CBA New Year Showdown: Shandong Highspeed vs. Xinjiang Yilit – A Battle of Momentum

This CBA New Year's Day clash pits two teams looking to build on recent victories. Shandong Highspeed, with a 4-4 record, will play at home, fresh off a win against Shanxi that ended a three-game losing streak. Xinjiang Yilit, holding a 3-5 record, travels away, also having stopped a four-game skid by defeating Guangzhou. Historically, Xinjiang has the edge with a 42-20 record in head-to-head matchups. However, Shandong defeated Xinjiang 111-107 away earlier this season, ending their 14-game winning streak. Shandong's foreign player, Chris, ranks second in the league in scoring. Purcell provides consistent offensive contributions, and Tao Hanlin anchors the interior defense and rebounding. Xinjiang's foreign players haven't met expectations, with Lawson and Natole scoring under 15 points each. However, local players such as Qi Lin and Abudushalamu have been in good form, and their team's interior rebounding (46 per game) ranks third in the league. Recommendation: Shandong Highspeed