EuroLeague Primer: Round 12 - Friday

Written by

Kevin O'Brien

Updated on December 9, 2022 2:54PM EST

PREGAME UPDATES

Bayern's Nick Weiler-Babb and Corey Walden will suit up Friday.
Baskonia's Tadas Sedekerskis will be in uniform for Round 12.
Barcelona's Oscar da Silva will sit out Friday.
Virtus Bologna's Tornike Shengelia and Semi Ojeleye will be available for Round 12.
Amath M'Baye will suit up Friday for Efes.
Tomas Dimsa and Karolis Lukosiunas will not play Friday for Zalgiris.

STATS AND INFO.

THE SLATE

EFS Anadolu Efes Istanbul at ZAL Zalgiris Kaunas

Status Check: Shane Larkin (EFS), Amath M'Baye (EFS), Egehan Arna (EFS), Dogus Balbay (EFS), Lukas Lekavicius (ZAL)

The Breakdown: In the only matchup of the day featuring two teams with winning records, an Efes team that has won four straight will head to Lithuania to take on a club that lost its last time out but won four of five prior to that. While these teams have the same record, Efes has a 65-point advantage in point differential, and they are favored by as many as 6.5 points -- the smallest number on Friday's slate. These squads fare relatively evenly in offensive and defensive rating, so the contest may hinge on whether or not Zalgiris can slow down the dynamic Efes duo of Vasilije Micic and Will Clyburn.

Best Bets for Success: It does not appear Larkin will play Friday, so it should remain the Micic and Clyburn show for another Round. Neither player has a particularly appealing matchup, but they are the two priciest options on the DraftKings board for a reason. Keenan Evans is the go-to guy for Zalgiris, and although Efes is limiting opposing guards to the second lowest field goal percentage in the league, he did record 35.3 DraftKings points last time he took on the Turkish team.

Fantasy Factors: If Larkin does indeed remain out, Rodrigue Beaubois will be among the top value plays to consider, as he has topped the 30-point mark on DraftKings in three consecutive appearances. No one else on the Efes roster even hit the 20-point mark on that website over the last three Rounds, so it's probably best to limit yourself to only the three options on their side. Zalgiris will be light in the backcourt, which bodes well for Ignas Brazdeikis and Arnas Butkevicius. You could even throw a dart at Mantas Kalnietis, who checks in at the minimum on DraftKings.

VIR Virtus Segafredo Bologna at OLY Olympiacos Piraeus

Status Check: Tornike Shengelia (VIR), Semi Ojeleye (VIR), Marco Belinelli (VIR), Awudu Abass (VIR), Gora Camara (VIR), Leo Menalo (VIR)

The Breakdown: Olympiacos has already lost as many games on their home court as they did all last season, but they remain an imposing foe on their home court and are favored by as many as 9.0 points in Friday's contest. Although a number of Virtus players find themselves on the injured list, they should be as close to full strength as they have been in a while, so they could keep it closer than the experts expect. Both teams are about average on the defensive end, but the Italian team will need to find ways to keep up with one of the most efficient offenses in the league.

Best Bets for Success: Virtus ranks bottom-4 against forwards in points, three-pointers and field goal attempts, so it could be another big night for Sasha Vezenkov, who is averaging 2.6 more DraftKings points than anyone on the slate who has played in more than one game. Things are pretty wide open on the Virtus side, but their steadiest contributor has been Jordan Mickey, who hit the 25-point mark on DraftKings four times over the last five Rounds.

Fantasy Factors: Neither Milos Teodosic nor Semi Ojeleye is particularly pricey on DraftKings, and both will presumably be at full speed after missing Round 11. Olympiacos ranks top-4 against centers in points, rebounds, FGA and FG%, so it's probably best to avoid Virtus players at that position. The Italian team holds its own against guards, but it's tough to look past Thomas Walkup, as only four players on the slate are returning more average value on DraftKings.

ASV LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne at BAR FC Barcelona

Status Check: Yves Pons (ASV), Joffrey Lauvergne (ASV), Cory Higgins (BAR), Alex Abrines (BAR), Sergi Martinez (BAR)

The Breakdown: In what is expected to be the least competitive game of the evening, an ASVEL team that has dropped five straight will head to Spain to take on a Barcelona club that won six of its last seven contests. The Spanish squad is 5-1 on its home court and welcomed back reigning MVP Nikola Mirotic in Round 11, so it should come as little surprise that they are favored by a whopping 14.0 points on at least one website. The total points expected in this game are not markedly lower than any other on the slate, but no team plays at a slower pace than Barcelona, and ASVEL is one of the better defensive teams in the league.

Best Bets for Success: It took Mirotic no time at all to reestablish himself as Barcelona's top contributor, and even though ASVEL fares well against frontcourt players, it's tough to overlook him at $10,600. Just be wary of the spread, as Mirotic could take it easy Friday if Barcelona runs away on the scoreboard. We will also include Nicolas Laprovittola, who did not seem too affected by Mirotic's return. The Spanish squad has been equally as tough on forwards and centers as ASVEL, so it's no easy task identifying the top option for the French club. We are going to go with Youssoupha Fall, who scored 20 points over 20 minutes in his last matchup with Barcelona and is returning more average value than any of his teammates.

Fantasy Factors: It's tough to find much for value in this one, but Tomas Satoransky and Sertac Sanli are affordable enough on DraftKings to consider. Amine Noua could get enough minutes to contribute with Pons out for ASVEL.

BAY FC Bayern Munich at BKN Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz

Status Check: Vladimir Lucic (BAY), Nick Weiler-Babb (BAY), Augustine Rubit (BAY), Corey Walden (BAY), Zan Mark Sisko (BAY), Tadas Sedekerskis (BKN)

The Breakdown: This is the only game with an over/under north of 160.0 points, which makes sense considering Baskonia is tied for the league lead in points per game and both teams are below average on the defensive end. The German club will have their work cut out for them Friday, as they will take on a team that is 5-1 on its home court without two key players -- and perhaps as many as four.

Best Bets for Success: There are three Baskonia guards to consider here, but Darius Thompson remains his team's steadiest contributor, and only two players are returning more average value on Friday's DraftKings slate. His task will become markedly easier if Weiler-Babb is unable to go for Bayern. Cassius Winston is the player to go after for Bayern, though he will face a tough task if he winds up matched against Henry.

Fantasy Factors: With Bayern down two prominent forwards, Isaac Bonga looks like one of the top value plays on Friday's slate. Othello Hunter and Elias Harris will be a couple other players to look at on the Bayern side. For Baskonia, Rokas Giedraitis is particularly appealing on DraftKings at just $7,200, and you could always take a swing at Markus Howard, who has put up at least 31.3 points on that website four times this season.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Kevin O'Brien plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: kevob100, DraftKings: kevob100.