This article is part of our EuroLeague Primer series.
First, a heads up for our readers. FanDuel has added EuroLeague contests, and we'll start working in information to assist those playing on that website.
PREGAME UPDATES
- Despite being expected to play Friday, Efes' Shane Larkin will not be able to take the court. Sertac Sanli will not either.
- Nemanja Nedovic and Zach Auguste will not play for Panathinaikos in Round 8, but Shelvin Mack and Ben Bentil are all expected to be available.
- ASVEL'S Norris Cole and Amine Noua will remain sidelined Friday.
- Gabriel Deck and Rudy Fernandez will return to action for Real Madrid.
- Red Star's Johnny O'Bryant is back on the roster after sitting out Wednesday's make-up game.
- Leon Radosevic will be available for Bayern, but Nihad Dedovic will not be.
- Derrick Williams and Sam Van Rossom are both good to go for Round 8.
THE SLATE
Real Madrid at Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade
Key Injuries: Gabriel Deck (MAD), Rudy Fernandez (MAD), Jeffery Taylor (MAD)
Best Bets for Success: Jordan Loyd put up another big number in the scoring column in Wednesday's make-up game against ASVEL, and given that he's scoring 4.3 more points per game than any player in the league, he figures to be one of the top point-getters in Friday's contests. However, he will need a huge game to return significant value on both DraftKings and FanDuel, and that won't be easy with teammate Johnny O'Bryant back in action. Loyd averaged 11.6 fewer points on DraftKings in games that O'Bryant appeared in as opposed to those in which he didn't. O'Bryant, back after a brief one-game absence, has stepped right into a prominent role for Red Star, and he will be one of the best options on several websites, but none more so than FanDuel, where he will cost you a paltry $5. Facundo Campazzo looked like his old self last week, but with him possibly parting ways with Madrid in the near future, head coach Pablo Laso could give his other guards more opportunities like he did in October. Therefore, Walter Tavares looks like the best option for Madrid, as he snapped out of a slump last week with a monster double-double.
DFS Darlings: Corey Walden is coming off his best game of the season, and although he will be affected by O'Bryant's return as well, he is a good bet to score in double figures, having done so in six straight games. Alberto Abalde and Anthony Randolph have some appeal for Madrid, and although the Spanish squad could get a couple forwards back, they are still down a couple frontcourt players.
Anadolu Efes Istanbul at Panathinaikos OPAP Athens
Key Injuries: Shane Larkin (IST), Bryant Dunston (IST), Sertac Sanli (IST), Nemanja Nedovic (PAN), Zach Auguste (PAN), Ben Bentil (PAN)
Best Bets for Success: It's tempting to put all of Efes' top four guards in this spot, but it's highly unlikely all of them will return value in Friday's contests. Larkin would be the top option at full speed, but because he could be limited Friday, we'll play a hunch and select Vasilije Micic as the top option. Over the past two seasons Micic has seemingly played better when Larkin suits up than when he doesn't, and he scored a season-high 20 points in the one game Larkin has appeared in to date. Even a limited Larkin will be tough to ignore on FanDuel, as he will run you just $5 on that website. Efes is allowing the most points and second-most assists to opposing guards, so Nedovic looks like Panathinaikos' top option if he plays.
DFS Darlings: Given Efes' struggles with guards, the Greek team's backcourt players carry plenty appeal in Friday's contests. The addition of Shelvin Mack complicates things, as it remains to be seen where he will slot into the rotation. He's an established player, though, so it wouldn't be the worst idea to take a gamble on him on DraftKings, as he will run you over $5,100. Tibor Pleiss is a little more expensive on DraftKings than your traditional sneaky play, but he will only cost you $11 on FanDuel, and he will be in position to have another big game Friday with Dunston out again.
Valencia Basket at FC Bayern Munich
Key Injuries: Derrick Williams (PAM), Sam Van Rossom (PAM), Vanja Marinkovic (PAM), Joan Sastre (PAM), Mike Tobey (PAM), Leon Radosevic (MUN)
Best Bets for Success: There's a lot of tough matchups for players in this game, but Valencia has been friendly to opposing forwards, which bodes well for Jalen Reynolds and Vladimir Lucic. Both players have finished with fewer than 20 points on DraftKings in just one game a piece. Bayern has a lot of big bodies to throw at Bojan Dubljevic, but he remains Valencia's best player and is the most likely of any of their players to stuff the stat sheet.
DFS Darlings: Williams was on his way to getting back on track before leaving last week's game with an injury, so it seems likely he will get a chance to back that up Friday. He will cost less on DraftKings than he did in Round 7 and is pretty affordable on FanDuel at just $11. His teammate, Louis Labeyrie, also has some promise, as Tobey's absence will open up some minutes for Valencia's other bigs.
Zenit Saint Petersburg at LDLC ASVEL
Key Injuries: Norris Cole (ASV), Amine Noua (ASV)
Best Bets for Success: ASVEL has had a tough time containing opposing guards, which bodes well for Zenit's Kevin Pangos and Billy Baron. The latter, in particular, is particularly appealing on DraftKings at just $6,900. Moustapha Fall has emerged as ASVEL's best player in his first season with the club, and he's been a steady producer on DraftKings, putting up at least 20 points on that website in each game he has played this season.
DFS Darlings: The pricing hasn't caught up with many of the players in this contest, as each team played sparingly the last few weeks due to COVID-19 outbreaks. For ASVEL, Antoine Diot and Guerschon Yabusele are both returning some of the most value at their current prices on both DraftKings and FanDuel, and Diot's outlook will get a boost if Cole remains out. Allerik Freeman is also appealing on both websites, having started the last two games and putting up 14 points in the last one.