Two home sides with a defensive edge. Akita and Chiba are both bottom-table teams with leaky defences, so the gap is small and rests on frontcourt depth. Diamond Dolphins against Shiga is a much clearer gap, with the league's best defence at home against a side that allows 88 a game.
Akita against Altiri Chiba: Chiba's big man Sotto has missed six straight games, and its own coach says the inside is thin and tired. Chiba has won only one of its last ten away games and lost several of them by fifteen or more. Akita leans on ace Smith and has its own turnover and glass problems, which its coach admitted after the Kyoto loss, so this is a thin edge, not a big one. I expect a close game that Akita edges at home. That's why I'm siding with Akita to win by a couple of points.
Diamond Dolphins against Shiga: the Dolphins allow about 75 a game and shoot 49 percent, against Shiga's 88 allowed and 43 percent. They have no new absences, they are at home, and they usually pull away late. Shiga's route is a turnover-driven transition game while the Dolphins' three-point shooting stays cold. I'm not claiming a huge margin, only that the Dolphins win. That's why I'm siding with the Dolphins.
