FC Barcelona vs Maccabi Tel-Aviv Prediction & Betting Tips - EuroLeague

Prediction published on 03/04/2024, 14:45  by Devesh Jaganath | Modified on 03/04/2024 at 14:47 in EuroLeague Predictions

The penultimate week in the EuroLeague will see Barcelona taking on Maccabi Tel Aviv at the Palau Blaugrana Arena on Friday evening. The hosts are currently 12-11 and fourth in the league standings, while the visitors are 19-13 and seventh. Barcelona have traditionally been considered one of the favourites in the EuroLeague, and two more wins will secure them a top-four finish and home-court advantage in the quarter-final. They are just one win behind Panathinaikos in second place and five off the league leaders Real Madrid. However, they have not been at their absolute best of late, suffering a couple of setbacks in this competition, losing 89-81 to Panathinaikos and 88-74 to Fenerbahce before bouncing back to winning ways in an 87-79 victory over Bayern Munich last weekend. Jabari Parker scored 15 points, three rebounds, and two assists, while Nico Laprovittola added 14 points in the win. The hosts won the last match between these sides 92-90 and are the favourites in this one. 

Meanwhile, Maccabi Tel Aviv are also likely to reach the postseason. However, they will have to win their remaining two matches in the competition and hope that sixth-placed Olympiacos and fifth-placed Fenerbahce lose their games in order to avoid the play-in matches. While that may seem like a bit of a long shot, the Yellows are currently one of the most in-form teams in the Euroleague, having triumphed in each of their last six matches. Their latest victories include impressive wins against Bayern Munich with a score of 89-74 before they overcame Valencia 95-80, when Wade Baldwin led the team with 17 points, three rebounds and four assists, while Josh Nebo contributed 15 points and nine rebounds. The visitors have a record of 7-9 in away matches in this competition but are on a three-match winning streak on the road. Despite the positives, the Israeli outfit has at times been criticized for their often lackluster defense, which is something they will need to improve to stand a chance against Blaugrana here.