Bold predictions for Round 29

Check out some bold predictions from EuroLeague.net staff members for Round 29 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Panathinaikos to earn derby bragging rights away

by Geoff Gillingham

Olympiacos Piraeus and Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens started the EuroLeague season with a bang by serving up a wonderful Round 1 contest, which was tied 74-74 after 40 minutes before the Reds won 78-88 in overtime. The Greens were very much a team under construction at that point, having overhauled basically the entire roster and brought in a new head coach in Ergin Ataman, but they are now 18-10 and sit third in the standings. Olympiacos, meanwhile, has dealt with plenty of injuries this season but finds itself with a 17-11 record in fifth place. It's always a must-watch occasion whenever Olympiacos and Panathinaikos face off, but the Greens have been on fire lately, going 12-3 over the last 15 games, including a current three-game winning streak. Olympiacos can better that, having won five straight, but I think that run will come to an end on Thursday as it struggles to cope with MVP candidate Mathias Lessort, Kendrick Nunn and a man who is likely to receive plenty of whistles at Peace and Friendship Stadium, Kostas Sloukas. Coach Ataman's comments about reaching the Final Four don't seem so farfetched now, do they?

Zvezda will succeed in the role of spoiler

by Igor Petrinovic

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (10-18) doesn't have too much left to play for beyond pride. Currently on a four-game losing streak, the team is three wins away from 10th place in the standings, with as many as six teams ahead of it in the race for the final Play-In Showdown spot. But Zvezda has plenty of pride, especially in front of its faithful fans, and no team is a true favorite when it visits Stark Arena, no matter what the standings say. The same is true on Thursday when it welcomes Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (15-13), which may have won its last two games, but has struggled playing as a visitor all season, with a a 5-9 road record. Even worse, Maccabi has lost its last six games against Zvezda. I predict that streak continues and Zvezda gives its fans something to celebrate on Thursday night.

A good week for Efes

by Frankie Sachs

Five teams are separated by one win for 10th place – the final spot that leads to the Play-In Showdown. Among them, Valencia Basket (13-15), Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (13-15) and EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (12-16) are on the road playing against teams that sit above them in the standings. Anadolu Efes Istanbul (12-16) is also on the road, but it faces LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (6-22) on Friday. At 2-12, Efes has the second-worst road record in the league, but no team has struggled more at home this season than ASVEL (3-11). This game is almost a must-win for Efes before it plays a pair of home games next week. I not only expect a comfortable Efes victory, but for it to make up some ground in the standings as those above it fall.

Trincheri wins in Munich return

by Javier Gancedo

It is going to be a very special Friday night at BMW Park on Friday as Andrea Trinchieri returns to the building as Zalgiris Kaunas head coach to face FC Bayern Munich for the first time since leaving the club. Trinchieri coached Bayern over the previous three seasons, from 2020 to 2023, winning two German League titles and reaching Game 5 of the EuroLeague Playoffs twice, in 2021 and 2022, before losing to EA7 Emporio Armani Milan and FC Barcelona, respectively. Trinchieri will make sure his first game back in Munich is one to remember for Zalgiris fans. Bayern comes off a tough loss against Efes and also lost at home in German League action. Zalgiris led most of all way against host Maccabi last week and won the Lithuanian derby against Rytas Vilnius, so it will be very motivated to add an important win. That's my bold prediction: Trinchieri leading Zalgiris to a critical road victory in the Bavarian capital.

Real Madrid will right its ship

by Frank Lawlor

It was never going to be as easy as Real Madrid made things look by racing to an 11-0 record and, after despite losing that streak on a last-second error in overtime, pushing to 22-3 and the brink of early playoff qualification. However, three straight losses – in Milan and at home by double digits to Panathinaikos and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul – have postponed that achievement. Real visits Virtus Segafredo Bologna on Friday intent on stopping this losing streak where it started, in Italy. Virtus has been admirable all season, but especially at home, where it is 12-2. The hosts will want to erase the memory of their 100-74 loss in the Spanish capital back in early November, and have a historic Real Madrid nemesis in Tornike Shengelia to lead them. All that said, great teams meet the moment, and defending champion Real wants to re-establish its swagger before the playoffs. Another loss will sow too much doubt, and the way to avoid that is to win. I expect the great atmosphere at Virtus Segafredo Arena to help Real rediscover its fire, clinch its playoff spot, and turn to the all-important task of seizing home-court advantage early.