Basketbolists
Digs Euro Chicks
EL record: 42-20-3 +90.27 units
OK, last one did not go through there, but what the hell, still a human being there anyway though would like to be like a inch perfect machine on Euroleague.
vs.
Panathinaikos - TAU Ceramica, TAU Ceramica +7.5 @ -110, 5 units
The best team of Spain meats the best team of Greece. To me this line is at least 1.5 points too high, or even all 2 there. I might actually hedge it off if some stuff comes up or add some more as well as we still have more than 2 weeks before the game.
Currently both teams have injury concerns, but Tsatsaris (PAO) and Erdogan (TAU) will be ready to go for Final Four and should not be experiencing any problems there.
The thing is that Olympiakos (team that TAU Ceramica eliminated) was dogged in Athens recently by 8.5 points, yet those games also indicated that Olympiakos is nowhere near the quality of TAU Ceramica. The thing is that team that TAU faced was better than whole season long because finally welcoming Macijauskas in the team after long injury was a huge boost and will be very important for them in play-offs in Greece as well. I personally believe that TAU at least should get 3 point credit compared to Olympiakos just by looking on the quality of teams.
Another thing is - TAU is totally underestimated by many people and the line most likely reflects public perception in general. Yet, hardly TAU Ceramica has much less depth than Panathinaikos here. They should be healthy there and that sounds already dangerous.
I just think that home court advantage will help Panathinaikos, but I believe in great players of TAU: Prigioni, Planinic, Rakocevic, House, Scola, Splitter, Erdogan and also Vidal and Peker who give some depth for them as well. All in all this is marvelous team. Lets not forget the fact that TAU Ceramica eliminated Panathinaikos last year in Athens when everyone expected PAO to roll into Final Four, but it just was not meant to be.
vs.
CSKA Moscow - Unicaja, CSKA -9.5 @ -105, 30 units
OK, Unicaja screwed me over, well... Actually it was Barca who did not show up in 3rd game in Malaga and played awful basketball. Here are couple of points that one should know about Unicaja.
1) They cannot play outside their home teritory - they just perform on WAY lower level in away matches.
2) CSKA will definately have 3 times more fans (at least) than Unicaja in Athens (hardly anyone doubted to see CSKA there, but Unicaja was a long reach).
3) They will still be without Santiago (had eye surgery on April 12, so is going to miss 6-8 weeks) and against loaded CSKA front court that will be HUGE hole to fill.
4) Marcus Brown will be healthier, thus better. But if there is any team that knows Brown as Unicaja then it is CSKA, thus I believe they will be able to contain them.
5) All those things written about Maccabi matching up against CSKA - even worse match-ups for Unicaja. Brown is the only guy who can spark them and they have too many guys on SF (Brown, Welsch, Faison) - too good to be true, but too little minutes to use them to a better good.
The most important thing about CSKA - they are on a mission. They failed before, but last year they broke the curse and lifted the trophy, thus there are no new things to them. I rate Unicaja on similar level as Maccabi and if I believe that CSKA home court HC should have been around 17-18 points instead of 13.5 as it was, then 13.5 points seem to me pretty fair line for Unicaja on "neutral" ground. Yet, Unicaja is better defensive team then Maccabi and could keep score close, thus I will give a benefit of the doubt and shave a point of there - 12.5 points is the line that I guess is more or less fair there even though I believe CSKA will roll over that one as well.
If you love it, you grab it, if you don't - just leave it.
OK, last one did not go through there, but what the hell, still a human being there anyway though would like to be like a inch perfect machine on Euroleague.
Panathinaikos - TAU Ceramica, TAU Ceramica +7.5 @ -110, 5 units
The best team of Spain meats the best team of Greece. To me this line is at least 1.5 points too high, or even all 2 there. I might actually hedge it off if some stuff comes up or add some more as well as we still have more than 2 weeks before the game.
Currently both teams have injury concerns, but Tsatsaris (PAO) and Erdogan (TAU) will be ready to go for Final Four and should not be experiencing any problems there.
The thing is that Olympiakos (team that TAU Ceramica eliminated) was dogged in Athens recently by 8.5 points, yet those games also indicated that Olympiakos is nowhere near the quality of TAU Ceramica. The thing is that team that TAU faced was better than whole season long because finally welcoming Macijauskas in the team after long injury was a huge boost and will be very important for them in play-offs in Greece as well. I personally believe that TAU at least should get 3 point credit compared to Olympiakos just by looking on the quality of teams.
Another thing is - TAU is totally underestimated by many people and the line most likely reflects public perception in general. Yet, hardly TAU Ceramica has much less depth than Panathinaikos here. They should be healthy there and that sounds already dangerous.
I just think that home court advantage will help Panathinaikos, but I believe in great players of TAU: Prigioni, Planinic, Rakocevic, House, Scola, Splitter, Erdogan and also Vidal and Peker who give some depth for them as well. All in all this is marvelous team. Lets not forget the fact that TAU Ceramica eliminated Panathinaikos last year in Athens when everyone expected PAO to roll into Final Four, but it just was not meant to be.
CSKA Moscow - Unicaja, CSKA -9.5 @ -105, 30 units
OK, Unicaja screwed me over, well... Actually it was Barca who did not show up in 3rd game in Malaga and played awful basketball. Here are couple of points that one should know about Unicaja.
1) They cannot play outside their home teritory - they just perform on WAY lower level in away matches.
2) CSKA will definately have 3 times more fans (at least) than Unicaja in Athens (hardly anyone doubted to see CSKA there, but Unicaja was a long reach).
3) They will still be without Santiago (had eye surgery on April 12, so is going to miss 6-8 weeks) and against loaded CSKA front court that will be HUGE hole to fill.
4) Marcus Brown will be healthier, thus better. But if there is any team that knows Brown as Unicaja then it is CSKA, thus I believe they will be able to contain them.
5) All those things written about Maccabi matching up against CSKA - even worse match-ups for Unicaja. Brown is the only guy who can spark them and they have too many guys on SF (Brown, Welsch, Faison) - too good to be true, but too little minutes to use them to a better good.
The most important thing about CSKA - they are on a mission. They failed before, but last year they broke the curse and lifted the trophy, thus there are no new things to them. I rate Unicaja on similar level as Maccabi and if I believe that CSKA home court HC should have been around 17-18 points instead of 13.5 as it was, then 13.5 points seem to me pretty fair line for Unicaja on "neutral" ground. Yet, Unicaja is better defensive team then Maccabi and could keep score close, thus I will give a benefit of the doubt and shave a point of there - 12.5 points is the line that I guess is more or less fair there even though I believe CSKA will roll over that one as well.
If you love it, you grab it, if you don't - just leave it.
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