EuroLeague Final Four: CSKA Moscow vs. Anadolu Efes Preview, Odds, Prediction

The rematch of the last EuroLeague finals takes place tomorrow in Cologne, where CSKA Moscow faces Anadolu Efes. These two teams have a long history, which about to be enriched after this meeting. The Turkish side is a big favorite, but that doesn’t have to mean anything in matches like this one. They have the reigning MVP of the EuroLeague, Vasilije Micic, who will join the OKC Thunder next year. Meanwhile, CSKA faced a lot of adversity recently, with Mike James leaving Moscow, but they are still a very dangerous team with several players able to inflict enormous damage to any team in Europe.

Preview

CSKA Moscow (+180) lost Mike James some five weeks ago. That was an earthquake in European basketball because James, who joined the Brooklyn Nets immediately after, was the top scorer of the team and the second-best in the entire competition with 19.33 points. There is no doubt that this move crippled the Russian team.

They were the No.1 offense in the EuroLeague with James, but without him, they aren’t as sharp as before. However, CSKA became much more versatile and now uses more players in offense which could be something positive.

Will Clyburne, the 2019 F4 MVP, and Toko Shengelia lead the way now, along with Nikola Milutinov, Gregg Popovich’s next project in San Antonio. Because of him, this team is the No.1 in rebounding this year, with 35.6 boards per game, and 12.7 offensive rebounds.

Anadolu Efes (-200) has a superb backcourt-duo Micic-Shane Larkin. Most of you remember Larkin from the NBA, having played in several teams, though never receiving enough space to show his potential. As for Micic, you will get to know him very well next season once he lands in OKC.

He posted 16.3 points, 56.3% FG and 4.8 assists, and 1.2 steals. Micic and Larkin complement one another, keeping the match’s tempo high, subsequently making pushes and runs.

Even though they play high-intensity basketball and are the second-best scoring team in EuroLeague this year, Efes has just 11.26 turnovers per game, with only Armani Milano having fewer. This only proves that Micic and Larkin dominate this year.

Head to Head Games

The H2H result in the regular part of the competition is 1-1. CSKA demolished Anadolu Efes in December. The harsh Russian winter apparently stiffed the Turkish team, and the hosts win 100-65.

But Efes responded in March, once they ripped apart the 2019 (and the latest) champions. The result of that event was 100-70.

Prediction

Efes is a big favorite, and we won’t go against that because the Turks seem better as a team. Even though some might believe that their game is one-dimensional, relying upon guards too much, the reality is that Anadolu Efes has two abnormally good guards, who cast a shadow on other excellent players as well.

CSKA will provide some resistance, but in the end, they won’t escape a certain defeat. They won’t be able to follow the rival’s tempo and pace, which will eventually result in them breaking down.

Pick: Anadolu Efes Wins -200

Here is the preview of the match between Barcelona and Armani Milano.