BBL Matchday 2 on Friday, 31.05.2024
Alba Berlin unexpectedly lost the first semi-final play-off game against Niners Chemnitz on home soil. Alba showed clear weaknesses, especially in defense, against the strong winner of the Europe Cup.
In my Alba Berlin Chemnitz betting tip, we take another look at Game 1 to understand why the conditions are absolutely right for a back-to-back win for Saxony.
Especially if the Niners once again have such a sure hand from beyond the arc as they did last time out.
In an intense match, Alba Berlin lost 82:95 (32:44) to the Niners Chemnitz in the first game of the semi-final series. In the second period in particular, Alba conceded too many offensive rebounds and avoidable turnovers against the highly motivated visitors.
The defeat was deserved in the end, as the Niners consistently exploited Alba’s weaknesses. The Berlin club had won both encounters against Chemnitz in the regular season.
However, the East Germans now seem to be able to produce the better performances when it counts. Sterling Brown was the best scorer for Berlin with 24 points, while Kevin Yebo stood out for Chemnitz with 23 points.
A brief review of the game: At the start of the game, Alba tried to exploit its size advantage. Johannes Thiemann, the world champion, hit his first three shots from close range and also shone with an assist.
However, the visitors from Chemnitz held out – and captain Jonas Richter equalized midway through the first period to make it 8:8.
Both teams initially played at eye level, with the defensive ranks working with concentration, which led to many turnovers and fouls.
Alba lost its rhythm somewhat and its threes did not want to drop until Sterling Brown made it 14:13. Berlin was not able to add to its lead in offense and went into the first quarter trailing 19:20.
In the second quarter, Johannes Thiemann and Sterling Brown remained the dominant players for Alba. The lead kept changing hands, but both teams conceded a lot of unnecessary turnovers. A three by Matt Thomas briefly put Alba 29:28 in front.
However, Chemnitz dominated the offensive rebounds and scored many second chances and easy points. A 12:2 run by the visitors, aided by two threes by Kevin Yebo, left Alba trailing by a clear 32:44 at half-time.
Berlin then tried desperately to turn the game around in the final quarter. The defense showed more commitment, but many players fell short of their potential in offense. Louis Olinde was not able to repeat his strong performance from the game against Bonn (18 points).
So it was Johannes Thiemann again who got his team back into the game. The deficit was down to just six points with three minutes remaining. However, Chemnitz kept its nerve in the decisive moments and ultimately ran out surprisingly clear winners by 95:82.
The visitors did a number of things right in the opening game, which will also help them in the second game. For example, the Saxons scored reliably from distance, with a three-point percentage of 40 percent at times.
Meanwhile, the various sports betting apps create the necessary conditions to not only look forward to this exciting game, but also to place a basketball bet at the same time.
According to the Alba Berlin Chemnitz odds that have been circulating, the visitors are once again associated with a small “underdog chance”.
While the Niners win odds were still 3.20 in the first clash, they are still around 3.00 ahead of this clash, which makes it clear to me that the German bookies, who will soon also be acting as Euro 2024 bookmakers, have probably learned nothing from their mistakes.
Regardless of whether the East Germans manage another win in a row or not: the generous odds are definitely worth betting on as a betting fan, at least for a trial run!
Conclusion: Alba Berlin are under pressure after their clear 82:95 defeat in the first semi-final game against Niners Chemnitz.
Despite their underdog role in the betting markets – which also applies to Game 2 – the East Germans produced an impressive performance and dominated the action directly under the board in particular.
With ten more rebounds and a lower number of turnovers, the visitors also did a first-class job in the two categories relevant to the outcome of the game.
The visitors’ outstanding teamwork was particularly striking: Alba Berlin recorded 14 fewer assists than Chemnitz.
In view of these facts, it doesn’t seem far-fetched to me that the underdogs could soon be 2:0 in front
My tip: Victory Chemnitz
