Euroleague Derbies Wrap Up a Fantastic Year for Basketball Fans
Published December 28, 2018 by Florin P
Fenerbahce and Real Madrid play for the first place in the Euroleague on Friday evening, with CSKA Moscow hot on their heels
The final weekend of 2018 has no football matches scheduled, but provides punters with excellent betting opportunities of basketball. The Euroleague is in full swing and the Friday night matches pit some of the best teams against each other. Action is intense at the top of the tables, where the winner of the match between Fenerbahce and Real Madrid will claim the first place.
Fenerbahce Welcome Real Madrid in Istanbul
The Turkish team had its 18 game winning streak brought to a screeching halt by its city rivals Galatasaray last weekend. That’s because key players were rested, so they can field the best starting formation in the most important match of the season. Because of their flawless home record in 2018, bet365 Sports only offers odds of 1/2 on the hosts to prevail. They don’t have any injury concerns and have won all the home matches in this season of the Euroleague.
Real Madrid are also flying high in both the domestic league and the international tournament, with three consecutive victories. They lost the most recent match on the road in the ACB, but were otherwise solid away from home in all competitions. This is the team that currently sits in the second place in the Euroleague, yet players can expect odds as high as 2/1 at 888 Sport. Because of the obvious balance between these two teams, even the less likely draw is worth considering at odds of 15/1.
CSKA Moscow are Favorites on the Road
The Russian team sits in the third-place and it needs a victory in Athens to stay within striking distance of the leaders. If Real Madrid loses on the road in Turkey and CSKA Moscow prevail against Panathinaikos, the squad from Moscow will finish 2018 on the second step of the podium. They start with the first chance and odds of 1/2 at Winner Sports in the match scheduled to start at 7 PM UK time, even though they don’t have home pitch advantage.
Panathinaikos lost back-to-back matches in the Euroleague and each time conceded more than 80 points, which highlights their defensive frailty. A recent victory in the domestic championship certainly helped with their morale, but it was secured against a mediocre opponent. Intertops make a tempting proposition to punters willing to back the underdogs, by offering odds of 2/1 on the Greeks to win.
