Hapoel Tel Aviv vs Efes Anadolu Istanbul 28 October 2026 Prediction

Hapoel Tel Aviv vs Efes will be played at a neutral venue in Botevgrad, Bulgaria. Hapoel enters the game in the EuroLeague’s top six, while Efes has won two straight. Both teams have experienced managers in Dimitris Itoudis and Pablo Laso.

Hapoel Moves Into the Playoff Spots

Hapoel opened its EuroLeague campaign with an 86-84 loss to Bayern but has since won five of six games. Last week, it beat Virtus Bologna 90-81. LeDay had 22 points and 10 rebounds, sharing Round 7 MVP honors with Panathinaikos guard Shorts.

Hapoel averages 90 points, 85.9 points allowed and 37.1 rebounds per game. Efes averages 35.9 rebounds. Hapoel ranks in the top 10 in three-point shooting at 37.7% and commits a league-low 10 turnovers per game.

Hapoel Tel Aviv Predicted Lineup: Micic – Bryant, Caboclo – LeDay, Satoransky

Unavailable: Blayzer, Palatin and Segev (not on the roster); Ennis (injury)

Manager: Dimitris Itoudis

Efes Wins Two Straight Amid Rumors About Laso’s Future

After a 1-3 start, Efes has beaten Zalgiris 85-70 and Besiktas 89-80. Payne scored 22 points against Besiktas. Signed as an emergency replacement for the injured James, he is averaging 17 points per game.

Efes averages 83 points per game, but its defense has helped keep games close. It ranks among the EuroLeague’s 10 best teams in points allowed, giving up 84.3 per game. Efes also ranks in the top five in possessions per game at 76.8. Ball security has been a problem, though: it averages a league-high 14.9 turnovers and 17.9 assists.

Efes Predicted Lineup: Payne – Strazel, Malcolm – Saric, Fernando

Unavailable: James, Papagiannis, Dozier and Cordinier (injuries)

Manager: Pablo Laso

Hapoel Won Both Meetings Last Season

Hapoel won 87-81 in Istanbul last October, then beat Efes 71-66 at home.

Hapoel Tel Aviv vs Efes Prediction: Hapoel Tel Aviv Handicap -5.5

Main prediction: Itoudis-led teams have won 15 of 19 meetings with Laso-led teams. Hapoel has also beaten Panathinaikos 81-71 and Besiktas 100-82 this season. Efes has won just one of its four games away from Istanbul and lost 89-66 to Olympiacos. Hapoel has the stronger numbers in several key areas, while Efes leads the league in turnovers. The pick is Hapoel Tel Aviv -5.5 at 1.71.

Total points prediction: Since 2020, five of six meetings between teams managed by Itoudis and Laso have finished below 160 points. Last season, Itoudis’ Hapoel beat Laso’s Efes 71-67. Efes may play at a slower pace against Hapoel, as it did against Zalgiris in an 85-77 game and Crvena Zvezda in a 77-72 loss. The additional pick is under 173.5 total points at 1.81.