Finals, Game 1 predictions: Paris vs. Bourg

Check out the Game 1 predictions from EuroCupbasketball.com staff members for the BKT EuroCup Finals between Paris Basketball and Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse.

Paris gets off to the perfect start

by Geoff Gillingham

Paris is a near-perfect 20-1 in the BKT EuroCup this season, including 3-0 in the postseason, and I firmly believe that it will go 1-0 up in the best-of-three finals against Bourg on Tuesday night. There has been almost no stopping Tuomas Iisalo's men in EuroCup play in 2023-24, with TJ Shorts and Nadir Hifi both playing at an All-EuroCup level, and Paris should move another step closer towards a place in next year's Turkish Airlines EuroLeague by coming out on top at Adidas Arena. In the French League, Bourg actually came out on top against Paris in their only previous meeting this season, winning 83-81 at Ekinox in mid-December, but Paris's fast-paced play will be too much for Tuesday's visitors to deal with in Game 1. My pick: Paris.

Paris starts the series on the right foot

by Frankie Sachs

It's a good thing we don't call this Bold Predictions. Because the only bold pick would be a Bourg victory. And sadly for the good people in Bourg-en-Bresse, I don't see that happening. Paris has the best player in the series (T.J. Shorts), the home-court advantage, the more dangerous offense, which are just some of the reasons I expect the Parisians to take the series opener. I would not count Bourg out; it has already defeated Paris in the French League this season and has nothing to lose. But the opener should belong to the home team. My pick: Paris by double figures.

Rolling the dice on brave Bourg

by Frank Lawlor

Thanks to scoring and winning in record-setting fashion, Paris is the clear – some would say overwhelming – favorite in this series. That also means that Paris has all the pressure in Game 1, while Bourg has none. Playing poised and alert to prevent Paris surges – easier said than done – Bourg can stay in the game. And should that work through three quarters, the pressure will really build on the Parisians. Rising Star winner Zaccharie Risacher has looked passive in the playoffs until now, otherwise Bourg's chances would seem better, since he can be quite a mismatch. But this all-French series, with familiar surroundings, short travel and an offensive-minded opponent, should be quite different from Bourg's semifinal with Besiktas. Everyone, including Risacher, should be in their comfort zone. Bourg is the only team that Paris has played but not beaten this season. Bourg has repeatedly thrived on being underestimated, and I think the visitors can do so again on Tuesday. My pick: Bourg

Paris proves its status of a favorite

by Igor Petrinovic

What a great story Bourg has been. I wonder if anyone believed they would be in the EuroCup Finals. Even if the team was plowing through its regular season group and leading the standings, it almost felt like they were the underdogs in many eyes, even in these playoffs. But here Bourg is, deservedly, in the best-of-three final series. But as much as I love what Bourg has done this season, I am going with Paris in the series opener. The team from the French capital has been hands-down impressive this season. Its 20-1 record and average winning margin of 19.1 points speak volumes. It is going to be a fun, but I say that Paris's offense will find a way to deal with Bourg's defense on Tuesday. My pick: Paris.

Paris keeps it rolling

by Javier Gancedo

Paris faces the only team it has not been able to beat this season, as head coach Tuomas Iisalo pointed out before Game 1. Indeed, Bourg beat Paris at home in French League action, their only matchup so far this season. It is a whole different situation now. Paris has the home-court advantage and is still undefeated in the brand-new Adidas Arena, five victories in as many games. TJ Shorts was announced as the EuroCup MVP hours before the game, and that should give him a big boost to play even better. I believe Paris will be able to impose its basketball ways: strong, really well-organized defense and a free-flowing offense in which many players can score in many different ways. So I predict that Paris will get one step closer to the EuroCup title. My pick: Paris.