Vassilis Spanoulis comes up against the club he won two EuroLeague championships with on Wednesday night (19:00 CET)
Rivalry Series: Predicting the winner of Monaco vs. Olympiacos
Article
2 Mins read
All eyes will be on Vassilis Spanoulis at Salle Gaston Medecin on Wednesday night. In his first home game since taking charge at AS Monaco (8-4), he comes up against a side that is very dear to his heart, Olympiacos Piraeus (8-4). But in this latest Rivalry Series game, which team do the Euroleague.net experts think will triumph?
Geoff Gillingham, Javier Gancedo, Igor Petrinovic and Frankie Sachs have all predicted their winner in this Rivalry Series matchup.
Remember, you can submit your vote via the poll at the bottom of the page.
Geoff: Everybody knows the significance of this game for Vassilis Spanoulis, but putting the emotional aspect to one side, one of the things that has impressed me since his arrival just last Monday is the ball movement he has implemented. Last Friday, Monaco dished a club-record 26 assists in a win at Panathinaikos, then followed that up by recording 27 assists in the French League against Bourg-en-Bresse. Jordan Loyd summed it up best when he said, "It was fun playing like this" after Monaco's triumph at OAKA. I expect the legendary Mike James to create a symphony with Monaco's offense and guide the hosts to a 9-4 record.
Geoff’s prediction: Monaco to have 22+ assists, win by 6.
Igor: Vassilis Spanoulis had a dream start to his EuroLeague coaching career, going on the road and downing the reigning champ Panathinaikos last week. Now, Monaco welcomes Spanoulis's Olympiacos. I don't think it will be too strange of a feeling for Spanoulis, who had plenty of opportunities to coach against Olympiacos over the past two seasons in the Greek League. What I like about this game, more than Spanoulis going against his former team, is the fact that this is a 'prove it' game for both teams. For Monaco, to double down on its win over the Greens. And for Olympiacos, to avoid consecutive losses in tough road games, following last week's defeat against Partizan. It will be a close one, but I think Olympiacos ends up getting a statement win.
Igor's prediction: Olympiacos by 4.
Frankie: The Spanoulis effect will be tested again on Wednesday when Monaco hosts Olympiacos. And while this game is rich in storylines, it is the identity of Monaco’s new boss whom I feel will make the difference. Last season’s semifinals are of little relevance. What matters is that Olympiacos is coming off a loss and that Sasha Vezenkov is back from injury. Those are two reasons to like the Reds. But I believe that every day that Coach Spanoulis has with Monaco is a day he can mold the team more to his liking and deepen his relationship with star guards Mike James, Elie Okobo and Jordan Loyd. Am I putting too much faith in a coach about to stand on the sidelines for just the second time in the EuroLeague? Maybe. But Vasilis Spanoulis was no normal player. And I don’t expect his coaching career to be normal either.
Frankie's prediction: Monaco wins by 3-4 points.
Javi: Vassilis Spanoulis faces Olympiacos, where he reached legendary status to become its best-ever player. His No. 7 jersey was the first to ever be retired by the Reds. Emotions will be at a high level, but let's face it, Sasha Vezenkov is back and that is bad news for the rest of the league. Vezenkov makes a good team become a great team. Olympiacos has the edge when it comes to experience and talent, and Thomas Walkup is the perfect player to play good defense against Mike James. I see Olympiacos finding many advantages on offense through Vezenkov, Evan Fournier and Nikola Milutinov, who has been on fire lately. The Reds are set to take this one.
Javi's prediction: Olympiacos by 7 or more.