Caxias do Sul vs Cruzeiro Basquete, Novo Basqete Brasil, Today Match Prediction

Teams Preview

Caxias do Sul Preview

Caxias do Sul come home with the aim of carrying on a stable beginning to their NBB campaign following a 2-3 run through over the past five matches. In the same run, they recorded solid away victories against Rio Claro (92-79) and Osasco (79-75) and were clearly confident in their attack, although they lost to Brasilia, Pinheiros and Uniao Corinthians by small margins, which served as a clear indication of where they should make improvements. They have an average season score of 71.5 points on offence and 77.4 on offence and an offensive rhythm of slightly better, as they score just over the mid-70s at home.  

The combination of old and new players in the team has enabled it to do better in late-quarter scenarios, which were a weakness of the team earlier in the month when they were losing a lot. Their perimeter attack is spearheaded by Betinho Duarte using space and creating shots, and their bigs have made big strides forward on the glass following the heavy home loss to Brasília. This is a moderate move that has enabled them to be within striking distance in most competitions.  

On Cruzeiro, Caxias will seek to score early, accelerate the speed of missed shots and exploit opponents that give away an average of more than 87 points per game. The better defensive organization at home and the recent positive outcomes give Caxias the confidence and an advantage in the form during the match. 

Cruzeiro Basquete Preview

Cruzeiro head to Caxias in an attempt to bounce back from their four losses in the past five matches. Their more recent losses of up to 10-digit defeats against Rio Claro (99-77), Brasilia (79-65), Osasco (98-76) and Paulistano (106-86) indicate their defensive complication problems. 

The only positive performance during this period saw them score a high-scoring home victory over Osasco, which made them realize that the problem has not been scoring since they are averaging 77.5 points per game this season.  

What has been more of a worry has been on the defensive side where they give up 87.4 points per game, which has seen them struggle to remain within the game in their entirety. Felipe Da Cruz and Alexandre Ludwing provide them with a solid foundation on boards and inside scoring with their strength and structure respectively on the backcourt and reliable perimeter threat respectively. However, perimeter defensive breakdowns and lack of coverage in transition still cost them victories, especially out of Belo Horizonte.  

Cruzeiro have only one road win to this day, and they are now up against a Caxias team who are now displaying renewed confidence at home and recently gained a hard-fought victory at Osasco. To be able to compete, Cruzeiro will have to defend the ball, win defensive rebounds and retain Caxias within the 70s. Their present strength is headed to another hard road trip in case they are unable to stabilise their defence.

Caxias do Sul vs Cruzeiro Basquete Starting Lineups