The Spaniards will look to deepen the French crisis. EuroLeague basketball match prediction: Paris vs Valencia
Paris Basketball
Valencia Basket
Paris and Valencia will meet on Friday, October 23, in the seventh round of the EuroLeague regular season. The game will be played at Adidas Arena in France, with tip-off scheduled for 20:45 CET. I am backing a bet on the winner of this game.
H2H and statistical facts
- The French side have lost three EuroLeague games in a row.
- Valencia are on a similar run of two consecutive defeats.
- The teams have met twice, exchanging home victories.
Paris
Paris have made an extremely inconsistent start to the new EuroLeague season. After six rounds, the French club have managed just one win and suffered five defeats. The team lost to Panathinaikos 72-91 and Partizan 79-92, before beating Zalgiris 82-78. However, they were unable to build on that success, going down to ASVEL 96-98, Virtus 94-96 and then Crvena Zvezda 81-90.
The number of points conceded is particularly concerning. Paris are capable of playing at a high tempo and putting up big numbers, but they often allow opponents to find open looks and punish defensive mistakes. In recent games, the team have regularly fallen short down the stretch, pointing not only to defensive problems but also to a lack of composure in decisive moments.
Their results in the French national championship look considerably better. Paris beat Nancy 78-73, edged Le Mans 103-101 and then swept aside Strasbourg 98-84. These games show that the team’s attacking potential remains intact, while on the domestic stage they have been more successful at securing the desired result.
In their previous game, Paris defeated Boulazac to claim their fourth consecutive LNB victory. Now, the key will be to carry that confidence onto the European stage, where improving their defense and controlling the tempo must be the top priorities. If Paris once again allow their opponents to score easy points regularly and lose the battle on the glass, even their high-scoring offense may not be enough to save them.
Valencia
Valencia began their European campaign with far greater confidence. In the first four rounds, the Spanish club recorded four consecutive wins, beating Besiktas 96-94, Baskonia 111-88, ASVEL 105-92 and Hapoel Tel Aviv 93-82. However, they then lost to Olympiacos in a high-scoring clash 97-102 before suffering an 88-91 home defeat to Maccabi. Despite two consecutive setbacks, a 4-2 record remains a strong result.
The defeats to Olympiacos and Maccabi showed that Valencia need to manage the closing stages of tight games more effectively. Against the Greek club, the Spaniards scored 97 points but could not stop their opponents during the crucial minutes. The match against Maccabi was also closely contested, but the decisive moments went the visitors’ way.
Valencia have also endured a difficult start in the Spanish league. After losing to Lleida, the team beat Zaragoza but then fell to Barcelona. In their most recent domestic fixture, Valencia bounced back by thrashing Murcia and ending their run of poor results.
Valencia’s main advantage is their more convincing EuroLeague record and ability to maintain a high-scoring pace. The team can quickly transition from defense to offense and exploit open space. Against Paris, the visitors must avoid getting drawn into a chaotic shootout, instead forcing their opponents into mistakes and controlling the rebounding battle.
What is the best bet?
Paris are playing at home and can trouble any opponent with their attacking style, but five defeats in six EuroLeague rounds point to serious problems. Despite two recent setbacks in Europe, Valencia look like the more balanced team and are in better form. I expect the hosts to try to impose a fast tempo, while Valencia will look to exploit the French side’s defensive weaknesses. If the Spaniards can limit Paris’ offensive output, they should have a strong chance of coming away with the win.
