Will Alba Berlin end their slump in the Euroleague?
Things couldn’t have gone worse for Alba Berlin last week against Fenerbahce Istanbul. Not only because the capital club conceded its ninth defeat in a row in the Euroleague, but also because it conceded more than 100 points for the first time this season.
After the home debacle against the Turkish top club, Alba at least showed a defiant reaction in the league and won 91:83 against Bayreuth. They now face the away hurdle at Virtus Bologna during the week.
The last time the two clubs met was in November 1998. Alba Berlin beat the Italians 75:72 in front of their home crowd. However, Alba lost the first leg in Bologna with 52:78.
Just like the Albatrosses, Virtus Bologna has also played a mixed season on the international stage so far. The Italians already have eight defeats to their name after twelve matchdays, including the most recent 71:117 against Olympiakos Piraeus. It’s quite possible that the next defeat will come against the Berliners.
Bologna – Statistics & current form
Virtus Bologna successfully qualified for the Euroleague 2022/23 last season. However, the season in the top flight of European basketball has been mixed so far. After twelve matchdays, the Italian representative, who has already won the Euroleague twice, has only four victories to its name.
This makes Bologna one of the three weakest basketball teams in the Euroleague. Recently, they even suffered four defeats in a row on the international stage. Especially disappointing was the performance in Piraeus, where Bologna lost with a deficit of more than 40 points. The next setback followed last weekend with the league defeat against Scafati (77:84).
Virtus Bologna will now play their league rivals from Berlin during the week. Bologna will be aiming for their first EL win in almost a month against their league rivals, who are also in poor form. At home, the Italians have a record of 2-3 after five home games so far, including a win against FC Bayern München.
Will Bologna’s defence be shown up again?
The failure in recent weeks is mainly due to the defensive problems in the team. It therefore remains to be seen how head coach Sergio Scariolo’s team will present itself against the Albatrosses. It is quite possible that they will concede at least 80 points for the fourth time in a row.
If the Italians’ offensive can compensate for the defensive deficits, there are odds of 1.40 on Virtus Bologna vs. Alba Berlin for a bet on the hosts. In the last nine home games, Bologna have only lost three times.
Only Abass is expected to miss the match against Alba on the Italian side. Virtus Bologna have no other absentees at the moment.
Predicted Starting Five of Bologna:
Hackett – Jaiteh – Lundberg – Mickey – Ojeleye
Alba Berlin – Statistics & current form
In the BBL, Alba Berlin is still on course for the championship after nine matchdays. On the other hand, the Berliners have been disappointing on the international stage and are currently only second to last in the Euroleague 2022/23 table. Against Fenerbahce, Alba conceded their ninth defeat on the international stage last week.
Compared to the performance against the FC Barcelona basketball team, in which the Berliners still managed to fight their way to an 86-88 win, Alba Berlin was clearly inferior against Fenerbahce and even conceded 104 points. This also diminished their hopes of a comeback in the fight for a place in the play-offs.
If one draws an interim conclusion after twelve days of play in the Euroleague, the only question is where the Albatrosses will finish the season on the international stage in the lower third of the table.
Defensive still the big problem area for Alba
Statistically, Alba Berlin currently has the second weakest defence in the Euroleague. Only Partizan Belgrade has conceded more points than the Albatrosses from Berlin so far. On average, Alba Berlin scored 82.83 points per game. It is quite possible that this negative trend will continue against Virtus Bologna.
The Berliners have a meagre record of 1-5 away from home anyway, and have lost each of their last five away games on the international stage since the victory at the bottom of the table in Milan. However, bettors who would like to make a prediction on Virtus Bologna vs. Alba Berlin can pick up quotes of up to 3.20.
Head coach González will probably only have to do without Eriksson due to injury. There are no other absences for the Berliners.
Predicted Starting Five of Alba Berlin:
Blatt – Lammers – Schneider – Sikma – Smith
Bologna – Alba Berlin Direct comparison / H2H-balance
Virtus Bologna and Alba Berlin meet for only the third time in their club history. So far, the direct comparison is even, both clubs could record a victory each. In the 1998 Euroleague, the respective home team prevailed in the first and second rounds. Alba won 75:72 against the Italians. Bologna, on the other hand, celebrated a 78:52 victory against the Albatrosses.
Bologna – Alba Berlin Tip
Neither Bologna nor Alba Berlin have been able to gain a foothold on the international stage this season. Now the two stumbling clubs meet each other, and the Italians’ role as favourites is only due to their home advantage. The comparatively clear assessment of the bookmakers is certainly surprising, because Virtus Bologna lost three of the last four matches.
Alba Berlin, on the other hand, recently showed an act of defiance against Bayreuth and was thus able to at least partially compensate for the defeat against Fenerbahce. Against Bologna, Israel González’s team is now aiming for the next victory and wants to end the slide in the Euroleague. In the nine matches before that, the team only suffered defeats on the international stage.
We are expecting a competitive encounter in Bologna, but see the guests from Berlin at least on par with the Italians. Because both teams were hardly convincing in the defensive game, we expect a high-scoring encounter and place our bet on Virtus Bologna vs. Alba Berlin at betting odds of 1.75 on Over 159.5 points. We are using five units for this bet.
