EuroLeague Basketball Betting: Juggernauts Olympiacos and Panathinaikos collide in a real heavyweight clash

EuroLeague Basketball Betting: Juggernauts Olympiacos and Panathinaikos collide in a real heavyweight clash

Resident basketball expert Mark Woods returns with his best bets from across Europe, including the massive Greek Derby.

IT'S one of the most ferocious derbies in European sport. Red versus Green. Neighbour against neighbour. All or nothing.

And with Olympiacos and Panathinaikos both off to a 3-2 start in this season’s Euroleague, Friday’s clash between the Greek giants in Athens has the air of importance, even before local pride is at stake, with both off to an unbeaten opening in their domestic A1 league.

For all their shared history and success, this will be only the tenth meeting between the pair in Europe’s top competition this century, with Olympiacos edging the head to head 5-4 after winning three of the last four clashes.

Remove the first of those nine and the ferociousness of their duel is apparent. Five decided by four points or less, including an overtime decision late last season. No wonder that even though Pana are 1.54 favourites for victory, Olympiacos is only 2.00 on a handicap of +4.

That, surely, is predicated solely on home advantage. Panathinaikos is out-scoring their rivals 85-81 this term. Olympiacos – under the coaching of David Blatt – 80-78.8.

Domestically and in Europe, they are spread offensively with Keith Langford leading Pana with 12 points per game and Nikola Milutinov heading their foes with 11.2 points per on 61.1% shooting.

Yet Olympiacos showed that even in a 69-65 reverse to CSKA Moscow last week, they are among the Euro heavyweights, with Vassilis Spanoulis still going strong at age 36. Pana only just edged past lowly Buducnost with Nick Calathes the only starter to score in double-figures for Xavi Pascual’s men. They’ll need bigger gains, especially from Ioannis Papapetrou who’ll face the team with whom he reached the EuroLeague Finals in 2015 and 2017.

Traditionally, it was said that Olympiacos were the team of the people, of the port workers of Pireus while Panathinaikos represented the cultured and noble elites of Athens expansive centre.

But these teams have more in common than separates them now, both relentless and diligent with a splash of artistry at their hearts. Awfully close to call, which is why the most intriguing punt of all might be a Half/Full-Time split, with Olympiacos victorious at 8.25.

Best bet: Go over 153 total points in Panathinaikos – Olympiakos at 1.96

There are two old rivals squaring off in Israel on Thursday when Maccabi Tel Aviv host Real Madrid.

But the home team have fallen on tough times, amid a 1-4 start that leaves them at 3.35 to disrupt the reigning champions unbeaten record. Real have only won one of their five games so far by less than ten – at Olimpia Milano – so they’re very good value at 2.00 on a -7 handicap.

Elsewhere, the EuroCup has some high-class mid-week action on Wednesday with a real Giant versus Minnow match-up with Galatasary visit Andorra.

In the previous encounter in Istanbul between these two, the Turks took an 84-73 victory but they’ve dropped three of four since. And even though the Andorrans have brought in  LaDontae Henton on a short-term deal, Gala are a steal at either +8 at 1.90 or 3.85 for the road triumph.

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