Valencia Basket vs Saski Baskonia 29 September 2026 Prediction

Valencia vs Baskonia is an all-Spanish matchup in Round 2 of the EuroLeague regular season. Valencia opened with a narrow 96-94 road win over tournament newcomer Beşiktaş, while Baskonia lost 106-89 at home to Olympiacos. Can Paolo Galbiati’s team keep it close against the favorite?

T.J. Shorts Takes a Leading Role at Valencia

After two strong seasons in Paris, T.J. Shorts struggled to make the same impact at Panathinaikos. The American guard, who also holds a North Macedonian passport, joined Valencia for a fresh start. He led the team in its EuroLeague opener at Beşiktaş, scoring 26 points in a 96-94 win. Fellow newcomer Nikola Mirotic added 13, and four other Valencia players scored 10 apiece.

Valencia Predicted Lineup: Shorts, Taylor, Reuvers, Mirotic, Osetkowski

Out: None listed

Manager: Javier Albert

Baskonia Needs to Improve on Defense

Baskonia has allowed at least 96 points in each of its three exhibition games and two competitive games, an average of 104.2. That defensive record is a concern in both domestic league play and the EuroLeague. Baskonia lost its EuroLeague opener 106-89 at home to Olympiacos. Lawson’s 20 points off the bench were one of the few positives.

Baskonia Predicted Lineup: Stewart, Simmons, Duarte, Kurucs, Sedekerskis

Out: None listed

Manager: Paolo Galbiati

Valencia Won Three of Four Competitive Meetings Last Season

Valencia also won an exhibition game between the teams. Baskonia, however, won their most recent meeting, 88-86 on the road in the Spanish league regular season.

Valencia vs Baskonia Prediction: Baskonia Handicap +7.5

Main pick: Valencia has the stronger roster on paper, but its revamped team still needs time to build chemistry under manager Javier Albert. The more settled Baskonia team could take advantage of Valencia’s defensive issues and keep the margin close. Take Baskonia +7.5 at 1.90.

Total points pick: Both teams prioritize offense, and each of their EuroLeague openers produced at least 190 combined points. Seven of their last 10 meetings went over 179.5 points. With both defenses showing weaknesses, take over 179.5 total points at 1.85.