Virtus Bologna vs Zalgiris Kaunas prediction and odds

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Virtus Bologna is opening the new EuroLeague season in front of their crowd with a new head coach Luca Banchi. The team had a couple of good signings in the summer, but the biggest change is the departure of their starting point guard, Milos Teodosic. Zalgiris had success against the Italian team in the past and hopes that the tradition will continue.

Virtus Bologna vs Zalgiris Kaunas – game predictions

Contents

1 Virtus Bologna vs Zalgiris Kaunas – game predictions
- 1.1 Prediction 1: Virtus Bologna -4.5 @ 17/20 (1.85)
- 1.2 Prediction 2: Marco Belinelli over 9.5 points @ 17/20 (1.85)
2 Is Virtus Bologna a legit contender?
3 Key game details

Given the odds, Virtus Bologna is a major favourite to win this one, but looking back, Zalgiris won both games last season.

Prediction 1: Virtus Bologna -4.5 @ 17/20 (1.85)

Virtus Bologna has one of the hottest home courts in the EuroLegaue and that makes things difficult for any visitors. They have a strong core of the team with Belinelli and Shengelia, who are versatile scores. Zalgiris has many new players on the roster, and they will need time to adapt to playing together. The Lithuanian team won at the Sega Fredo Arena last year, but that will be impossible this time around. The new Virtus coach Luca Banchi, has to prove that he is the right man for the team and will use this game to make a statement with a comfortable win.

Prediction 2: Marco Belinelli over 9.5 points @ 17/20 (1.85)

Marco Belinelli is one of the best scorers in the EuroLeague. The 2014 NBA champion with the San Antonio Spurs has all the freedom he needs in Virtus to take as many shots as he wants to. Being an elite shooter and one of the leaders of this team, scoring in double figures will be an easy task for him. He came off the bench most of the time last season, averaging 8.3 points per game, but he will have a much bigger role with Banchi on the bench and will prove that in the first game of the season.

Is Virtus Bologna a legit contender?

Bologna is considered one of the basketball cities in Europe, and they proved that they are back on the big stage with the EuroCup win a couple of seasons ago. They have a solid roster for this competition as well, but becoming a legit contender will demand one or two star signings during the season.

Virtus Bologna news, injuries, and starting lineups

The legendary Italian coach Luca Bianchi is taking over Virtus, hoping to bring the team back where it was two decades ago. The team from Bologna kept the majority of the roster from last year, as only Milos Teodosic is a starter who left. Still, there are numerous players who can step up into bigger roles, and Virtus fans have every reason to be excited about this season.

Virtus Bologna injury report

None listed

Virtus Bologna starting lineup

Alesaandro Pajola, Marco Belinelli, Ognjen Dobric, Tornike Shengelia and Jordan Mickey

Zalgiris Kaunas news, injuries, and starting lineups

It’s been a while since Zalgiris Kaunas played a significant role in the EuroLeague and it seems like this season will be no different. The Lithuanian team is a match of domestic players with questionable foreigners who will probably struggle, especially when they play away from home.