Jason Collins
Dailysports's expert
Olympiacos
Crvena Zvezda
Thursday promises a plethora of encounters as part of the EuroLeague regular season. Here's my prediction for the Olympiacos vs Crvena Zvezda face-off. Will the hosts be motivated?
Olympiacos
The regular season in the EuroLeague is shaping up excellently for the Greek club, which is confidently leading. They have a two-win lead over the second place, with only five games left to play.
In their last EuroLeague match, they managed to defeat their arch-rival Panathinaikos at home 76-74, marking their sixth consecutive tournament victory. Things are also going well on the domestic front, with 19 wins in 21 matches, allowing them to hold the second spot in the standings. Everything will be decided in the playoffs here.
Crvena Zvezda
The Serbian giant has won 16 out of 29 matches, placing them seventh in the standings. Their position remains unstable, trailing the top-6 by one victory, with the same gap from the 11th spot.
In their last match, they suffered a home defeat to direct competitor Olimpia Milano – 80-82, marking their third consecutive tournament loss. Domestically, Crvena Zvezda sits third, just two wins behind the pair of leaders. The success of their EuroLeague season depends on the end of the regular season.
Match facts
- Olympiacos has claimed 12 victories in 14 home encounters.
- Crvena Zvezda has won 8 of 15 away games.
- Here are the odds for the upcoming clash: P1 – 1.25, P2 – 3.9.
Key player
Forward Sasha Vezenkov from Olympiacos could be the key player in the upcoming battle, averaging 20 points per game with 6 rebounds.
H2H
In the first-round match, Crvena Zvezda managed a home victory with a score of 87-73, with the third quarter being pivotal as the hosts won it by 13 points.
Prediction
The hosts are considered clear favorites in this clash, with Olympiacos playing at home and in great form, while Crvena Zvezda is experiencing a clear decline in results. I believe the Greek fans will provide their favorites with fervent support. The visitors are heavily motivated, though no one plans to give them the victory easily. I suggest betting on Olympiacos to succeed with a -7.5 point spread.
