Maccabi Tel Aviv - Olympiakos (Under 164.5) David Blatt's Olympiacos goes to Tel Aviv to face Maccabi's own man, Giannis Spheropoulos, with the coach of Piraeus signifying a lot, and he in turn for the Israelis he served for many years.
In addition to these peculiarities with the two coaches stating that emotions do not fit inside the parquet floor and everyone wants the victory for the team that is now playing, we go to the track.
The game is considered crucial for both teams, for the goals they have each set in the event.
Maccabi with record 9-12 is a win behind 8 and wants to win to chase this goal to the end. It is obvious that the Greek coach has improved the team's game and this is something that also appears in the results. Improving Maccabi in conjunction with her schedule, with many home games lately in relation to the start of the event where she gave several games away from Tel Aviv who dropped her low points, allowed her to get into the bay of 8 . After 4 has won victories (with Buducnost, Barcelona and Panathinaikos inside, plus the great double in Moscow on CSKA) the team was bad in Baskonia, never entered the beat and returned to defeats (97-73). The "People's Team" returns to its headquarters where it is its strong point and counts 5 to win victories there to host Olympiacos. In the stadium once again there will not be a pin from her prominent fans, who will try to impress the players of Spheropoulos for the victory.
The Olympiacos with the opposite record (12-9) is a victory behind 4 and Efes, which gives advantage to the playoffs. The last bad results of the team started to remove the team from this goal and I do not know if this year's Olympiacos has the means to finish at 4 this year, especially after its easy defeats in the last month and with very bad performances, against groups with the same objectives. He signed Brianne Weber (not playing tonight) by strengthening his periphery in this endeavor. Poor account being taken away from the SEF in 2 half of the season and making some unacceptable appearances and defeats such as this against Darussafaka. His work was difficult again tonight, when his preparations for the tonight fight were accompanied by many problems. Milutinov (beat in the last match with Hephaestus), Printezis (same) and Papanikolaou (beat in the previous match with Barcelona), although they followed the team in Tel Aviv lost training in view of the defeat. As is apparently played by Pridezis, probably Papanikolaou, things are more blurred with Milutinov, but whoever to fight is questionable their situation in a high-intensity fight against a strong and athletic team and the only sure thing is that they are not in 100% of their readiness.
There are some details that lengthen the balance in favor of the Israelis tonight. The factor is that they are in better shape, that Spheropoulos is well aware of his tonight's opponent (strengths and weaknesses) and that the problematic preparation of the Piraeus before the trip to Israel pushes me to the ace. However in whatever situation is Olympiacos, it is not an easy prey for any opponent and I will avoid jumping with any handicap beyond Maccabi's victory, but I will combine it with Under 164.5, considering that tonight's game will be judged on the defenses, something else that is a trademark of Olympiakos in his away games and something that Spheropoulos will emphasize tonight after the 97 points scored by his team in Baskonia. Besides, with the crucial momentum of the two teams this evening, I expect a lot of nervousness and I think the score will not reach high levels and the winner will be judged at some point at 80 points, so Under 164.5 in my eyes has the first reason.
Maccabi Tel Aviv - Olympiakos: (1 & Under 164.5) @ 2.25 Stoiximan
