The regular championship of the Greek basketball league ESAKE began in the first half of October this year and will end at the end of March 2024. The tournament features 12 teams that will play 22 rounds in total, playing each other once at home and away. At the end of the regular season, the top six will advance to the winners’ stage, and the clubs that take places from seventh to 12th will play in the battles of the losers.
The three main contenders for the championship title of the elite basketball championship of Greece are as follows: Panathinaikos, Olympiacos and AEK. By reviewing the current form of these clubs, you can choose the winner of the tournament with greater accuracy. If you want to bet on the ESAKE league and make money on it, then we strongly recommend doing this on the website Mosbet Azerbaycan.
Panathinaikos
Ergin Ataman’s team looks exemplary in the domestic arena this season. It is also worth noting that the Athens club looks quite competitive in the Euroleague. After 10 matches played, Panathinaikos led the standings. Without suffering a single defeat, the “green-whites” beat second Olympiacos by one victory. At the same time, the attack and defense of the brainchild of Manos Papadopoulos was not the strongest in the championship, but Kostas Sloukas and his partners performed well under their ring and conceded on average only 69 points in four quarters.
The Green-Whites have won the championship title 38 times in history and this is a national record. Moreover, in the last two seasons, Panathinaikos lost the trophy to Olympiacos. Having replaced the head coach and strengthened the roster with three Americans with experience in the National Basketball Association, the Athens club has improved. So the Trefoils are quite capable of getting another set of gold medals.
Olympiacos
Georgios Bartzokas’s boys are playing well in the Euroleague (by the 13th round they are seventh in the standings) and are performing quite confidently in the domestic arena. After 10 matches played in the ESAKE league, Olympiacos is in second place in the tournament. The “red-whites” were one win behind the first Panathinaikos, and two ahead of the third Promiteas. It should also be noted that the team from Piraeus had one of the strongest defenses among the 12 teams participating in the competition. On average, Thomas Walkup and his partners conceded a little more than 67 points per match.
The Red-Whites have a competitive squad, but they are slightly inferior to their main competitor Panathinaikos in terms of player selection. The Piraeus team is able to go into relegation battles and perform there quite confidently. However, it will be difficult for the brainchild of Panagiotis Angelopoulos to aim for a third championship title in a row and the 15th in the club’s history this season.
AEK
Joan Plaza’s team is not stable this season. However, according to many experts, this is a third force that could theoretically wedge itself into the championship race. Although you shouldn’t seriously count on impressive successes in relegation battles from AEK. After 10 rounds, the club from Athens was sixth in the standings with five wins and the same number of losses. At the same time, the “double eagles” had the same number of points with fifth PAOK and seventh Peristeri. And after the first half of December, the “yellow-blacks” had the second-strongest defense in the league.
The Double Eagles have become Greek champions eight times in history. But the last time this happened was more than 20 years ago. The “yellow-blacks” include American defenders Jordan McRae and Chesson Randle, who have experience playing in the National Basketball Association and strengthened the team before the start of the current season. In terms of personalities, AEK looks competitive, but in terms of gameplay, the representatives of Athens are not stable and the “union” is unlikely to be able to perform successfully in the playoffs.
Our forecast
AEK may surprise and reach the semi-finals, but the club, which is very interesting in terms of gameplay, is unlikely to be capable of anything more. With a high probability, Panathinaikos and Olympiacos will compete for a set of gold medals. In recent years, the Red and Whites have won the trophy without much difficulty, but this season it will not be an easy ride for the representatives of Piraeus. Panathinaikos has a new coach and a strong squad that is capable of beating their main rival. So, most likely, the “gold” in the current ESAKE league will be won by the “green-whites” from Athens.
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