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Last season Panathinaikos have conceded over 74 points in only five out of 29 European League matches, and that was mostly during the first part of the season when the defense wasn't lined up. What's more impressive is the fact that in 34 matches of the home championship they've conceded under 74 points only once. In six matches played against Olympiacos, Panathinaikos' defense kept the opponents under 72 points each time. Moreover, in two final meetings Olympiacos scored under 50. The reason for that is Panathinaikos' top defense which is held in the paint by the "flying" Lasme and Gist who are defending Spanoulis' top pick and roll, and when he is additionally limited, Olympiacos' offense becomes sterile. The PAO's paint defense was additionally strengthened with the return of Batiste, and the backcourt has Europe's best defense player Diamantidis, as well as Maciulis, Bramos and Curry, who also showed himself as a great ball snatcher. Next to that we should add Panathinaikos' slow game: they always wish to leave the game on 60 or less points on each side, which will especially be seen today because they surely won't come running head to head against a team such as Olympiacos. Olympiacos have, according to their coach's words, far from their best shape, and to make things worse for them, today they won't have Acie Law at their disposal because he is still injured, and we're talking about the only player who could have eased up Spanoulis' offense. As it was mentioned, the hall will be empty today and Olympiacos won't have their additional player on that front. PAO are, because of all things mentioned, entering the meeting as a favorite, and the best possible bet would be the hosts' under because, as we mentioned, PAO conceded more than 74 points last season in a six out of a total 63 matches, and that way against run and gun teams at the start of the season. Today's match is a complete opposite of that, and I don't see how Olympiacos could score over some 60 points in this match. Details

I think that the playing surface will determine the winner in this match. This tournament is undoubtedly Zopp's favourite venue, and he therefore asked for protected ranking so he could enter the main draw straight away. He played his first ATP match here, and won his first ATP match here as well - so he certainly enjoys this fast court at this indoor tournament. Carreno, on the other hand, has had a great season so far, but still has to prove himself indoors. He did win a match in Kuala Lumpur recently, but that was against "headless" Bogomolov. Overall, it was Carreno's only second indoor win yet, so I think he'll have to work on that aspect of the game. Zopp has played some of his best matches indoors, so I think he'll use his aggressive play and great serve well and win this one. Details

I believe Wickmayer is more of a favorite in this match than the odds show. Even though she is not currently in her best shape, she shouldn't be facing problems against Watson who can hardly play a whole match at a high level. The British player is playing poorly and cannot boost her self-confidence. A change of coach should definitely be of use here but I think that she will need more time since she is in a significant result and play crisis. Wickmayer lost in the first round of Linz last week, but she lost to Ivanovic who later took the title and showed very good play at times. That level of play should be enough for the British who is no where near the quality of the Serbian. The Belgian also has a semifinal here and Watson never got through the qualification phase so things are crystal clear here. Details

I think my reasoning is clear here. No one has probably ever played a bigger role of favourite than the Broncos tonight. That's why I doubt it Peyton Manning will stay in the game till the end. True, the Jaguars' defense was horrible, and that is precisely why I expect the Broncos to decide the winner of the match in the first halftime, and fill the rest of the time with rushing and occasional short passes. Since Manning is no longer young, I'm sure no one at Denver wants him to stay in the match that's already settled. The same happened in the match with the Eagles - he spent the last quarter out of the game. The Broncos have only one goal this year - the title, and they won't risk the possibility for the man they depend on to get injured. The match also suggests he will throw much less than up till now. Besides, he stayed under this margin in two out of five matches, and this opponent will probably be in around 20 point deficit by halftime. Details

At the start of the week C.J. Spiller was seen limping. He managed to do some training but I doubt he is in proper shape. Last Sunday Fred Jackson took much of the responsibility while Spiller had only eight rushes. Tonight he might not end under ten carries but I don't believe he will have many more than against Browns and in addition he will be facing the best offensive seven of the league. Besides, the match could go in such a way that Bills will have to catch up which will significantly lower the number of rushes. Details

Varese were an offensively potent team last season, scoring 81 points per game on average. Three important players have left the team, Green, Dunston and Banks. They were averaging half of those points, 41 to be precise. Their replacements are good individually, but the qualifications for Euroleague and Supercup have shown that they haven't adapted to the team yet. At times they looked lost on the court, playing one-on-five without any ball movement. Sakota's injury is another problem, since Scekic and Hassell haven't proved to be a threat under the rim. In the aforementioned games they scored 66 and 73 points, and, in my opinion, they are now facing a team with much better defense. Reggio Emilia were the top defending team last season, allowing 72.6 points per game. Varese like fast-paced basketball, but lack of team chemistry and injuries prevent them from playing the way they want. Reggio Emilia's defense has been strengthened by Karlo, Frassineti and White. At 203 cm, White is a former NBA small forward who won't have any problems guarding Polonara and Ebi, the main threats in Varese. Karl has fit in well in the team's defending system and, if he stops Coleman, Varese are highly unlikely to go over the point limit. Reggio Emilia allowed over 79 points just once during the preseason (80 against Cremona in overtime), while the mighty CSKA were left at 64. I don't see how out-of-form Varese can possibly go over this limit. Details

I am convinced that Valencia's odds for today are far better than what we're being offered by bookmakers. The pre-season ratio of 9-0 is no random number, Perasovic's team is terribly potent and I think that they'll play superb basketball. Barcelona spent most of their budget on strengthening their attack we're in for offensive basketball in Palau Blaugrana today. In five of the last six pre-season games, Valencia won over 90 points, but the few on-line betting houses have them at 71.5. I am convinced that it is going through, because Barcelona will not play defensive basketball. But as they stepped up attack, it now goes over 150, I would not be surprised if he went over 160 Details

This Asseco has nothing to do with any of their previous seasons' teams. This is a completely different team, rejuvenated and altered. The preseason showed that they will need a lot of time to coordinate the players and put things into working order. The transfer window is still ongoing in that team and it remains to be seen when will they all gel together. Their preseason games were mostly low-scoring affairs. For example, against Kotwica, whose defense isn't too good, they won 67-49, but they lost to Polpharma 58-77 and 66-74. They were defeated by Anwil 60-74, 56-71 by Slask, 52-70 by Trefl. This is not a surprise, as coach Dedek showed strong defensive tendencies last season at Start. The visitors from Koszalin don't have a good preseason behind them either, but the team has remained in coach Sretenovic's hands, which should warrant a disciplined and defensive basketball, just like last season. In terms of player quality, they definitely have the advantage, as well as in terms of physical power, especially in the paint. Details

Judging by the quotas, I can see Fuchse can't be trusted. I do trust them, actually, I'm convinced they'll win. This season Hannover is not at the level at which they were the last season, they still didn't earn my respect in this season. They got away against Magdeburg at home, even if it was on their knees. They played a tie with Minden, lost with 12 difference from Lowen. They tied with Lubbeck in the away game. Fuchse has a top game, and they would have won Flensburg and Lowen in the last two rounds, if the referees didn't interfere. They will impose their defense, and Hannover won't be able to keep up. They come complete, and Hannover is missing an important right wing, Torge Johannsen. Details

Hagen's style is well-known, and today they'll face the team that plays basically the same. Run and gun style of the home team almost can't get a better opponent than Rasta who continued the very fast game in the first league, just like last year when they had 93 points per game in the second league. Hagen will be able to develop their game, and with a constant pressure and double teaming in the defense, they'll force the guests to shorter offenses. Home team had 92 points total against the Bayreuth in the last round, a round before Wurzburg 86, and Bayreuth has a really good defense. They had 99 points per game in the pre-season. For example, they had 101 total against Telekom, and Rasta conceded 96 total by Telekom a few days prior. Hagen had 76 shoots out of the game against Bayreuth, with 30-ish free throws. It best describes their game. The 93 points margin seems pretty high, but considering the home team style of play, and the similar style by the guests, that margin seems very reachable. Details

This Kolding team should never be underestimated, even if they are weakened. And today they are. And they are very much underestimated. The defense they are about to set, which comprises Jorgensen, Laen, Viudes and probably Boldsen who is a minor doubt for the match, will prove to be an insurmountable obstacle for Dunkerque. This will enable them to score goals and display a good offensive performance on the wings of Spellerberg, who has been playing in top form and who has been called up once again by Wilbek to play for the national team. Hvidt is another player in excellent form and beating him is always a difficult task. Today that mission has been given to Dunkerque back-court players. The French have been far from impressive as far as their shooting form is concerned, and this refers particularly to left-handed players Soudry and Rambo, but also to Hansen. Under seems to be a viable option and over odds which suggest that Kolding will not lose are untenable and that opportunity has to be seized. My opinion is that the Danes are the favorites and the odds should be more even... Details

I can't let go the impression that Leipzig reached the victory in Metz more because of the disastrous game by their opponent than their own great performance. Metz had a series of technical mistakes, and this way it opened the path to the victory for Leipzig. It is true, Krim complained about problems in the defense, but the fact is that the Slovenians didn't shoot through the middle of the defense, but they left a somewhat more space at the wings. Savehof has vey good wings and they knew how to use them, but the fact is that Leipzig depends more on the outside shooters Kudlacz and Muller. Against the high 6-0, Krim may have a significant problem, and in addition to that, the Germans don't have the potential for rotation as guests. Krim has in the last 15 minutes of the game against Savehof showed how powerful they are (they reached +8 from -1) when they start playing, and I believe that today they can repeat such a period and reach new points. Details

This season Dabrowa look far better than their last year's nemesis Sopot. Two weeks ago the beat them in a Supercup game with almost no difficulty and in straight sets. They routinely beat Legionova in the first round of the championship, although many consider them this season's potential shocker. Sopot played poorly away to a strong Chemik, they made lots of errors and seemed miles away from their true form. Their current weak form isn't surprising, I believe it'll take time for everything to fall into place. This is due to their national team players' (Pietersen, Molnar, Leys and Hill) being late in joining the team. These players didn't spend the pre-season with the team and only joined them a week or two before the start of the championship. Dabrowa are far more coordinated since they spent their summer together as a team and did their pre-season in the United States, where they played a dozen friendlies. This will all be a huge advantage for them today. Sopot are still not entirely with it since they were abandoned by Rourke, the player who used to beat their opponents almost single-handedly. They currently have no such players in their ranks. They even had to change their tactics without her, and that takes time. Sopot's only advantage today is their home court, but I don't believe that's going to be enough to beat the brilliant Dabrowa Gornicza, who are motivated to win in the hall where the title slipped through their fingers last season. Details

TED were powerful in offense last year, but this year they want to orient on defense. You can read how the coach is thinking and about the change of their game style in the preview. If you check the scores of their 8 preseason matches listed in the competition preview and the club preview, plus the three Cup matches, you will notice that they never went over this margin. Trabzon is something entirely different, Penny joined them from TED, they are playing fast, with a lot of shots. But, they are a bit weakened after they lost their play maker El-Amin for 6 months, and I assume that will have an effect on their game. That is why it might be worth trying to go under on this high margin. We're betting at Sportingbet who don't take the extra time into consideration. Details

It is clear that Barcelona B are in a crisis. They've lost three consecutive games and did not score a single goal in any of them. Along with the bad form of his team, coach Eusebio has only 13 players at his disposal for this game, to which he added five from younger categories. Obligations in the national team and injuries are the biggest cause of that. I am not convinced they will start to play well today. True, they can score a goal, but winning a game with all the problems mentioned above will be extremely difficult, especially against the energetic Deportivo. Next to the leading Recreativo, Deportivo were the best away team so far. They have won three games and lost one with a 6:2 goal ratio. The two goals were conceded in their only loss to Sporting. The defense is perfect, and was pointed out by coach Velasquez himself before this game. We should add that experience is on their side as well. All things considered, Deportivo have a big chance to win points here. 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

The Sharks have had a fantastic start to the season, and with four clean wins and an impressive 21-5 goal ratio they look like the best team in the league. They've clearly found the right combo, created some kind of chemistry, and are playing great on both sides of the ice. Ottawa have had a somewhat disappointing start of the season with a close victory and two defeats. They are doing very bad on defense, conceding too many goals in their last two games. The offense was so-so, but they will probably be playing without their captain and one of their main attackers Spezza today, which might further weaken their offense. The Sharks have been playing perfect defense so far, so the Sharks have better odds to win even with Spezza in my opinion, as Ottawa were never really good on the offense. Another thing in the Sharks favor is the home ice advantage, on which they've won every game so far. Details

The Blues are playing great, they won all of their first four games this season and they are winning in regular time, they score a lot, but concede rarely. On the other side, we have so far tragic Rangers that carried their bad preseason plays into the regular season and they recently lost 9-2 against the Shark, after that they lost 6-0 against the Ducks and even than we wrote a preview that did not favor them and I will continue in that spirit. The most difficult thing here was to opt for the best bet - home team win, their over (1.75) or Rangers under (1.65). In the end I opted for the simplest solution, and by far the most lucrative one - Blues win in regular time. Details

It seems that the 1,85 odds for this over are a gift from heaven. I dare say this is the meeting of two best offensive teams in the East. They are filled with stars that can score a goal from almost any position, and are playing really fast. The Pens lost their last game against Florida by 6-3 only due to a disastrous reserve goalie, while Tampa crushed the same Tampa the day before by 7-2. Head-to-head ration also speaks in our favour considering both teams went over this margin in the last 6 games. This will be the case tonight as well, Stamkos, St Louis and Filpulla on one side against great Crosby and Malkin on the other. This will be a real treat with lots of goals and many fantastic moves. Details

Zaragoza haven't won a single match in Bilbao, but today they have every chance to do exactly that. Bilbao are a much weaker team than they were last season, and Bertans and Vrkic are now out injured for them while Mumbru will try to play with ruptured quadriceps. Even their coach Pueyo stated that he is not an optimist when asked about Mumbru's state, but he is probably their most important player right now and it would be a huge handicap for them if he wouldn't be able to play. And everything indicates that this is exactly what will happen. Zaragoza played in the semi-finals last year. They lost their playmaker and power-forward during the summer, but they signed couple of quality players. Shermandini, Sanikidze, Pero Tomas, Tabu, to name just some of them. They are well covered on all positions and I think they are at least as good as Bilbao. Details