This article is part of our EuroLeague Primer series.
PREGAME UPDATES
- Valencia's Jasiel Rivero will be available for Round 23.
- Milan's Nicolo Melli and Luigi Datome will suit up Thursday.
- Bayern's Othello Hunter will not play in Round 23.
STATS AND INFO.
- EuroLeague Betting Odds
- EuroLeague Starting Lineups
- EuroLeague Injury Report
- EuroLeague Team Stats
- Opponent Averages
- Team Trends
- Twitter - @RotoWireEuro
THE SLATE
FC Bayern Munich at 
FC Barcelona
Status Check: Vladimir Lucic (BAY), Othello Hunter (BAY), Andreas Obst (BAY), Elias Harris (BAY), Zan Mark Sisko (BAY), Sergi Martinez (BAR)
The Breakdown: The first game on our list is expected to be the least competitive, as the home team is favored by as many as 10.5 points -- a number that nearly matches the 11 points Barcelona won by when these teams squared off in Round 3. Bayern needs a win to maintain pace in the playoff race, but they will have to overcome a 3-8 road record as well as the absence of several key players. Both teams are below average in pace and above average in defensive rating, so while this is not expected to be the lowest scoring contest of the day, points could be at a premium.
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv at 
Valencia Basket
Status Check: Lorenzo Brown (MTA), Alex Poythress (MTA), Austin Hollins (MTA), Bojan Dubljevic (VBC), Jasiel Rivero (VBC), Sam Van Rossom (VBC), Martin Hermannsson (VBC), Millan Jimenez (VBC)
The Breakdown: Of the three games set to be played Thursday, the implications in this one are the highest, as Valencia currently occupies the eighth spot in the standings and Maccabi trails them by one win. Maccabi won handily when these clubs squared off in Round 12, but their 2-10 record on the road suggests things will go differently this time around. The experts agree, as the Spanish squad is favored by 3.0 points in this one. These teams rate pretty evenly in the secondary statistics, with Maccabi owning just a 0.5-point edge in net rating. They are also both below average in defensive rating -- only one team checks in below Maccabi -- and above average in pace, which is why more points are expected in this contest than both the one above and below.
Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade at 
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan
Status Check: Facundo Campazzo (CZV), Hassan Martin (CZV), Shavon Shields (EA7), Kevin Pangos (EA7), Nicolo Melli (EA7), Luigi Datome (EA7), Tommaso Baldasso (EA7)
The Breakdown: When you mix two teams that rank bottom-3 in pace and bottom-5 in offensive rating you get an over/under that tops out at 150.0 points -- one of the lowest numbers you will see. Even that number could be ambitious, as these teams combined for only 138 points in Milan's victory back in Round 14. Playoff hopes are fading for both clubs, but a win Thursday could go a long way when it's all said and done. The oddsmakers are expecting a close one, as the Italian team is favored by 3.0 points on its home court.
