SÃO JOSÉ DOS PINHAIS (Interstat) — Cearense will visit Sao Jose on Monday in a Brazilian basketball matchup at Lineu de Moura in São José dos Pinhais, Brazil, with both teams seeking their first win of the season.

Cearense enters with an 0-2 record after losses to Osasco and Pinheiros. The most recent setback came against Pinheiros, when Michael Dupree led Cearense with 22 points, three rebounds, two assists and one block in 34 minutes. Gabriel Fernandes added 11 points and five rebounds, while Jeanzinho scored eight points with two rebounds and two assists. Dupree has been Cearense’s most productive player in the early season, scoring 25 points with three rebounds and two assists in 34 minutes against Osasco before his 22-point effort in the latest game. He is the player to watch for Cearense as the visiting side tries to establish rhythm against a Sao Jose team also searching for its first victory.

Sao Jose is 0-3 after losses to Franca, Bauru and Paraiba. Derick Machado has been the team’s top individual performer in its recent games. In the most recent loss to Paraiba, Machado finished with 15 points, six rebounds and three assists in 30 minutes. Leonardo Cravero added 12 points and six rebounds, and Emmanuel Payton Clottey scored 16 points with four rebounds and four assists. Machado had 12 points, seven rebounds and one assist in 31 minutes at Bauru, and he contributed six points, eight rebounds and three assists in 27 minutes at Franca. He is the player to watch for Sao Jose as the home team looks to generate consistent offense and defend its floor.

The game will be played at Lineu de Moura, where Sao Jose will try to use home-court familiarity to offset Cearense’s scoring threats. Cearense will aim to support Dupree with secondary production from Fernandes and Jeanzinho, while Sao Jose will lean on Machado, Cravero and Clottey to create balance. Both teams remain in the early portion of their schedules, and each is looking for a first result to build around.

Cearense is scheduled to visit Mogi das Cruzes before hosting Paulistano and Corinthians Paulista in its next stretch of games. Sao Jose is set to visit Osasco and Pinheiros before returning home to face Paulistano. The Monday matchup at Lineu de Moura gives both sides an opportunity to change momentum before their respective upcoming schedules continue.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a final score of Sao Jose 82, Cearense 75. Sao Jose has been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -13. The over/under for the game is 162.