The full season subscription rates for the BBC Basketball advisory service have been reduced down to 359€ this morning (subscription page), which means that you can get a daily NBA update between now and the completion of the finals in June for less than 2€ per day.

 

Here at clubgowi, I have previewed five matches for subscribers today and you can read notes from two of those below ...........

 

 

UEFA Champions League:

 

AS Roma- BATE Borisov
 

 

 

The Belarus team have lost their last seven CL group away starts and will meet a Roma side hungry for revenge after their 3-2 defeat in the reverse fixture, three down at the break, i Giallorossi pulled two back and could/should have got something from that tie, hitting the woodwork late and having chances to turn the game on it's head. If Roma go out at this stage, having dropped five points+ to BATE, they are going to have to take a very long look in the mirror and I do not doubt that heads will roll somewhere along the line. Things have not gone well for them since that 2-0 win over deadly rivals Lazio early last month, with just two draws to show from four starts and having conceded a whopping ten goals in that sequence.Six of those came in Barcelona to the Catalan giants and three of the four outings were on the road, so it is perhaps not quite as bad as it sounds and it is true that Roma have had a very tough time of things injury wise. However, there were signs in the 1-1 draw at Torino on Saturday that form was returning and they really should have taken all three points there, Daniele De Rossi has recently returned, Gervinho is in the squad despite coming off injured at the weekend and Mohamed Salah (pictured) is back in the matchday group for the first time since the derby win and things are starting to look up ! Hard to overstate how important this is for Roma, in addition to staying in Europe's premier club competition it would provide a boost for the rest of the season and that is sorely needed right now, not least with a trip to Napoli at the weekend. This is that often discussed season defining game and one Roma simply have to find a way to win, that 95th minute equaliser they conceded at Torino should dictate they do not sit back after taking the lead, unless Barce are a couple up and even then, BATE will be gambling and as much as three points, the hosts could really do with a performance.
 

BATE have struggled on the road against quality opposition and in those seven straight away group defeats, have conceded 16 goals inside the first hour and it is hard to see them keeping Roma out for any longer that that, after which the tie should open up and I expect the hosts to make their superior quality and match fitness tell, with the visitors having played just one competitive match in the last five weeks.
 

Barcelona have little to play for, first place in the group is already assured and it is worth noting that their weekend La Liga fixture is scheduled for Saturday and not Sunday and that and not this, will be the most important fixture thay will play this week. Also, the minor injury picked up by Neymar in training yesterday will have given cause to think about exactly what is on the line tonight (nothing) , but how one or two needless injuries could stall their defence of three major titles. Barce might play another 35-40 matches this season and there is a good chance that this will be the single least important one ! Neymar has missed only a couple of games this season, but they included the 90 minute 4-4 Super Cup draw with Sevilla and 4-0 Super Copa defeat to Athletic Bilbao and with the chance to record a famous win over the European champions and buoyed by a narrow 2-1 loss in the reverse fixture, Bayer should fancy their chances here and there should be a goal or two in this for them. Hosts have scored in their last ten starts, at an average of 2.3 per game and have scored 15 goals in their last six CL starts, including three or more at home to Lazio, BATE and Roma and 2.25-2.30 for hosts to score two or more today looks a decent quote given that this game will have a bit of a "friendly" feel.

 

1.5 units Roma -1.75 ball 2.28 asian line/Sportmarket.