Anadolu Efes vs Real Madrid prediction for Tuesday’s Euroleague playoff’s first game at Sinan Erdem Dome in Istanbul. Anadolu Efes who finished third in the regular season face Real Madrid in a grueling contest. Follow on for our free prediction and betting tips.
A huge improvement for Anadolu Efes
Efes have seen the greatest improvement among all Euroleague teams this season. After holding a losing record in the first half of the season, the Turkish side turned things around and finished third at the end of the regular season thus earning the home-court advantage for the playoffs.
Major improvements were noted in Efes’s performance. They finished on an average of 84 points per game in second place after being 14th in the first part of the season. They also have much better numbers in shooting accuracy both from the two-point and three-point range, where they are averaging 56.9% and 39.7%. In true shooting, they are third in the Euroleague with 51%.
A late revival sent Real Madrid to the playoffs
Real Madrid had a tough season filled with lots of ups and down and injuries. That saw coach Pablo Laso’s team’s level fluctuate during the season as they were almost out of the playoffs but a late run of two wins in a row saw Los Blancos finish sixth. They don’t have the best records in shooting or scoring points but one can never count off a team of Real’s caliber with all the experience they have in the squad.
With Facu Campazo and Gabriel Deck leaving for the NBA, Anthony Randolph suffering a season-ending injury, coach Laso’s squad has lost key players in his squad. Real delivered the goods when it mattered the most though in their last two matches beating Olympiacos and Fenerbahce in a do-or-die match finishing in the sixth position with just one win over Valencia.
Key Stats
Anadolu Efes vs Real Madrid Prediction
Anadolu Efes are a high-scoring team now after their major improvement from all shooting distances. Averaging 84 points per game is a very high percentage in the Euroleague. Coach Ergin Ataman improved his team’s ball rotation and resulted in more shooting attempts and higher percentages of scoring.
Real Madrid have always been in the Playoffs and will rely heavily on Sergio Llull, Jaycee Carroll, and Rudy Fernandez. The trio have been the backbone oc coach Laso’s team in the pat years and he will hope they can overcome the Turkish challenge.
We predict it will be a close and very defensive game with both teams trying to close down each other’s key players.
Anadolu Efes vs Real Madrid Betting Tips
Under 164 Total Match Points 1.80 at Bet365
Anadolu Efes to win and over 163.5 Total Match Points 2.45 at bet365