Last tips

Tip Preview:
This is a match for the EuroBasket 2021 Qualifiers between Denmark and Belarus. The Danish have made significant progress to their level of competitiveness in recent times and they are close to advancing to the next round if they beat Belarus tomorrow although they will have to do it playing without two key players, Baskonias's Shavon Shields, undoubtedly their most talented player and big man Jonas Bergstedt. The Belarussians arrive to Denmark after a heavy defeat against Sweden a couple of days before and this is a do or die game for them. After missing last match due to a back pain, Vitali Liutych should be ready to go tomorrow. This is a strange game. Belarus have developed an excellent chemistry as their roster core consists practically only of Tsmoki-Minsk players, have had a decent World Cup qualifying phase and are the more experienced team here. Nevertheless they are still winless in the EuroBasket Qualifiers and have already lost to Denmark in the first round. Having said that, I really think the bookies have this one very wrong as the differences between the two teams are minimal regarding the level of talent. The odds for a Belarus win are simply huge and represent fantastic value.

Tip Preview:
Both teams present themselves in this window of the World Cup Qualifiers in a less than optimal composition but ultimately Turkey seems the team more heavily penalized. Wilbekin will miss today's game while the recent injury to Mahmutoglu leaves coach Sarica with a serious lack of offensive firepower and some evident spacing issues. Spain is obviously weakened as well although their huge depth alleviates the issue. Moreover critical elements of the Spanish team like Colom and Beiran are in excellent form while J.Fernandez and Brizuela are having a breakout season. Spain is clearly the better, more balanced team and one way or another should prevail here.

Tip Preview:
Three straight losses, an overall 3-6 record and an incredible 0-5 playing at home, mark a turbulent Euroleague campaing for Zalgiris so far. Still the situation is not as miserable as those stats may suggest. While the turnover ratio and defense have been a cause of concern, their offense has been as efficient and fundamentally sound as expected and they were heavily penalized by a string of close defeats, all decided in the last few seconds. Milano have showed some signs of slowing down recently. They are coming from an easy loss in Barcelona and have barely prevailed over Cremona in the Serie A in a hard fought game where energy levels seemed limited for Milano who also have to cope with Nedovic's injury. On the contrary to Zalgiris, the Italians have benefited from a series of close matches going their way as victories over Khimki, Efes and Baskonia were decided by a total of 5 points. I have no doubt that Zalgiris's situation can only improve as the season progresses and their 0-5 home record is both highly irregular and unfair too. Time for them to get their first home win and the handicap is relatively small.

Tip Preview:
We have talked about the Sixers in a previous pick and what has been said still applies despite winning 5 of their last 6 games. After a hugely disappointing home loss to the lowly Cavaliers, it took another heroic, buzzer beating 3 point shot by Butler to get them back on track with the Nets but how sustainable is their current momentum is another question. The New York Knicks have gone on an impressive 3 game winning streak, prevailing over some tough opposition (Boston, Memphis and New Orleans) before losing yesterday in Detroit. Similarly to our Atlanta pick tonight, there is nothing here to justify such low odds for the Sixers and it's worth taking a chance with the Knicks.

Tip Preview:
The Atlanta Hawks are visiting Charlotte after getting a rare road win in Miami yesterday, their second straight, with coach Pierce carefully distributing playing time and only Young and Prince getting more than 30 minutes, so fatigue shouldn't be a huge issue despite playing for a second consecutive night. The Charlotte Hornets have been solid if unimpressive with a 10-10 record so far in the season but also a relatively favourable schedule and especially effective playing at home(7-3). Having said that, the Hawks have become a much more dangerous team after the return from injuries of their frontcourt duo of Dedmon and Collins, they have beaten Charlotte just a couple of days ago and odds are really tempting for a repeat business.

Tip Preview:
After the Jimmy Butler trade the Philadelphia 76ers are still searching for the optimal starting five and distribution of roles and minutes with Reddick's promotion to the starters more or less obbligatory given the struggles of both Simmons and Fultz from the 3 point line. The trouble is that the departures of Saric and Covington has left the team with a worryingly thin bench and obvious lack of shooting, even more so as Chandler is still trying to rediscover his form after a long time on the sidelines. Fultz's new injury further complicates things. The Pelicans are arriving in Philadelphia running a 3 game winning streak and having won 6 of their last 7 games. Meanwhile getting super star Anthony Davis back to his usual healthy self has made a huge difference after suffering a bad spell in their previous road trip. The Pelicans have every chance of upsetting the 76ers tonight and odds are more than adequate.

Tip Preview:
Two of the pleasant surprises in this first part of the season going against each other in Milwaukee as the Bucks face the Portland Trailblazers. New coach Mike Budenholzer has worked miracles for the Bucks transforming them into one of the favourites in the East with what is essentially the same roster as last season with a few astute additions like Lopez and Ilyasova to help with spacing playing alongside Antetokounmpo. Despite a hugely disappointing playoffs elimination for the Trailblazers last season, the team has renewed it's faith in coach Stotts and their start has been phenomenal, leading the West with a conference best 12-5 record. The Bucks have arguably been the slightly better team so far and this is the second of a back to back game for the visiting Trailblazers but then again at 3.48 I'm more than happy to take a chance with Portland here.

Tip Preview:
Brescia have had a really problematic start to their season and despite a couple of big wins over Monaco and Crvena Zvezda they still remain wildly inconsistent. Several of their off season signings (Mika, Allen, Beverly and Zerini) are already under contestation and the next few games will probably be critical in determining their future although changes seem inevitable at this point especially after Mika's recent injury. After a slightly underwhelming start, Andorra seem to have hit the reset button going into November recording 3 huge wins in quick succession over Real Madrid, Baskonia and Galatasaray, practically erasing a couple of bad defeats earlier this season. Brescia seemed dysfunctional more often than not so far and while they can play better basketball, red-hot Andorra are coming at the worst possible moment for the Italians and have to be the clear favourites all things considered.

Tip Preview:
Both teams are in excellent form at the moment, so my focus is mainly on the physical aspect for this game. Tonight Promitheas will be playing their 4th match in just 8 days, 3rd consecutive on the road and there is the demanding nature of their travel to Lithuania to consider too, as the Greek team traveled from Crete to Athens and then to Denmark before arriving to their final destination. Continuous games and travelling can really leave their mark especially to a team not accustomed to playing every couple of days, this being their first time ever playing in a European competition. In fact in both their last matches Promitheas suffered a late game meltdown barely escaping with the win against Rethymno but losing against Strasbourg in a game they dominated for the most part. To make matters worse, Promitheas will again play with reduced numbers as both Hall and Ellis are out with injuries. Neptunas have been rock solid playing in front of their fans so far with just one defeat against Lietkabelis in 6 games and the 5 point handicap they have to cover tonight seems very achievable.

Tip Preview:
Peristeri suffered their first defeat of the season last week against Kymi in a game that as expected evolved in an entirely different way than the first one between these two teams and was ultimately decided by the 3 point shot made by Washington. Peristeri will be looking to bounce back against the newly promoted Ifaistos from the small island of Limnos, an ambitious team playing for the first time in the superior Greek Division (A1). Ifaistos have assembled a solid roster led by the experienced Manolopoulos who has previously worked both at Panathinaikos as an assistant and AEK as head coach and has wisely recruited a lot of foreigners with prior A1 experience like Brazelton, Gotcher, Wiggins and Evans as well as proven Greek veterans like Manolopoulos and Mourtos to construct a team that surely does not look like a novice one. Ifaistos have so far faced opposition either much stronger than them like Panathinaikos and Olympiakos or much weaker as Panionios and Kolossos, two of the worse teams currently in the Greek A1. Results have been predictable in a way. Two easy home wins and two heavy losses on the road, so today we will be getting a much clearer picture of the potential of Ifaistos playing against a team with similar goals. As usual, the bookies are again very cautious after Peristeri's impressive start with a home win paying barely 1.20 but that leaves space for us to defy these odds. Peristeri have indeed impressed and are certainly the favourites playing in front of their fans but the odds for an Ifaistos win are simply way too generous here. Please note that Pinnacle has erroneously written Ifaistos as Faros Keratsini which is the team's old name.

Tip Preview:
The Denver Nuggets are off to a flying start (9-2) despite still missing starting small forward Will Barton, back-up point guard Isaiah Thomas has yet to make his debut and justifiably are considered one of the dark horses to challenge the Warriors dominion come playoff time once everybody is back healthy. Still, tonight's game may prove an insidious one for the Nuggets. Brooklyn is coming to town having won 3 of their last 4, including two blowout wins in their last couple over Philadelphia and Phoenix and at full strength now after Carroll's recovery, giving coach Atkinson a much needed stretch 4 and an overall surprisingly deep team considering Brooklyn's position and aspirations. Denver are the hot favourites here but anything over 4.50 for a surprise Brooklyn win is too tempting to ignore.

Tip Preview:
Big blow for Reggiana with the injury to Butterfield, the team's biggest threat from the 3 point arc and one of the focal points of their attack. Considering also the limited offensive contribution of the supporting cast so far, Reggiana's offense becomes way too predictable with Ledo averaging more than 20 shots/game, reaching 30 in the previous match against Cantu. Varese are off to a positive start with a 3-1 record relying on their usual solid defense, 3rd in the Serie A in defensive efficiency rating. Unless Reggiana finds an unlikely protagonist I fully expect Varese to challenge for the victory tomorrow and the 5 point handicap for the visitors seems safe enough.

Tip Preview:
Big blow for Reggiana with the injury to Butterfield, the team's biggest threat from the 3 point arc and one of the focal points of their attack. Considering also the limited offensive contribution of the supporting cast so far, Reggiana's offense becomes way too predictable with Ledo averaging more than 20 shots/game, reaching 30 in the previous match against Cantu. Varese are off to a positive start with a 3-1 record relying on their usual solid defense, 3rd in the Serie A in defensive efficiency rating. Unless Reggiana finds an unlikely protagonist I fully expect Varese to challenge for the victory tomorrow and the 6 point handicap for the visitors seems safe enough.

Tip Preview:
After getting humiliated by Peristeri for the Greek League losing at home by 31 points, Kymi have a rare chance of getting revenge just one week later, this time for the Greek Cup and that's where I'm counting on. Kymi are a really organized club, working methodically these last couple of years, coached by the very talented young coach Kastritis and last week's atrocious performance is simply no way representative of the team's true potential. They clearly failed in the mental approach of the game but that's simply not going to happen today. Peristeri have had a highly impressive start with a perfect 5-0 record so far although quite frankly I doubt this is sustainable. The bookies are clearly reading too much into Peristeri's crashing victory last week and overall fine start and while I rarely defy a team in form, I believe today's match is going to be an entirely different story. Odds at 2.50 for a Kymi win are excellent.

Tip Preview:
Barcelona have faded these last couple of years failing to make the Euroleague playoffs for two consecutive seasons and this is a transitional year, the last of coach Pesic at the helm before he retires. A couple of questionable signings too during the summer, not so much in terms of quality as of fit, like Pangos and Pustovyi. Initial results have been positive but so has been the schedule so far. Overall, as you may have guessed I'm not entirely convinced by Barcelona's project. Maccabi have similarly had a few disastrous seasons lately but have again made some really ambitious moves in the market bringing in very talented players like Wilbekin and Black although are still sort of one more playmaker given the injury of Pargo who seemed like a bad move in any case. Despite a 1-3 start Maccabi have been competitive in all of their games and can't see why they can't challenge for the win here.

Tip Preview:
A problematic start to the season for Bamberg. Their 4-0 record in the German League is slightly misleading having already played some of the weakest teams in the Bundesliga (MBC, Wurzburg) and a Ludwigsburg team in a terrible state of form. Injuries to Taylor, Hickman and recently Zisis haven't exactly helped either. Just one hard-fought victory over Dijon after 3 matches in the Champions League. Lietkabelis are practically an entirely new team having only retained Jasaitis and Mavra from last season's roster, so their slow start was more or less to be expected. Still, there are some signs of progress. Last week they recorded their first win in the Champions League over Nymburk, while they were also competitive against Lithuanian giants Zalgiris for 3 quarters. Obviously consistency is still not there but they can become dangerous as time passes by. Bamberg is one of the favourites for the Champions League and will certainly improve when they get everyone back healthy but are not scaring anyone at the moment and 5.12 for a Lietkabelis win is too big to ignore.

Tip Preview:
A perfect start to the season for Venezia still undefeated with an overall 7-0 record in all competitions although taking a closer look at their schedule so far reveals a really soft schedule having played the bottom 3 teams in Serie A at the moment Pesaro, Pistoia and Trento while the strongest opposition faced, Torino and Hapoel Holon resulted in victories decided after overtime. Tenerife have had an equally strong start with a 7-2 record the only "bad" defeat being a surprising home loss to Estudiantes, although they have bounced back immediately with an impressive win on the road over Andorra last Sunday. Tomorrow it should be a pretty competitive match and I just can't see Venezia as the favourites here against one of the best teams in the Champions League again this season.

Tip Preview:
After a poor start Nanterre have had a phenomenal last week crashing Bonn and Le Mans with a combined 45 points of margin. Getting back from injuries both Treadwell and Senglin certainly didn't hurt, giving coach Donadieu more options with his backcourt and frontcourt combinations. PAOK on the other hand are stuggling finding some consistency, are still winless in the Champions League after 3 matches and amidst some early injuries to Goss and Jones are still trying to figure out how to proceed with their foreign players with Pope most likely to get waived. While PAOK have the potential of playing better basketball they are still in a state of confusion and backing Nanterre as outsiders is the right choice considering the momentum the French have built currently.

Tip Preview:
A promising start for the Sacramento Kings with a 3-3 record on a less than comfortable schedule and despite winning may not be the top priority for the team at the moment, it's nevertheless a sure way of developing the young talents accumulated especially De'Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley III upon who the Kings put most of their hopes for a better future. The Miami Heat have a more ambitious project aiming for a playoffs place again this season although without any all-star in their roster, the ceiling seems a second-round playoffs exit at best. Their 3-2 start has been decent if unimpressive with last Sunday's win over Portland being the best performance of the season so far while the team is still waiting for the returns of James Johnson and Dion Waiters from injuries. With odds standing around 4.50 it's worth taking a chance on the Sacramento Kings here.

Tip Preview:
Opening odds for Torino were of no interest but kept rising since this morning and now at 3.81 are good enough to get involved. Torino have had a poor start in the Eurocup with 4 consecutive losses, although in Serie A things have gone much better and if it wasn't for an overtime loss on the road at Venezia, they would have still been undefeated. It all goes to show how unpredictable they have been so far, in a way typical of a team with six relatively young Americans carrying the load and being absolute protagonists with Poeta, Delfino and Cusin only having marginal roles. Sassari have had a decent start with an overall 6-1 record although 4 of those victories came in the not so competitive FIBA Europe Cup, so that is the toughest test of the season for them so far. Tonight's match for Sassari may turn out much more difficult than the odds suggest.