2025-26 EuroLeague Round 21 Valencia vs. Monaco Preview: Can Taronja defend their home-court against La Roca? January 8, 2026 by Marc Jerbs

Valencia hosts Monaco on January 8, 2026, at 7:30 PM GMT at the Roig Arena in a crucial Round 21 matchup of the 2025-26 EuroLeague season. With playoff positioning starting to take shape, this contest pits Taronja's defensive structure and home-court intensity against La Roca's star-studded, attack-minded roster.

Team Form and Season Outlook

Valencia Basket
Valencia will look to maximize their home advantage, where their physical defense and up-tempo transition game—often referred to as their “fastbreak formula”—have traditionally been most effective. However, the 2025–26 campaign has been disrupted by injuries that have tested their depth and consistency. Despite those setbacks, Valencia remains a tough matchup, especially when they can dictate tempo and force opponents into low-efficiency possessions.

AS Monaco
AS Monaco arrive as one of the EuroLeague's premier contenders after reaching last season's final. The addition of Nikola Mirotic has further elevated their offensive ceiling, giving Monaco a reliable scoring option who can both stretch the floor and punish mismatches inside. Mike James, a two-time EuroLeague MVP, continues to anchor the offense, while shooters like Nemanja Nedovic add spacing and shot creation. Defensively, Monaco will rely heavily on the energy and versatility of Alpha Diallo and Jaron Blossomgame to balance their offensive firepower.

Valencia vs. Monaco Head-to-Head

March 22, 2024: AS Monaco 90–84 Valencia Basket
October 17, 2025: AS Monaco defeated Valencia again, led by Alpha Diallo's 16 points, with Mike James adding 9 points and 8 assists

Monaco have controlled the recent matchups, but meetings between these two sides are typically physical, closely contested, and decided late.

Valencia vs. Monaco Sports Bet Odds

Taronja are the favorites to win the game. Here are our latest odds:

The Taronja are favored by 1.5 points, with money line odds of 1.76.
La Roca are the underdogs by 1.5 points, with money line odds of -2.00.
The Total is set at 177.5 points. Over odds are 1.86 while Under odds are 1.86.

Injury Report

Valencia Basket

Jean Montero: Recovering from finger surgery; could be in line for his season debut.
Xabi Lopez-Arostegui: Returned in Round 4 after missing time with a fractured finger.
Brancou Badio: Recently back from a muscular injury; previously scored 18 points against Monaco.
Yankuba Sima: Missed the opening EuroLeague rounds and remains sidelined.
Braxton Key: Dealing with a minor knee issue suffered in Round 13.

AS Monaco

Yoan Makoundou: Missed early-season action and was also absent in Round 18.
Elie Okobo: Recently sidelined; recorded 4 points and 6 assists in a previous meeting with Valencia.
Jordan Loyd and Vitto Brown: Missed a recent game against Partizan.
Nemanja Nedovic: Has not played since Round 14; scored 8 points in a prior matchup versus Valencia.

Final Thought

This game shapes up as a clash of control versus creativity. Valencia's best path to victory lies in slowing the pace, winning the physical battles, and feeding off the Roig Arena crowd. Monaco, meanwhile, will trust their scoring depth and late-game shot-makers to maintain their recent dominance in the head-to-head. How well Valencia contain Monaco's perimeter threats could ultimately decide this Round 21 showdown.