Olimpia Milano vs Olympiacos Piraeus Prediction, Odds, Best Bets - Round 9

Milano spends the whole week in Athens at 1-7, still chasing a result that matches how competitive it has looked for long stretches. Olympiacos, meanwhile, plays for the second time in three days with a shortened rotation and real absences on the wing. The visitors kept Panathinaikos honest for 40 minutes on Tuesday, and the question on Friday is whether a depleted home team can actually pull away.

The Matchup

Milano's offense runs through Moses Wright more than the record suggests. Wright averaged 12.9 points and 6.0 rebounds through his first seven EuroLeague games for Milano, and his best nights show why the visitors can hang around in a game like this.

He scored 23 points with 8 rebounds at Maccabi Tel Aviv on October 8, making 9 of his 10 shots inside the arc, and he followed it with 16 points on perfect 6-of-6 shooting against Dubai. When Wright gets early touches, Milano plays through contact instead of settling, and that matters against a defense this disciplined.

Olympiacos defends as well as anyone in the competition, allowing 661 points across eight games, so easy baskets are not coming. The problem for the hosts is at the other end, where the rotation has been cut down. Evan Fournier is out. He has a hematoma on his left shoulder and a strained medial collateral ligament in his right knee, and Eurohoops reported on October 20 that he was expected to miss about 20 days.

Tyler Dorsey is out on a coach's decision, with Basketball Sphere listing his expected return at the end of November. Sasha Vezenkov carried the scoring with 16 points at Besiktas on Wednesday, and Tyrique Jones and Donta Hall stepped up inside, but that is a narrower set of options than Olympiacos usually brings to a home game.

Key Factors

The doubtful list is where this game tilts. Nikola Milutinov is doubtful for Olympiacos with discomfort in the second toe of his right foot, per Basketball Sphere's October 29 injury report, after the club ruled him out of Wednesday's game at Besiktas.

Jean Montero is doubtful with a right ankle sprain and a left knee ligament injury, per the same report, and he also missed Wednesday. If either sits again, Olympiacos is asking Jones and Hall to carry the frontcourt for a second heavy night in three days, which is a lot against a physical finisher like Wright.

Milano has one concern of its own. Alec Peters is doubtful with a left knee contusion, per Basketball Sphere's October 29 report, and he missed Tuesday's game at Panathinaikos, where RotoWire noted Milano was without its second leading scorer. Keep an eye on whether Alec Peters plays before placing a bet. The good news for the visitors is that Garrison Mathews is available.

Mathews played on Tuesday in Athens and scored 21 points against Dubai earlier this month, getting to the line 14 times, so Milano still has a shooter who can erase a deficit in a hurry. The schedule helps, too. Milano has been based in Athens all week after Tuesday's game at Panathinaikos, while Olympiacos played in Istanbul on Wednesday and had to come home. A rested underdog with nothing to lose is a dangerous mix for a favorite just trying to get through the week.

Every pick is published with its line before the game. Odds via consensus sportsbooks at time of writing and move constantly. Must be 21+. If gambling is a problem, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.