Will Giessen go down to defeat at the Telekom Dome?

The regular season in the Basketball Bundesliga is slowly coming to an end. While the champions are traditionally only crowned after the playoffs of the best eight teams, it is already clear after 34 match days which two teams will have to go down the bitter path to the second division. One of the hottest candidates for relegation is currently the Giessen 46ers. It would take a small miracle for the central Hessians to climb above the top of the league table.

Meanwhile, it seems virtually impossible that head coach Pete Strobl’s team will take anything worthwhile with them to the Bonn Telekom Dome on Wednesday evening. The Rhinelanders are currently top of the league and are in impressive form. There is nothing to suggest that there could be a surprise during the week. This is also underlined by the odds between Bonn and the Giessen 46ers. The bookmakers favour the hosts despite a handicap of 14 points.

The starting position in this unequal duel is not changed by the fact that the favourite has to do without playmaker Parker Jackson-Cartwright and forward Jeremy Morgan. The Telekom Baskets’ collective is too strong in combination with the home advantage and the fact that the guests are one of the weakest defensive teams in the league. Therefore, even before the in-depth analysis between Bonn and Giessen, a forecast for a clear home victory can be ventured with a clear conscience.

Bonn – Statistics & current form

After Telekom Baskets Bonn could not even begin to meet the high expectations in the past two years and missed the playoffs and the final round tournament in both 2019/20 and 2020/21, there was a huge upheaval in the summer.

Not only was almost the entire squad renewed, but the people in charge of the sporting management were also replaced. The new strong man for the Rhinelanders is the Finn Tuomas Iisalo, who previously caused a sensation with the Crailsheim Merlins and is now wielding the sceptre in the old German capital with his brother Joonas Iisalo. It was also the Finnish brother and sister who put together the new line-up of players and proved to be extremely lucky in the process.

Bonn is flying through the league at the moment

In particular, diminutive playmaker Parker Jackson-Cartwright is one of the most defining figures in the current Bundesliga season. On Wednesday night, however, “PJC”, as he likes to be called, will not be available. Jeremy Morgan will also have to miss the match. Nevertheless, in our eyes everything points to the Baskets winning their home game against the 46ers with aplomb. The collective will be able to compensate for the absences. In addition, there is the enormous self-confidence that plays a role in basketball that should not be underestimated.

In order to justify the bet on a clear home victory between Bonn and the Giessen 46ers, a look at the standings is enough. The “Magenta men” have won 22 of their 29 games so far this season, most recently seven victories in a row. The last defeat dates back to 16 February. The Bonn team has only lost two games at home in the 2022 calendar year.

However, the recent impressive results in front of the home crowd at the Telekom Dome underline just how strong the leaders really are. Ten days ago, the top team from Ludwigsburg was sent home with 97:88, and before that, the Iisalo team won with a 21-point difference against Bayreuth or with a 35-point difference against Bayern, which was short of players. The handicap of 14 points, which they will be given on Wednesday against the relegation candidate from the university city, should therefore definitely be crackable.

Predicted line-up of Bonn:
PG: Skyler Bowlin
SG: Karsten Tadda
SF: Javontae Hawkins
PF: Justin Gorham
C: Saulius Kulvietis

Gießen 46ers – Statistics & current form

The fact that the Giessen 46ers are even allowed to play in the Beletage of German basketball in the current season is due to a so-called wild card. Despite their relegation last season, the team from central Hesse virtually bought their right to play in this season, as there was only one team promoted from the 2nd Bundesliga that could meet the BBL’s requirements.

At the moment, however, it looks as if the team’s move into the second division has only been postponed by one year, because although the traditional club still has eight matches to play, the chances of staying in the league are anything but good. The Giessen team is currently four wins behind the save shore. When you consider that they have only won six of their 26 matches, it quickly becomes clear that this is a real suicide mission.

Is the BBL dinosaur still salvageable?

At the weekend, the Giessen team lost to FC Bayern in front of their home crowd with 85:95. Once again, the weak defence made itself felt. Head coach Pete Strobl’s team had already regularly conceded too many points in the previous games.

Against their rivals MBC it was 91, against Bayreuth 89, against Crailsheim 87 or against Bamberg 92. The Bonn team even gave the relegation candidates 103 points in the first half. Consequently, in our eyes it is a good approach to play the odds on the over 174.5 between Bonn and Giessen. In as many as four of the 46ers’ most recent six appearances, a corresponding bet would have gone through.

Although the former German champions can’t really afford it, they will probably save some energy in case of an early deficit for the upcoming duel on Saturday against Würzburg, where they expect more on the Lahn. A high defeat can therefore not be ruled out.

Predicted line-up of Giessen 46ers:
PG: Kendale McCollum
SG: Dennis Nawrocki
SF: Florian Koch
PF: JD Miller
C: Philip Fayne

Bonn – Giessen 46ers Direct comparison / H2H-balance

The Telekom Baskets from Bonn have won the last five Bundesliga matches. In the first leg in Giessen’s Osthalle, the Rhinelanders prevailed with 103:95. Meanwhile, the previous three direct duels all went clearly to the Bonn team. Once with 17, once with 13 and once with 16 points difference. The handicap of -14.5 is therefore quite appropriate.

Bonn – Giessen 46ers Tip

During the week, a regular matchday is scheduled in the Basketball Bundesliga. Among other things, it comes to the duel Bonn against the Giessen 46ers. Betting odds of less than 1.10 on a home win underline the clear starting position before the tip-off of the duel between the current BBL leader and the penultimate team, which has hardly any chance of staying in the league.

Because the quotes on the two-way market logically do not include any value, we have to get a little creative with our bet and combine two approaches for this. On the one hand, we believe in a clear home win for the favourites, who already defeated last-place Frankfurt away from home at the weekend with a 16-point difference.

However, we are convinced that at least 175 points will be scored in this match. Bonn has the fastest style of play in the league, has the best offence and now faces one of the weakest defenses. In the first leg, the total was even over 200 points, which is why this line definitely holds an exciting value.