Anadolu Efes hosts Besiktas on October 22, 2026, at Basketbol Gelisim Merkezi in Round 7 of the regular season, with both teams coming off six days of rest and one game in the last seven days. Efes is 2-4 overall and 1-1 at home, while Besiktas is 3-3 overall and 2-1 away.
The market gives Anadolu Efes a 66.7 percent implied probability across nine bookmakers, but the efficiency profile points to a more complicated matchup. Besiktas ranks ninth in CourtFrame Power Index at 55.28 with a 0.6 trend, while Anadolu Efes ranks 13th at 36.94 with a 0.3 trend, creating an 18.3-point CPI differential in Besiktas’ favor.
The central contrast: Efes pace against Besiktas efficiency
Anadolu Efes has played at a pace of 87.1 possessions, well above Besiktas’ 73.9. That gap is one of the defining tactical variables in this game because Efes’ best path is likely to create volume, while Besiktas has been the more efficient half-court scoring team.
Besiktas is averaging 92.3 points with a 125 offensive rating, 74.0 percent true shooting and 60.9 percent effective field goal rate. Those numbers are supported by 50.8 percent shooting from the field and 41.3 percent from three, with nearly half of its shot profile coming from beyond the arc through a 49.2 three-point rate.
Efes averages 82.0 points with a 94.2 offensive rating, 56.7 percent true shooting and 51.1 percent effective field goal rate. The home side has shot 44.9 percent from the field and 31.1 percent from three, and its 39.8 three-point rate gives it enough perimeter volume to punish defensive mistakes, but not yet with the accuracy Besiktas has shown.
Ball security and creation could decide the possession battle
Besiktas has paired shooting efficiency with cleaner possession management. It owns a 15.6 turnover rate and averages 11.5 turnovers, compared with Anadolu Efes’ 17.0 turnover rate and 14.8 turnovers. In a matchup where Besiktas already holds a major shooting-efficiency edge, Efes cannot afford to compound that gap by giving away empty possessions.
Both teams move the ball, but Besiktas has been more connected by the assist metrics. Besiktas carries a 71.5 assist rate and averages 19.7 assists, while Efes has a 63.5 assist rate and averages 18.0 assists. That difference matters against a defense that has allowed a 95.5 defensive rating from Efes and a 120.7 defensive rating from Besiktas.
The defensive-rating contrast is unusual because Besiktas has been dominant offensively but vulnerable defensively. Its 120.7 defensive rating creates a window for Efes, particularly at home, where Anadolu Efes is averaging 93.5 points through a 1-1 split. Besiktas has also traveled well offensively, averaging 94.3 points away while going 2-1.
Backcourt scoring sets the matchup tone
Anadolu Efes has three perimeter creators carrying the scoring load. Cameron Payne is averaging 15.3 points and 3.7 assists through three games, Mike James is averaging 15.0 points and 4.0 assists through three games, and Matthew Strazel is averaging 13.3 points and 3.2 assists through six games. Their ability to pressure the first defender will be central to generating quality looks before Besiktas can set its shell.
Dario Saric gives Efes its most productive frontcourt scoring and rebounding profile at 12.7 points and 6.2 rebounds through six games. His role is important because Efes has a 48.2 rebound percentage and averages 31.0 rebounds, while Besiktas has a 48.5 rebound percentage and averages 27.2 rebounds. Efes can create an edge on the glass if Saric controls defensive rebounds and extends possessions without forcing contested shots.
Besiktas is led by Scottie Wilbekin, who averages 15.7 points and 3.3 assists through six games. Jaylen Nowell adds 12.2 points, Devon Dotson contributes 9.7 points and 4.0 assists, Anthony Brown averages 9.3 points, and Eugene Omoruyi averages 9.0 points. That distribution aligns with Besiktas’ 71.5 assist rate and makes it difficult for Efes to load up on one creator without exposing the weak side.
Health and rest remove the usual qualifiers
Neither team has significant injuries reported, and both enter with the same rest profile: six days off and one game in the last seven days. That removes a major scheduling variable and shifts the focus toward execution, shot quality and turnover control.
For Anadolu Efes, the clean injury report means Payne, James, Strazel, Saric and Jordan Loyd can form the core of a rotation that needs shot creation and defensive discipline. For Besiktas, full availability protects the spacing-heavy structure built around Wilbekin, Nowell, Dotson, Brown and Omoruyi.
What to watch
The first key is pace control. Efes plays much faster at 87.1 possessions, while Besiktas has produced its offensive profile at 73.9. If Efes accelerates the game while keeping turnovers near or below its season average, it can increase the number of scoring chances against a Besiktas defense that has allowed a 120.7 defensive rating.
The second key is the three-point line. Besiktas has shot 41.3 percent from three on a 49.2 three-point rate, while Efes has made 31.1 percent on a 39.8 three-point rate. If those percentages hold, Efes will need to win other categories decisively, particularly turnovers, free throws and rebounding.
The third key is whether Efes can turn its home scoring into sustained efficiency. Anadolu Efes averages 93.5 points at home, but its overall offensive rating remains 94.2 with a minus-1.4 net rating. Besiktas enters with a plus-4.3 net rating, and its 125 offensive rating gives it the clearest statistical advantage entering Round 7 of the regular season.
No recent head-to-head history shapes this matchup, which puts more weight on current form indicators. Besiktas has the stronger CPI position, superior shooting efficiency and cleaner ball security, while Anadolu Efes has home court, a faster tempo and a backcourt capable of stressing a defense that has not yet matched its offense.