JEREZ DE GARCÍA SALINAS, Mexico (Interstat) — Botafogo and Caxias Do Sul will meet Wednesday at Marcelino Gonzalez in Jerez de García Salinas, Mexico, with both teams seeking their first win of the season. Botafogo is the home team. Caxias Do Sul enters with a 0-2 record, and Botafogo also is 0-2. The matchup gives each side an early opportunity to get into the win column.

Caxias Do Sul will look to L. Nakazawa, who has been productive through two games. In a 78-66 loss to Minas, Nakazawa played 38 minutes and finished with 20 points, four rebounds and seven assists. In a 72-61 loss to Cruzeiro, Nakazawa played 27 minutes and had 15 points, four rebounds and one assist. In the most recent loss to Minas, Nata Nascimento added 19 points, four rebounds and three assists in 34 minutes, while I. Goncalves had 11 points, four rebounds and two assists in 30 minutes. Caxias Do Sul also dropped its earlier game to Cruzeiro. The visiting side will try to improve its execution at both ends after opening the season with two losses.

Botafogo will counter with Alexander Mudronja, who has opened the season with two notable all-around efforts. In an 89-88 loss at Pato Basquete, Mudronja played 33 minutes and recorded 28 points, seven rebounds and six assists. In an 81-71 loss at Flamengo, he played 32 minutes and had five points, nine rebounds and seven assists. In the most recent loss at Pato Basquete, J. De Moraes added 16 points, 10 rebounds, one assist and two blocks in 28 minutes, while Ricardo Fischer had 10 points, three rebounds and eight assists in 28 minutes. Botafogo also lost its previous game at Flamengo. The home side will aim to tighten its late-game execution after a one-point defeat.

The game is set for Wednesday at Marcelino Gonzalez. Both teams have shown productive individual performances despite their 0-2 starts, and each will be looking for a more complete effort. Caxias Do Sul will need Nakazawa to continue his scoring while finding support around him. Botafogo will lean on Mudronja and its complementary pieces as it tries to secure its first victory. The teams will meet in Jerez de García Salinas, Mexico, with the opening tip scheduled for Wednesday.

Interstat’s game simulator is projecting a final score of Botafogo 78, Caxias Do Sul 75. Botafogo has been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The over/under for the game is 152.5.