Hapoel Tel Aviv like to attack quickly, while Barcelona make good use of their guards' drives and passes into the paint. A game with frequent transitions suits the visitors: it will give them more shooting opportunities. Their ability to get to the rim will also help during spells when the hosts manage to get back on defence. Barcelona therefore have several ways to score the 85 points needed for the bet.
Hapoel Tel Aviv
Hapoel Tel Aviv's offence is more reliable than their defence. After nine rounds of the EuroLeague, they average 92.3 points scored and 87.3 conceded. There have been defensive successes too: they held Besiktas JK, Panathinaikos and Virtus Bologna to no more than 82 points in consecutive games. However, in the next two rounds, Anadolu Efes scored 88 and Dubai 97. Defensive problems have also surfaced in victories: the emphatic win over Anadolu Efes (118:88) was primarily down to their own offence. Such opponents give Barcelona an opportunity to continue their high-scoring run.
Barcelona
Barcelona have been scoring consistently for several weeks. They have scored at least 88 points in each of their last five EuroLeague games. The game against Bayern Munich (88:84) is also significant: Barcelona, playing away, made six of their 22 three-point attempts but converted 70% of their two-pointers. Their guards drove to the basket, while team-mates found space behind defenders. This allowed them to keep scoring even when their long-range shots missed. That supports a team total bet: their offence does not depend entirely on how well their outside shooters perform on the night.
Hapoel Tel Aviv vs Barcelona Prediction
If the hosts stop the drives and force Barcelona into difficult shots, reaching 85 points will be harder. However, Barcelona have exceeded that mark both at home and away, and the Israeli club's last two opponents have also cleared it. Drives and passes into the paint should help the visitors score the points required even with a low three-point shooting percentage. Our prediction is for Barcelona to score over 84.5 points, including OT.
