The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters will be hunting for a win this Wednesday, as they target a return to their winning ways after a rare loss. Meanwhile, the NorthPort Batang Pier will go for a heat check following back-to-back victories.

Catch this game live on Wednesday,  July 19 at 5:00 pm, Manila time.

Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (6-2)

Projected Starting Five:

  • PG: Andrei Caracut
  • SG: Shaun Ildefonso
  • SF: Mac Bello
  • PF: Jhonard Clarito
  • C: Leonard Santillan

The Elasto Painters are back in Manila after suffering a 103-88 loss to the still-undefeated Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots. Magnolia is just too good for the rest of the field in the PBA on Tour, so any team Rain or Shine would face after that date with Calvin Abueva and company is going to be a lighter assignment for the Elasto Painters. 

While they shouldn’t take the Batang Pier for granted, the Elasto Painters can be expected to be much closer to their top form in the tournament when they take on NorthPort. Even after its loss to the Hotshots, Rain or Shine is still the highest-scoring team in the tournament. The Elasto Painters are averaging 109.8 points per game on 44 percent shooting from the field. Jhonard Clarito is a man to watch out for over at the side of Rain or Shine, as he is coming off a productive outing against Magnolia, racking up 17 points with bine rebounds, five assists, and five steals.

NorthPort Batang Pier (5-4)

Projected Starting Five:

  • PG: Paul Zamar
  • SG: John Michael Calma
  • SF: Arvin Tolentino
  • PF: Joshua Munzon
  • C: Christian Balagasay

With Arvin Tolentino on NorthPort’s roster, anything can happen for the Batang Pier. Tolentino exploded for 41 points in NorthPort’s 105-86 win over the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters last Friday. He shot 14/22 from the field and hit seven 3-pointers on 11 attempts from deep. 

Tolentino is a matchup problem because of his size and shot-making abilities, but the Batang Pier are also more than just about him. Paul Zamar and John Calma are two reliable studs in the PBA on Tour for NorthPort, which is averaging 95.67 points per outing. Zamar and Calma combined for 35 points in the win against Phoenix. The firepower of Tolentino, Zamar, and Calma could be enough for the Batang Pier to keep in step with Rain or Shine this Wednesday. 

PREDICTION:

Spread: Rain or Shine (-3.5) covers the spread.

Over/Under: The total (198.5) hits the Over.