Lietuvos Rytas host the opening game of the Eurocup regular season as the Lithuanian team plays host to Asvel Basket of France in a Group E encounter. Rytas head coach Antanas Sireika's side has started the 2008-09 season very strong - both in the Lithuanian LKL league and the Baltic League, where the team leads both competitions. Sireika joined Lietuvos this off-season after two seasons with Russian club Unics Kazan and the former Lithuanian national team coach hopes to build upon Rytas's recent success. The team captured the 2005 ULEB Cup title and lost to Real Madrid in the 2007 final. Lietuvos also reached the Top 16 of the Euroleague in 2006 and 2008. And now it's Sireika's turn to bring the crazed Rytas fans another title. The coach has a strong group to bring into battle. 

The leader of the team has been Chuck Eidson, who helped Strasbourg reach the ULEB Cup quarter-finals in 2007 before joining Rytas last season. The left-handed 2.02m Edison acts almost as a point forward as he leads the team in points, rebounds and assists. Center Matt Nielsen have been averaging over 11 points and 5 rebounds thus far this season as well as more than two assists as he is a big man who can pass the ball very well. Sireika has another tough low post presence in center Marijonas Petravicius, who was with Rytas during the 2007 final run. And the Lithuanian side makes opponents pay for leaving their man on the perimeter as forward Donatas Zavackas, guard Mindaugas Lukauskis, guard Steponas Babrauskas and guard Branko Milisavljevic all have shot over 40% from long range this season. Asvel Basket will need to really be on its game to knock off Rytas on the road. Head coach Vincent Collet, new at Asvel after coming over following years with Le Mans, has started well in the French league this season, playing among the leaders. The 16-time French champions reached the Euroleague Top 16 in 2002-03 and advanced to the quarterfinals of the ULEB Cup in 2005-06. Collet's main leaders are center Ali Traore, who averages nearly 14 points and 6 rebounds a game; forward Chevon Troutman, adding about 13 points and 7 rebounds; and veteran forward Laurent Foirest, who is still an outside threat while scoring about 12 points and handing out 4 assists as well as playing top notch defense. Forward Eric Campbell has proven a strong scorer and rebounder in the blocks while guards J.R. Reynolds and Ben Dewar both can handle play-making duties while also punishing opponents if left open outside. Aymeric Jeanneau has also excelled in the point guard spot while forward Amara Sy has found himself into the Asvel attack very well with nearly 14 points and more than 7 rebounds. But Collet's team must defend extremely well if it hopes to open Group E with a victory.

First let's analyze handicap line for this match. Lietuvos Rytas has a heavy 9.5-points favorite role in a line but don't forget than this year Lietuvos Rytas completely new roster full of young players who are hungry for a wins and full of ambitions but as all young teams has too many weak points and one of them is their mentality. I have seen some Lietuvos Rytas games this season and unfortunately I can't say that this roster is really great and showing "rytas-basketball". They have many up and downs during a game with more or less seriuos opponents in BBL and the main trouble of this team is that it does not have true playmayker like H.Price or R.Stelmahers previous years. And that's where all problems starting. Another big problem is that Nielsen is not showing his best skills, while Petravicius is missing on the court because Sireika is not a big fan of pick-n-roll like A.Trifunovic. Rytas however still has defensive mentality but so far they are not looking like a team capable to defend under 70 points.

Asvel on other side is coming to Vilnius with full roster and I think that they will deliver some problems to Rytas tonight on court with defense which is working under 75 points and athlecism. Asvel players and coach has Euroleague experience but as always it is hard to predict how French teams will play away from home in Europe. Right now Asvel is showing good basketball in France but let's wait and see how they will respond in Europe.

If this game would be played on neutral ground statistically line should be 77-77 because both teams has trend to score around 80-82 points and stop opponents under 75 points. But because this game will be played in Vilnius in front of very hot crowd Rytas should have advantage over the line. But 9.5 points is too big handicap for home court only. As for me more fair handicap line should be -7.5 or -8.0. And more of that I would not be suprised to see equal game today in Siemens arena because at this moment it is too early to speak about Lietuvos Rytas real form and abilities on European level.

As for the total line 157.5 total looks too high because both teams have good defense and are not allowing opponents to score over 80 points. I expect both teams to score in the 70-80 points range.

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