Which Team Will Suffer Its First EuroLeague Defeat This Season? Fenerbahce vs Dubai Basketball Prediction | October 2, 2026
Fenerbahce Istanbul
Dubai Basketball
The third round of the EuroLeague brings Fenerbahce and Dubai Basketball together in Istanbul. Both teams have won their opening two games of the regular season, while their recent meetings have consistently produced high-scoring basketball.
Match Preview
Fenerbahce comes into the game after an impressive 100-76 victory over Bayern Munich. Talen Horton-Tucker led the team with 19 points, five rebounds and four assists, while Wade Baldwin added 13 points, four rebounds and eight assists.
The result was Fenerbahce's second consecutive EuroLeague victory after opening the campaign with a 78-68 home win over Virtus Bologna. The Turkish side did suffer a 98-83 defeat to Bahcesehir in the Turkish Super League at the weekend, ending a three-game winning run, but it had already secured its first trophy of the season by beating Besiktas in the Turkish Super Cup.
Fenerbahce also enjoyed a strong European campaign last season. The Turkish side reached the EuroLeague Final Four after winning the competition in 2024-25, while also claiming the Turkish championship by defeating Besiktas in the final.
Dubai, meanwhile, is playing only its second EuroLeague season. The club finished 11th in its debut campaign last year with 19 wins and 19 defeats, narrowly missing out on the play-in.
Dubai opened this season with an unsuccessful EuroLeague Super Cup campaign, losing to Real Madrid in the semifinal before facing Fenerbahce in the third-place game. Fenerbahce won that matchup 85-77.
Dubai then responded strongly in the regular season, beating Real Madrid 78-77 in the opening round before defeating Barcelona 94-87. Mfiondu Kabengele led the team against Barcelona with 21 points and six rebounds, while Dwayne Bacon added 14 points and seven rebounds. McKinley Wright also contributed 14 points, two rebounds and three assists.
Dubai now faces a significantly tougher test away from home. Fenerbahce won 14 of its 19 EuroLeague home games last season, while Dubai won only six of its 19 away games.
However, the recent head-to-head record provides an important reason to expect another high-scoring matchup. Dubai defeated Fenerbahce twice in last season's EuroLeague, winning both in Istanbul and at home. The two meetings produced at least 90 points from Dubai on each occasion, while all three previous encounters between the teams went over 162 total points.
The teams also met earlier this season in the EuroLeague Super Cup, with Fenerbahce winning 85-77. The 162-point total fell just short of the previous trend, but both sides have since shown strong offensive form in the regular season.
Key Trends
- Both teams have won their opening two EuroLeague games this season.
- Fenerbahce beat Dubai 85-77 in their EuroLeague Super Cup meeting earlier this season.
- Fenerbahce beat Bayern Munich 100-76 in its latest EuroLeague game.
- Dubai beat Barcelona 94-87 in its latest EuroLeague game.
- Dubai won both meetings with Fenerbahce in last season's EuroLeague.
- All three previous meetings between the teams went over 162 total points.
Prediction
Both teams have made an excellent start to the EuroLeague regular season, winning their opening two games, and their recent offensive numbers suggest another high-scoring matchup could be on the cards. Fenerbahce has already reached the 100-point mark in its latest EuroLeague game, while Dubai scored 94 against Barcelona. The visitors have also demonstrated that they can produce strong offensive performances against elite opposition, having beaten both Real Madrid and Barcelona in their first two rounds. The head-to-head record is particularly relevant. Dubai won both EuroLeague meetings last season and scored at least 90 points in each, while all three previous encounters between the teams produced more than 162 total points. Fenerbahce's home advantage should make this a difficult assignment for Dubai, but the visitors have already shown enough attacking quality to contribute to the total. Recommended Bet: Over 164 Total Points
