The regular season of the Lithuanian elite basketball championship began in the second half of September 2023 and will end in May 2024. 12 teams take part in the competition. Teams that finish in the top eight advance to the playoffs, while the last-placed club will be relegated. The LKL League is not very competitive, but it will be very interesting to follow.
The main contenders for the LKL league title are as follows: Zalgiris, Rytas and Wolves. Having studied these teams in detail, we can conclude whether the club from Kaunas will be able to win another trophy or whether there is a chance for a sensation this season.
Zalgiris
The Green-Whites look pretty good in modern regular season games. After 12 matches played, the Kaunas club took third place in the standings. At the same time, Zalgiris played less in the match and was one victory behind the second Rytas and the first Wolves. Having won 10 matches, Kazys Maksvytis’ team lost two times, away from the Vilnius Wolves and at home from Neptūnas. In addition, the Lithuanian basketball giants have the strongest defense in the league, conceding an average of 69.5 points per game.
The brainchild of Paulius Jankūnas became the Lithuanian basketball champion more than 30 times. The “green-whites” have good chances of winning another trophy this season. At least in terms of composition, the club from Kaunas is the strongest in the championship. If you want to make money by betting on sporting events, then we recommend doing it on Aviator AZ.
Rytas
The Red-Blacks are performing well in the current regular season. After 13 matches played, Rytas was in the top three. So the team is very likely to play in the playoffs. Having won 11 victories, Giedrius Zibenas’s boys suffered two defeats from Kaunas Zalgiris and Wolves. At the same time, the brainchild of Gedvydas Vainauskas has the strongest attack in the championship. On average, Vilnius representatives score almost 92 points in four quarters. It won’t be easy for Margiris Normantas and his partners to get the championship title, but there are still chances.
Representatives of Vilnius have won the championship title six times in history, the last time in 2022. At the same time, it is difficult for the “red-blacks” to compete with their opponents from Kaunas on a regular basis. Last season, Rytas lost to Zalgiris in the final in the fifth match of the series. This year, the inhabitants of the Siemens Arena will try to aim for gold medals, but getting them will be extremely difficult.
Wolves
“Gray-emerald-black” were created in 2022, but the league newcomer showed his competitiveness. In the current regular season, Wolves look very confident and deservedly are in the top three together with Rytas and Zalgiris. In 13 matches played, Kestutis Kemzyura’s boys won 11 and lost twice. The representatives of Vilnius lost on the road to Lietkabelis and Juventus. The Wolves’ defense is not very reliable, but the attack is quite strong. Rigimantius Miniotas and his partners have plenty of experience, but the club is unlikely to be able to get gold.
In the regular championship, the “gray-emerald-blacks” look confident, but Wolves will be more difficult in the relegation battles. Last season in the playoffs, the “wolves” were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Jonava, losing the series dry. Of course, the brainchild of Rimantas Kaukėnas is capable of imposing a fight, but it is unlikely to be able to achieve the championship in the second year.
Our forecast
It’s nice to watch Wolves play, but you shouldn’t seriously expect that the Wolves will even reach the final. The maximum for “gray-emerald-black” is “bronze”. Most likely, Rytas and Zalgiris will compete again for a set of gold medals. In terms of composition, the team from Kaunas is stronger than the team from Vilnius. So, with a high probability, the “green-whites” will be able to win the next trophy and will not experience any special difficulties in the playoffs.
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