BETTING TIPS (XXIII) INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLIES

Montenegro - Latvia. Over 148.5 points (1,95) Stake 3 Pinnacle


Montenegro - Latvia. Latvia +9.5 points (1,95) Stake 3 Pinnacle

Montenegro and Latvia will play today and tomorrow a couple of friendly matches in Zlatibor. These will be the first prep games for Montenegro this summer, looking for Eurobasket 2013 qualification, starting next month. 

The Balkan team will begin a new age after last year´s failure. They headed for EuroBasket 2011 with high expectations and departed Lithuania having failed to live up to them. HC Dejan Radonjic left the team in October and was replaced by Luka Pavicevic.

Pavicevic, well-known by his great work in Alba Berlin, will look for a fresher style in offense, trying to move the ball much better than last year. For sure, he will take advantage of his new CGS “additions”. Either Taylor Rochestie or Brion Rush (both of them got Montenegrin citizenship this year) will give more speed and better shooting beyond the arc than Omar Cook. 

In contrast to those interesting backcourt additions, neither Pekovic nor Vucevic will be available for the team in this early stage of preparation. So it´s time for promising Bojan Dubljevic to lead Montenegro´s frontcourt together with Dragicevic and Bjelica. It will also be so interesting to watch talented youngster PG Nikola Ivanovic with the NT.

Latvia, on the other hand, keeps on relying on the group of talented youngsters that started working with HC Bagatskis  two years ago. The Latvian side will try to play its attractive run&gun style led by their new fresh talents as both Bertans´brothers and Janis Strelnieks.

Today, SF Richards Kuksis shouldn´t be available after an injury against Cyprus on Saturday. 

The Latvian side smashed Cyprus last weekend in a couple of friendlies and they will head to Serbia next week to play against Dusan Ivkovic´s NT.

Great Britain - USA. Over 173 points (1,95) Stake 4 Pinnacle

“This is a massive opportunity for British basketball to get some oxygen, to breathe life into the sport in this country,” said Chris Mitchell, who calls Britain's games for BBC Radio. “Team USA being here is arguably the biggest-ever game this country has hosted. It's arguably bigger than any game they'll play at the Olympics, because they'll only face USA if they get through their group and perhaps meet them in the quarterfinals. So this, this week, it's almost the climax to the history of British basketball. It's huge.”

This is the perfect definition of what should happen tonight in Manchester. British Basketball needs to become more popular and I think we´ll watch quite an attractive and high-scoring game. Team USA, as well, should improve their offensive performance after their sloppy game against Brazil on Monday so the line should be closer to 180 points.
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Montenegro 92-74 Latvia & Great Britain 78-118 USA +3,65 Units

Picks	55
Won	38		69,09%
Lost	16		29,09%
Void	1		1,82%
Stake	206,5
Profit	97,395
Yield	47,16%
Av. Odd	1,933636