A great chance to strengthen their position in the EuroLeague. Partizan vs Baskonia prediction
KK Partizan Belgrade
Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz
Partizan and Baskonia will meet on Wednesday, November 11, in Round 11 of the EuroLeague regular season. The game will be played in Belgrade, with tip-off scheduled for 20:45 CET. I am backing a winner in this matchup.
H2H and statistical facts
- Partizan are on a three-game winning streak.
- Baskonia have lost seven EuroLeague games in a row.
- Partizan have beaten Baskonia in their last three meetings.
- The Spanish side have not won in Belgrade since 2002.
Partizan: confidence after three straight wins
The Belgrade side head into this matchup in high spirits. In their latest Adriatic League game, Partizan defeated SC Derby 92-80 despite trailing by 14 points at one stage. The team turned the game around after halftime and maintained its perfect record in the regional competition — six wins from six games. Earlier in the EuroLeague, Joan Peñarroya's men comfortably beat Maccabi 88-67.
Partizan sit 11th in the EuroLeague with five wins and five losses. The Serbian club have also shown impressive defensive reliability, conceding an average of 78.9 points per game — one of the best figures in the competition. Their offense, however, has been less convincing so far: 79.4 points per game and only 19th place in scoring.
The team have won three of their last four EuroLeague games, including the victory over Maccabi, but before that they lost to Panathinaikos, Real Madrid and Fenerbahce. The depth of their rotation and the ability to spread the workload among several players could prove to be a key advantage for the home side.
Partizan also have a personnel issue to contend with: center Tony Jekiri is listed among the injured with a groin problem, while Kyle Allman has missed several recent games. Nevertheless, home court should work in Partizan's favor: in Belgrade, they have won three of their four EuroLeague games.
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Baskonia: a losing streak and serious defensive problems
Baskonia have also played a domestic league game since their last EuroLeague outing. On November 7, the Spanish side defeated Lleida 98-93 on the road, bouncing back from their loss to Fenerbahce. Earlier, the team had comfortably beaten Manresa 106-83. On the domestic stage, therefore, the Basques are capable of producing high-scoring basketball, but they have yet to carry that confidence over to the European campaign.
Baskonia's EuroLeague situation is far worse: just one win from ten games and last place in the standings. The team have lost their last seven games in a row, with their latest setback coming in Istanbul, where they fell to Fenerbahce 65-84.
Before that came defeats against ASVEL, Real Madrid, Panathinaikos, Virtus Bologna and Dubai. Their defense is especially concerning: Baskonia concede an average of 93.1 points per game — the worst mark among all teams in the competition.
The visitors' personnel situation also raises questions. This seriously limits the team's options on defense and in the battle for rebounds. Baskonia have yet to win a single EuroLeague game on the road, losing all five of their away fixtures. To have any chance of success in Belgrade, the Spanish side must first shore up their defense and prevent Partizan from controlling the tempo comfortably.
What is the best bet?
On paper, the home side's advantage looks fairly clear. Partizan defend better, are more reliable at home and come into the game after three wins across different competitions. Baskonia, meanwhile, have lost seven EuroLeague games in a row, have not won a single road game and regularly allow opponents to score far too many points. I expect the hosts to control the game and come away with a victory by several possessions. My prediction is Partizan to win with a -4.5-point handicap.
