (Andrea Mazzon) and 5 new Americans most notable Coty Clarke and Micah Downs. While Saratov have already a few games under their belt and 3 wins out of 4 matches (but also an embarrassing loss at home to Keravnos), it is also true that they didn't exactly scare anyone considering the low level of competition faced so far. I would say this is the typical high risk-high reward kind of game. Capo d'Orlando are playing their first ever game in european competitions but are an intriguing team and Saratov may find themselves in trouble if not at their best. I will keep the stakes lower considering there are quite a few question marks regarding both teams.

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Quarterfinals for this Eurobasket and honestly I can't see why Slovenia are the favourites for this match. I reckon the odds should have been inversed here. Latvia is simply one of the revelations of the tournament I am happy to report. After losing their initial game to Serbia in a tightly contested affair (completely misleading in fact the final 92-82 scoreline), they have recorded 5 straight victories winning by an average margin of 18 points/game(!) despite facing strong opposition like Russia and hosts Turkey along the way. Slovenia no doubt have been solid so far as expected but I really see two serious flaws with this team. Limited bench depth especially in their frontcourt and poor 3 point shooting (31,8% in the tournament). That doesn't bode well facing Porzingis and company. I'm glad to back Latvia at these odds.

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I have to say I'm positively surprised by Russia so far. Built around the axis of Shved-Mozgov, coach Bazarevich has created a tough, hard working team with a remarkable consistency excluding their second half collapse against a superior Latvia team. Their biggest weakness is their limited offensive options. They are over-reliant on Shved to score and create for his teammates and while he has performed admirably so far, they will need at least a couple of their veterans to step up if they are to get involved in the medalist zone. Yes, I'm referring to you Mr. Fridzon and Vorontsevich! Croatia is similar to Russia in many ways. Based on their own stellar duo of Bogdanovic and Saric, they are also a team difficult to decipher, capable of challenging Spain for the win until the end but also struggling excessively to put down a limited Hungary team playing an entire second half without their best player and leader Adam Hanga. The biggest concern for the Croatians has to be the mediocre performances of Simon who has struggled so far, perhaps still affected by his late season injury. A key for the match may be Russia's suffocating defense and great size as they have enough athletic forwards (Vorontsevich, Kurbanov, Zubkov) to throw at Saric and Bogdanovic in their effort to limit them. All things considered I'm expecting a close, contested game here. Croatia may have a very slight advantage but with odds for a Russia win standing around 3.00 at the moment, I have no hesitation backing Bazarevich's team.

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Greece somehow managed to avoid a very embarrassing early exit in this Eurobasket, winning against a Poland team playing without a key player like Slaughter but the truth is they don't convince anyone at the moment. Their problems (bad pick and roll defense, poor shooting, dubious coach, bad dressing room atmosphere just to name the most serious ones) seem beyond repair at this point considering the short time frame between the matches and I expect Lithuania will find a way to expose Greece's weaknesses. The Lithuanians have been their usual shelves in this tournament. Competent, consistent and dependable. They have recovered well from their opening day surprise defeat to Georgia to record 4 straight comfortable wins and appeared as solid as always. While it is true that a knock out, do or die game like this has a few particularities, I believe the Greeks are practically looking for a miracle here to overcome a much superior Lithuania team.

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Really tough losses yesterday with Belgium and Latvia at opening day losing both our handicap bets in the final seconds but we move on. After Russia's new win I reckon the bookies are slightly overrating them again here today in their matchup with Latvia. Relying on their tough defense Russia have kept Belgium at bay but their offense is really struggling at the moment with both Fridzon and Vorontsevich really cold from the arc. Besides, Latvia with Porzingis in incredible form is on a whole other level offensively although they need a couple of their role players like Meiers and Smits to step up to become even more dangerous moving forward. There might be another bet later today but I need to check some info first guys, so keep it in mind.

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After beating hosts Turkey in a dramatic opening game, Russia have surprisingly upset Serbia too in a similar fashion. As I mentioned in my Eurobasket preview this Russia is a competent but inconsistent team, capable for the best and the worst and probably more dangerous when they play as outsiders as was the case in their first two matches. "The worst" part has not made an appearance yet but I wouldn't be surprised if tomorrow surfaces again when they face Belgium as the strong favourites this time. After handling Great Britain in their opener, Belgium were demolished by Latvia in the second game but not much changes for them as they won the game they should have won and lost against a far superior team. They may not have a star like Russia's Shved but are an uncomfortable, insidious team to play against and I still believe they can make some noise in the group.

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After beating hosts Turkey in a dramatic opening game, Russia have surprisingly upset Serbia too in a similar fashion. As I mentioned in my Eurobasket preview this Russia is a competent but inconsistent team, capable for the best and the worst and probably more dangerous when they play as outsiders as was the case in their first two matches. "The worst" part has not made an appearance yet but I wouldn't be surprised if tomorrow surfaces again when they face Belgium as the strong favourites this time. After handling Great Britain in their opener, Belgium were demolished by Latvia in the second game but not much changes for them as they won the game they should have won and lost against a far superior team. They may not have a star like Russia's Shved but are an uncomfortable, insidious team to play against and I still believe they can make some noise in the group.

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In their opening game Hungary came close to a huge upset, pushing Croatia all the way even leading by a point entering the 4th quarter despite Hanga's injury that forced him to miss the entire second half. In the second match against Montenegro, they were not as competitive but the crucial game for them is tomorrow facing the Czech Republic as the winner will probably take the last ticket and advance to the next phase. The Hungarians have showed an obvious difficulty getting easy points so far and both Hanga and Allen will have to step up now if they are to beat the Czechs. Still, I reckon they have not really much to fear from their next opponent as with the exception of Satoransky and perhaps Auda, the rest of the roster plays in less competitive leagues and has limited international experience. I believe the Czechs are getting massively overrated by the bookies here.

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In their opening game Hungary came close to a huge upset, pushing Croatia all the way even leading by a point entering the 4th quarter despite Hanga's injury that forced him to miss the entire second half. In the second match against Montenegro, they were not as competitive but the crucial game for them is tomorrow facing the Czech Republic as the winner will probably take the last ticket and advance to the next phase. The Hungarians have showed an obvious difficulty getting easy points so far and both Hanga and Allen will have to step up now if they are to beat the Czechs. Still, I reckon they have not really much to fear from their next opponent as with the exception of Satoransky and perhaps Auda, the rest of the roster plays in less competitive leagues and has limited international experience. I believe the Czechs are getting massively overrated by the bookies here.

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Greece have prevailed comfortably against Iceland despite a dreadful second quarter but most of the problems they faced during their preparation games were evident yet again including a bad pick and roll defence and defensive rebounding (Iceland captured 14 offensive rebounds). At least they shot a decent 42% from the arc but I'm not convinced this is sustainable against teams with a better defense like their next opponent and considering they lack consistent shooters in their backcourt. Moreover Sloukas who is a key player for Greece appears entirely out of form and this is certainly a cause of concern.
France have fallen victim to a surprise in their opening game against the hosts Finland, proving that they have yet some issues to resolve, most important being the physical conditions of Diot and Seraphin. Perhaps this defeat though will make the French face the match versus Greece with bigger concentration and a sense of urgency as another defeat would complicate their path to the next round.
To sum up, I reckon the easy opening win probably flattered this Greek team considering how weak Iceland appeared and I'm expecting them to have a hard time facing France.

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Serbia's hopes of winning the Eurobasket took another considerable blow after coach Djordjevic announced that both Nedovic and Kalinic will eventually miss the tournament. That comes after the exclusion of Teodosic, Markovic, Bjelica and Jokic earlier this summer. This means that Milosavljevic, Guduric, Micic and Lazovic were all included in the final roster and at least a couple of them will have an upgraded role. I'm still convinced this Serbia is amongst the serious candidates for gold mainly because of this team's great cohesion and chemistry on the court. That said, I reckon Latvia will give them a tough game here. I have made my thoughts on Latvia widely known by now, so I won't repeat myself. Given this is the first official match for both teams it makes sense to start cautiously with our staking, so 2 units instead of the usual 3.

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As you can probably tell if you read my Eurobasket preview, I hold this Latvia team in high regard so seeing their odds for Outright Winner at 51.00 I was surprised. Pinnacle have been quick to correct the initial 43.00 at around 19.00 but others have not. So no reason not to take advantage.
There are obviously plenty of things I like about Latvia. A competent coach in Ainars Bagatskis, an NBA star in Kristaps Porzingis and a handful of quality players like Janis Strelnieks, the Bertans brothers (Dairis & Davis), Janis Timma, Rolands Smits and Martins Meiers compose the core of this team while veterans Janis Blums and Kristaps Janicenoks will provide depth coming from the bench.
The D group in which they partecipate leaves hopes to go as high as 2nd (assuming Serbia comes 1st) and in that case they will probably avoid Spain and most likely Croatia in the round of 16. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. The key is obviously avoiding 4th place in Group D as that makes the road to the Quarter Finals much more accessible.
Downsides of this Latvia team? Sure, there a couple that actually worry me. An extra pure point guard would have surely helped (despite Dairis Bertans can cover the spot as well if needed) and the defensive prowess of their backcourt is perhaps a little questionable. Finally this is a team with little to no experience in closed, do or die games but then again at these odds I'm more than happy to take a chance.