KAUNAS (Interstat) — Neptunas 2 will carry a 7-4 record into its road game against Kauno Atletas on Saturday, while Kauno Atletas enters at 1-9. The matchup pairs one of the stronger starts in the early season against a home team still seeking traction.

Neptunas 2 most recently fell 94-75 to Marijampole. Simas Sarakauskas, the team’s player to watch, had 16 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists in that game. He also scored 8 points with 3 rebounds and 4 assists in a win at Vilniaus Stekas and had 7 rebounds and 2 assists in a narrow home win. Sarakauskas has been a steady presence in Neptunas 2’s rotation, with recent outings including 5 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists against Telsiai. Rokas Maciulis and Eimantas Zilius have also contributed in recent games. Neptunas 2 has won three of its last five games, including a 59-57 home win over Palangos Olimpas and a 74-62 road victory at Rytas 2.

Kauno Atletas most recently won 80-66 at Kedainiu, snapping a difficult stretch. August Navickas, the player to watch for Kauno Atletas, led the way with 13 points, 14 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block. He had 10 points, 11 rebounds and 3 assists in a loss at Vytis VDU and 8 points with 8 rebounds against Kretinga. Navickas also had 5 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist at Telsiai and 5 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists and 2 blocks against Mazeikiai. Aistis Lukosevicius added 12 points and 12 rebounds in the most recent win, while Titas Didzgalvis contributed 13 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. The Kauno Atletas schedule has included losses to Mazeikiai, Telsiai and Marijampole, with the Kedainiu result standing as the team’s lone win. Kauno Atletas will need that production to continue against a Neptunas 2 team with a much stronger record.

Neptunas 2 has scored at a solid clip in recent wins, including an 87-64 victory at Vilniaus Stekas, a 90-77 win at Mazeikiai, a 78-77 home victory over Naglis Palanga and a 73-70 home win over Silute. Kauno Atletas has had difficulty containing opponents during its 1-9 start, though the recent road win offers a lift. The home team will try to slow the pace and lean on Navickas inside, while Neptunas 2 will aim to use Sarakauskas and its balanced scoring to control the game.

Interstat’s game simulator projects Neptunas 2 to win 87-83 and gives Neptunas 2 an 80.2 percent probability of victory. Neptunas 2 is a pregame favorite with a spread of -10.5, and the over/under is 161.