Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Italian Basketball match.
The rivalry between Virtus Bologna and Olimpia Milano has grown into a true classic. This will already be their eighth meeting of the season, with the Bologna side currently holding a 4-3 edge in the head-to-head. For the visitors, it’s the perfect opportunity to level the series.
Virtus Bologna
This playoff run has been anything but straightforward for Virtus. They needed five games to get past Umana Reyer Venezia and only just edged Olimpia Milano in the first leg at home. There are serious concerns around their rotation. Key guard Daniel Hackett has scored 10 or more points just once in his last ten games, while Tornike Shengelia seems to be carrying a knock — coach Duško Ivanović has even opted to leave him out of the lineup entirely on occasion.
Olimpia Milano
Milan’s key advantage lies in their experience. The presence of Nikola Mirotić alone speaks volumes — he’s averaging 13.4 points and 5.8 rebounds this postseason. Then there’s Shavon Shields, who’s already scored 20+ twice in high-pressure moments and has the poise to take charge when it matters. Add Zach LeDay into the mix, and you have a clear contender for the title.
Virtus Bologna vs Olimpia Milano Prediction
Olimpia Milano came within a whisker of winning the first game (67:68) and won’t want to return home trailing in the series. They’ve already beaten Virtus Bologna convincingly earlier this season (91:77), and with the depth in their squad, they’ve got every reason to believe they can level things up here.
