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This margin is a consequence of Nancy's last two games. However, I think we should be seeing a different story today, the one from the first round against Nantierre. Gravelines aren't a team to impose their own rhythm like Pau Orthez, but they will be very aggressive on the defense, and won't allow Nancy to have 55% shots from game. Gravelines didn't go over 144 points once this season, and they ended games with 133,4 points per game. They managed to slow down a very fast Bonn this week, and let them go with only 66 points. On the other hand, there are a lot of rumors from Nancy's lines about team having to play a quality defense first of all, and the home team have the capacity to do the job with Pietrus and Falker leading them. Last two games were exceptions, because after Pietrus coming to the club, Nancy played even the last pre-season games with lower numbers. Today, both teams come with 1-2 ratio, and this is an important duel for both teams, so I expect a big fight. Considering Gravelines didn't concede 70 points this season so far, Nancy's under is a great bet, too, but guests aren't brilliant on the offense, so they won't score 75 points easily here. Details

Last week Nanterre put in a surprisingly good resistance to CSKA but this is something completely different. It is one thing when inexperienced players have their fans backing them up and completely different when they are against them. Partizan supporters are renowned for their ability to create a fever-pitch atmosphere, which makes it hard for everyone to play here and let alone for a team with a handful of players with experience of playing in Europe. The majority of Nanterre players have never experienced what they are about to experience tonight and I expect them to be pretty impressed at the beginning of the game. In addition to all this, Partizan haven't looked this good at the start of the season in years. They play a fantastic defense and they can find a solution for all threats Nanterre might pose. This is one of the crucial games in the battle for the second round. Every point can prove to be decisive and Vujosevic will not allow his team to relax should they generate a 10-plus advantage. According to the players' statements, this is one of the games of the season, they are very impatient, which means that a highly motivated Partizan side playing in a packed Pionir arena should win this game with a double-figure difference. Details

I think Brno are a bit underestimated here. They definitely lack experience, but Prague are the second youngest team in the league, and they can't really defeat the opponents easily. These teams played a pre-season game and Prague only managed to win in the dramatic final moments of the game. That makes them a favorite for a win here, but I don't think it's that simple. Brno have the quality to stay equal until the very end with Smid, Zachrl and a few others, so this handicap is definitely too big. Details

Both Nymburk and Cibona are teams who prefer fast transition and I believe we should be watching a more efficient game. The Croatian champion has a bad European competition streak but they now have a chance to threaten Nymburk. The Czech team often concedes more than 80 points in international competitions. In the four games outside the national championship, they always conceded over that margin (Banvit 87, Kalev 78, Oostende 90, Azovmash 80). Even though they didn't play a single game on the home court, that doesn't have a significant effect on their play. Nymburk insist on fast play action. The margin is pretty low and I believe that Cibona will go over it without bigger problems. Details

From the beginning of the season Khimik have been putting a lot of emphasis on defense, which clearly reflects on their results. A week ago they conceded 60 in Ankara, just as they did in regular time against Goverla this weekend. Nizhny are an unpredictable team. They could beat any team, but they could also easily lose against all of them. Interestingly enough, they usually adapt to the tempo of their opponents. In Estonia they played in a game that had a total of 170 points, while against Lietuvos the total was under 140 points. Today they will be up against a very aggressive home side that excels on defense, and I don't think that the total can go over the set margin. Details

When setting up the odds, the bookmakers were led by the last week victory of Spartak in Turkey, but that is in no way a realistic image of the team's quality. Besiktas have had a disastrous evening on the offense, and the defeats vs Donetsk and Turow are a better reflection of the current quality of Spartak. Due to financial issues, Spartak have lost all the players that carried their team last season during the summer , and their offense shows that. Vetra do not have sufficient width, their game depends on too few players, and Spartak have not scored more than 65 points in any of their matches. They will not easily do so today either, as Panionios have a very tough defense. They are the third best team in Greece at the moment, right after the untouchable duo, and in my opinion they are a better team than Spartak. The Russian team are playing at home, but there is no way they can be that much of a favorite. I believe this to be a huge mistake by the booking houses, and expect a game with less points and neither of the teams demolishing their opponent. Panionios are definitely capable of winning here, so it's worth trying a smaller bet on them to win too. Details

I think that Banvit are pretty much underestimated here. They do have weapons to threat UNICS and perhaps even triumph in Kazan. UNICS have a major potential, but it's obvious that they aren't in the right place yet, which is understandable. Trinchieri puts emphasis on the defense, looking to make it the cornerstone of their success. On the other side, Banvit left their opponents at 80 or less points on a regular basis in the preseason, suffered a few blows at the start of the season, but they have improved recently and limited their opponents to lower scores. I doubt they will be looking to push up the pace in today's game, they didn't do that against Turow and Maccabi, they went to higher figures against Enisey, but the Siberian team showed their preferred style against Lokomotiv. I expect a more even game than the odds suggest. If UNICS get an easy win, it will be thanks to good defense rather than efficient offense. Details

ASVEL lost only two home games in regular time last season. Astroballe was a very tough fortress to conquer, and only fell vs Strasbourg this season, but they are probably the strongest French team at the moment. ASVEL were still not without their chances, they only lost in the final seconds. In the away game vs Pau Orthez they also suffered a close defeat in the final moments of the game, after extra time. Though they did not manage to end the black series in Germany either, Vincent points out that he saw improvement in their game. A reaction is expected today, as despite their two initial victories Orleans have not been very impressive so far, especially on the offense. They beat Chalon thanks to a disastrous evening their opponents had, but scored only 67 points, while they snatched a home victory vs Le Havre by scoring a last second three pointer, courtesy of Curti (71 points in regular time). The absence of Pellin and Hill is felt on offense, and it remains to see how much Hinson can contribute, but the impression is they are very reliant on perimeter shots (64 three point attempts in two games). ASVEL will be fully motivated today, carried by the support of their fans and will not allow open shots. Jackson has been constant, scoring at least 23 points in all three games, but the game vs Ulm gave better performances among the other players who usually carry the team. The home team are somewhat energized, but there is no panic or nervousness among the players. It seems they are ready to respond and finally play a great match. Details

During the week, Spartak defeated Besiktas which resulted in decreased odds in favor of their win. However, that match only confirmed Spartak's limitations in the offense. They managed to achieve that win only tanks to their great defense and a bad evening for Besiktas' offense. Last season, Turow achieved all of their wins on their home court, that's what they're good at, and they have every right to hope for they first win today. In the first round, in an away match against the offensively stronger team UNICS, Turow received only 72 points, while scoring 62 points themselves. On the other hand, Spartak stayed at 65 points in Donetsk. I don't believe we'll see a pileup of points today either. In the national championship, Turow showed that defense was their biggest asset, while Spartak's coach Vetra said that his team had to base their success on the defense. Spartak won in this away match last year 63-59, but they had a pretty stronger line-up then, including Beverley. Maybe a slightly better option would be a team under for Spartak, but I decided for this option, due to greater availability. Details

I think that this will be yet another low scoring match for Panathinaikos - they played a 100 point derby match against Olympiakos two days ago. Panathinaikos always tend to keep the score below 70 points for each team, and have a rock-solid defense able to do it tonight. Although the Lithuanians will be playing at home, coach Bauermann has set them up as a defensive team, as evident in the Novgorod match - it was a far cry from run and gun basketball, as Lietuvos made just 50 shots from play. Panathinaikos are likely to try to impose a slower tempo, keep the defense tight as Lietuvos wouldn't go on a three-pointer spree. Diamantidis, Maciulis and Curry are excellent guards, while Batiste, Gist and the rest of frontcourt are able to hold the paint well. The Greek team didn't concede more than 70 points often last season - the Euroleague quarterfinal tie with Barcelona is still fresh in memory, a series in which neither team went over 70 points in in regular time in five matches! Although an under bet on Lietuvos is a good option, I think an overall under is a far better one. PAO are not so good at scoring to easily score 80 at Rytas, as Bauermann has put the emphasis on the defense, changing the entire Lietuvos outlook. They played a game with only 151 points against a quick Riga team and the finals of the Euroleague qualification tournament against Oostende with141 points. The only exception to the rule was the match against Oldenburg, but the match against Panathinaikos should be a low scoring affair. I think that both teams are going to be well below the set margins - it can be expected that neither team will score 70. I honestly can't imagine a scenario in which this game could finish close to 150 points, except the overtimes. Details

Kudos to Nanterre for what they did in the last season, but i think CSKA is at the moment far out of their range. Messina has put together a terrific team, with that as backbone added three exceptional players and now has the depth chart to keep up a high rhythm during a whole game. I think I would not be wrong in saying that the nominally second five of CSKA is much stronger than Nanterre's starting five and that fct says a lot. The Moscow team will have a huge advantage in the paint, especially since Traore is not yet ready to play, and the backs line will put pressure on Nanterre preventing a three-pointer series. Nanterre has a three-win streak in the championship, but one of those was over Strasbourg that gathered the team just a few days before the match, while at Nancy they managed to get overtime and win after a deliberately missed free throw. Antibes is among the main candidates for relegation. CSKA is something entirely different, most of those players are not used to playing against such a team and on such a stage and the nervousness will partly creep into their play. A great option is the team under for Nanterre, I doubt that they could go over 70 points here. Details

From last season's Spartak all that remained is the name. Great financial problems have led the main players away from the club and now players like Bertt and Homan are having the spotlight. There is a great imbalance between the American and the Russian part of the team. Vetra has a shallow depth chart and 6-7 players that he can seriously rely on. game preview statement is very telling, he said that Besiktas is the stronger team and between the lines you can read that his team will hardly have a chance for a win. Besiktas has reinforced, the Turkish sides are always stronger on the home court and Besiktas is no exception. I think that this away game is harder than the Donetsk one a few days ago, and there Spartak had no chances finishing with -18. Tonight I expect another defeat in the double digits. Details

What Jindrichuv showed against Nova Hut is rarely seen. A very fast play which resulted with 143 combined shots in play with 40 free throws. Jindrichuv have no responsibilities in play, they showed that in the preseason too (last six matches with over 90 conceded points). Last year in the relegation group they conceded 89 points or more in all 12 matches, often over 100. And the stakes couldn't have been higher. Forejt prefers a style which is nice to watch and he will not give it up. Pardubice will start today with maximum motivation to redeem for the loss against Decin. The home team have Muirhead at their disposal, a lot of solutions in the paint and the centers should catch a lot of missed shots and put them in through second attacks. Bohunicky wants to score as many as possible easy points over a quick transition and it all points to seeing a similar story like between Jindrichuv and Ostrava. If Nova Hut had an average shot percentage they would go over 100 points. I believe Pardubice will succeed in that, a team over is an even better option but because of lower availability I decided for this option. Jindrichuv can score 65-70 points with their style, especially considering that the match needs to be ended relatively quickly which will cause a certain amount of relaxing among the host ranks. Details

Though the margin might seem high at first glance, Barcelona are a grinding machine this season. The very long bench at Pascual's disposal allows him to keep up the same rhythm throughout the game, which is way more than their opponents can handle. Nobody left Blaugrana with less than -14 this season, and Metalurg got sent off with -18 the other day, something Cavar probably never had happen to one of his teams. As with most teams in the league, Anaitasuna will not give their maximum in this game, well aware it is better to preserve their strength for the coming challenges. They played a tough game two days ago, and it can be expected that they will not be able to hold off Barcelona, who will be able to punish the slightest mistake in their technique. Encantada played -20 here, Genil -16, with -18 mid second half. I expect another whooping. Details

In the last three seasons these teams have met six times, and Dijon failed to score more than 74 points each time. Their first game of the season was rather unusual as both teams scored lots of points, and coach Berg wasn't satisfied with that performance. Run and gun basketball is not the style of play he prefers, and good offensive play doesn't really mean much to him if his teams concedes 85 points. Dijon are a team that rarely scores more than 70 points in a single game. Last year they played in the playoffs and only in 9 matches (they played 32 games in total) they scored more than 70 points. On the other side, Nancy were very efficient in the offense during pre-season and they improved their defense a lot since Pietrus joined them. In the two games he played Nancy conceded 68 (Strasbourg) and 72 (Nanterre, and that match went to overtime) points. In the game against Nanterre they were leading by 3 with just a couple of seconds left on the clock but then Nanterre's player intentionally missed the second free throw and they scored another two points after an offensive rebound. This is an important game for both teams as no one wants to start the season with two consecutive losses. Overall under is also a smart bet, but we need to keep in mind that Dijon scored 75 points against very offensive Cholet. I doubt they can repeat that performance against Nancy. They have a very solid defense and two main contenders for the title failed to score more than 70 points against them... Details

Novgorod will host one of the most interesting games of the first round. Both Nizhny and Lietuvos are entering the season with high ambitions, and the opening game is very important for both teams. Nizhny have kept the local core of the team together and will once again be a tough nut to crack for any opponent. The return of Dijon Thompson is a big bonus on the offense, but we will not be seeing him today. On the other hand, Lietuvos might be the only team in the league that are in true competitive form. The Euroleague qualifying tournament that took place in their home court was their goal and they managed to win it. The second half of the final game showed the kind of game we can expect from Lietuvos, with a maximum of aggression on the defense, which is the foundation of their success. The reason is clear, Dirk Bauermann, and Lietuvos could be an even more defensive team this year than the last season. This is a team that relies heavily on perimeter shots, but Lukic is aware of that, and I doubt he will allow the away team's guards much room to breathe. This is the first game of the season, and very important as such, leading me to expect a tough fight on both sides. These two teams played two games in the past, ending with a total of 143 and 124 points. That took place two seasons ago and this is a completely new Lietuvos, but one oriented even more on the defense. Details

I think that Paris will be judged here based on their convincing defeat in the first game. However, the fact is that the club from the French capital has put together a respectable rooster this season who will have a lot to say. A disastrous defeat against Le Mans on their home court will introduce a massive mobilization in their ranks and we can expect that they will be fully motivated to redeem themselves. Although this is a beginning of the season, there was a lot of talk about Roanne. Their style is well known, everything is based on very solid defense which is the result of the philosophy promoted by coach Pavicevic. They have let their opponents score the least points in the regular part last season, but they have scored on the average little bit more than 72 points per game (fifth weakest offense of the league). They went over this margin only twice during pre-season games when they played against weaker opponents, while they scored only 64 points in the away game against Gravelines. Paris has also played well during the pre-season and conceded more than 77 points to Besiktas (80) a to fast Pau Orthez (89). They have demonstrated their power in respect to this when they left Strasbourg at 68 points and Nanterre at 72 points in Supercup. I expect that the game will be decided by smaller numbers and since I think that Paris is underestimated I have opted for the under of the host. Details

I'm repeating my first round tip, although the margin is the same and the opponent a bit stronger. However, Kolin are an away game that Nymburk traditionally do well in. Against Usti the champions showed they wanted the maximum result this season, which guarantees they will be fully committed, at least in the opening moments of their games. Last season they demolished Kolin on five occasions, though that result should be taken with caution as the home team have now put together a completely new team. However, I believe that this will not be a point in their favor. Unlike Nymburk, who have already played three games, Kolin are only now officially opening their season, and there will certainly be a touch of anxiety in the beginning. It will take a completely new team some time to tune up, and Nymburk are the worst possible opponent for them in this moment. The maximum of pressure applied by their players leaves very little space to the opposing guards, leading to turnovers and lightning-quick fast breaks. Using that strategy, Nymburk managed to drop +21 on Usti in the first half alone, though Kemzura himself confirmed his team played pretty poorly in that period. Kemzura cannot count on three important players once again, but he beat Usti without them, as well as Kalev in Estonia, two days ago. Nymburk were not even in the Czech Republic 24 four hours prior to the game, and that will certainly be a problem. However, the season has just started and the players are full of energy. Besides, that issue should not surface in the first half. Their strength and focus might perhaps drop in the second half, and it is to be expected that Kolin will spread their wings a bit as the game draws out. For those reasons this option is the best choice. Last season Nymburk won this away game with +27 and +48, and on both occasion the score at halftime was the same, 50-28. Details

The Czech champions have a tough job ahead of them today. Three of their important players will not be playing in Estonia, among them their best, Simmons. Kalev are a very tough team in their home court. In the nine home games they played last year, only Samara managed to go over this margin against them. They limited their opponents to 70 points or less in four games, with opponents such as UNICS and Khimki among those four. Although some changes took place in the summer, their style should remain the same, as proven by their games in their national league (86-50 and 68-51 wins), as well as their last few preparatory games, in which they managed to limit the very quick Riga team to only 73 and 78 points. Lokomotiv have huge offensive potential, and they scored 88 to Kalev on home court, but with an excellent 57% scoring percentage. During the last season Nymburk only passed this margin in away games with Neptunas and Riga, teams that prefer to play extremely quickly. The absence of the above mentioned three players will definitely be felt, as Simmons is the brains of the team, as demonstrated by his 27 points, 6 rebs and 7 assists vs Banvit. The games in the Czech championship should not be taken as a reference, as this is a whole different ball game. An extra bonus for the bet is the fact that these opponents are looking for a spot in the playoff, and they both need to win these games. I believe we will be seeing a hard game in which Kalev are not without a chance. Details

Krasnojarsk is traditionally a difficult road game for all teams. Long trip and several different time zone changes crate problems for visiting teams and that is always felt at the end of games. But, we should make a difference between today's game and historical record between these two teams. Two years ago Lokomotiv were nowhere near as strong as they are today and off all their players only captain Bykov played in Lokomotiv prior to 2012. All other players came before the last season or before this one. There were some minor changes during the summer, the team trained together and this season they should be even better. They showed that in their first game when they easily defeated Kalev, even with slightly bad play in the second half. On the other side, Enisey changed most of their team and they will need some time to put together all the pieces. They showed that during the preseason when they lost against some teams from former Yugoslavia that are not as good as Eurocup champions. This is their first game and they will surely feel a certain dose of nervousness. Their only advantage is in the fact that Lokomotiv traveled far, but Pashutin said his players took the trip well and are ready to play a good game. Another thing that goes in the favor of this bet is that the rule which limited the number of foreign players allowed on the court at the same time has been revoked. This allows Pashutin to make any lineup he wants and the home team coach Karadzic is very well aware of that and I think this should be an easy win for the visitors. Details