Which clubs are the favorite in the EuroLeague next season?
Betano/Stoiximan has posted the list of Euroleague 2023/2024 favourites and in my view, there are 8 teams all with a chance of at least a place in the Final 4.
Although coming after a disappointing season, Barcelona who lost Sarunas Jasikevicius and Nikola Mirotic remain this season’s favourites for the trophy at odds 6. If Mirotic has been replaced by Willy Hernangomez, a very good deal in my opinion, the appointment of Roger Grimau as a coach I don’t think can bring a plus because of this I don’t see them as favourites this season. Real Madrid has the same odds as Barcelona, the big question mark will be whether Walter Tavares will stay or not, if he stays Madrid will surely be the main favourite.
Thanks to the investment in transfers by bringing in Ergin Ataman, Kostas Sloukas, Jerian Grant, Luca Vildoza, Kyle Guy, Ioannis Papapetrou or Mathias Lessort, Panathinaikos made a spectacular leap and are the 3rd favourite for the trophy, odds 8. Compared to last season the team looks much better, with fit players and a coach who knows how to win this trophy. Right behind them at odds 9 is the team Ataman left, Efes who appointed Erden Can as a coach and brought in Eurocup players like Derek Willis, and Tyrique Jones. It will be another disappointing season for them especially since none of the newcomers come close to the value of Vasilije Micic who left for the NBA.
Betano offers the same odds as Efes for last season’s 2nd and 3rd-place finishers, Olympiacos and Monaco. The Greeks have lost superstar Sasha Vezenkov and Kostas Sloukas, but with the additions of Nikola Milutinov, Nigel Williams-Goss and Luke Sikma they still have a good chance of playing in the Final 4 again. The French on the other hand, will again be relying on pretty much the same players and I don’t see how they will even be able to grab a Final 4 spot when pretty much all their opponents are looking better and they are relying on an increasingly slow Mike James, I think they can at most fight for a top 8 spot.
Fenerbahce, odds 10 seems realistic to me, the transfers of Yam Madar, Georgios Papagiannis and Sertac Sanli, can’t offer a championship team allure, but they will fight for a top 8 spot. Partizan also has odds of 10, a team that looked weakened compared to last season, especially with the departures of Mathias Lessort and Dante Exum, but with the transfer of a player like Nikola Mrotic, while Mateusz Ponitka and Ognjen Jaramaz will deliver what is expected of them, Partizan becomes a Top 4 favorite.
Although I agree with the odds offered by Betano in general, however, I don’t think Barcelona is the main favourite and I don’t think they will play the final while Panathinaikos or Partizan, both have a great chance to surprise and win it.
Valentin Petruta
Photo: EuroLeague
