Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Liga Endesa match.
After finishing top of the regular season standings last year, Unicaja Málaga have seen a slight dip in form this campaign, ending up in fourth place. Nevertheless, they remain in the spotlight, particularly as they open their playoff campaign against Barcelona Bàsquet, who consistently compete for the title.
Unicaja Málaga
Despite already securing fourth place and lifting the Basketball Champions League trophy, Unicaja Málaga maintained their intensity through the end of the season. Their recent results underline a strong defensive focus. Over their last seven games, they have allowed an average of just 75.1 points per outing.
Barcelona Bàsquet
Barcelona endured a turbulent season and enter the playoffs with plenty of question marks. Following a heavy 98:110 loss to Saski Baskonia, Joan Peñarroya made several adjustments. In the final two rounds of the regular season, Barcelona faced Spar Girona (97:74) and Bilbao Basket (85:68). Although these games had no bearing on playoff positioning, Barcelona showed full defensive commitment, limiting their opponents to just 35.1% and 34.8% shooting from the field, respectively.
Unicaja Málaga vs Barcelona Bàsquet Prediction
Despite expectations of a high-scoring affair, the most recent regular season meeting between these teams yielded only 164 points in total. With playoff intensity now at its peak, a high-scoring contest seems unlikely. The smarter play looks to be Total Under.
