NNJ FallBall 2025 Week 4 Predictions

Prediction Record Tracker: 13-11

Starting to heat up with a strong 6-2 on last week’s slate of games. I understand it now. For any teams that are low in the win column, the answers are all here. Just follow the gameplan.

Jenin vs Al-Bireh

Offense has not been the issue for Jenin and they should continue to lean on their three point shooting, leading the league with 12 3PM per game. Akrum’s range extends far beyond the three point line and his stepback creates space whenever he wants. Al-Bireh has the athleticism to pick him up as soon as he crosses half and give help/zone while someone stays close and contests.

If they’re going to start winning against the better teams in the league, Al-Bireh will need to start hitting threes more consistently. Adeeb gave them 6 threes on good shooting but it wasn’t enough. I think they can benefit from using Amir Hassan more. Jenin has not stopped anything the last couple weeks and it should be a good opportunity for Al-Bireh to build some offensive momentum.

Al-Bireh by 8

Haifa vs Rafah

One of the key pieces to Haifa’s offense has been the shooting threat of Adam Charrkas, which allows them to play five out and space the floor. You have to live with certain shots against this team but not an Amir three. He’s hit 4 and 5 threes in back to back games and stopping them should be a priority. The matchup against Rafah will be interesting to watch, and we’ll see if Zain guards on the perimeter.

With all the options they have on offense, Rafah will look to let their stars go to work in isolation. They’ll have different choices to go to, especially Anas Najib who’s having a good season. The best option might be Zain, who should feast a week after having to go through Mana. Pre season, it seemed like transition could be a weak point for Rafah and Haifa is the perfect team to put that to the test to help overcome the size disadvantage.

Rafah by 2

Jerusalem vs Nazareth

Despite the high volume and scoring output, Michael Knight has played within the flow of the offense for Jerusalem. Everyone gets their looks and the luxury of all his scoring is that the offense has been good despite no one else having a great game so far. With Jerusalem’s struggles from three and Nick’s inefficiency against zones thus far, Nazareth may opt for a zone again after it worked well last week.

Khaled Musbeh gave Nazareth a huge boost with 28 points, but they’re still 15th in the league in PPG which shows their struggles the first couple weeks. The increased pace and transition game, paired well with their zone, is good for this team. It could be an effective strategy again this week against an older Jerusalem team that has lost against zones this season. Jerusalem should try and force them to finish against size in the halfcourt.

Nazareth by 3

Areeha vs Tiberias

Having multiple size + skill advantages at forward between Mahrooz and Ali makes Areeha a nightmare for other teams to try and match up. Last time Mahrooz played, Mana was protecting the paint but he’ll have the freedom to be more aggressive this week. Tiberias leads the league in fouls and may also lead the league in complaints, which is not a good recipe against this team.

The three point barrage is finally back and Tiberias showed how quickly they can pile up the points with a second half comeback. Seven of the 3s came from Andrew, who was stopping on a dime and rising above the defense to hit a few of them. The physicality will be at a different level this week, as Mahrooz and Singer are capable of matching up with Andrew and Ali. It will be interesting to see how Areeha uses Sal if Tiberias chooses to go small.

Areeha by 6

Safad vs Yazur

It has been a bit painful to watch Safad’s offense so far this season. There’s nothing threatening going on away from the ball and their drives get walled off and redirected away from the basket. When they’re not drawing fouls, they put up lots of difficult runners and pull up jumpers. They need to find their easy answers. If Yazur can focus on protecting the middle of the floor, Safad will have difficulty generating easy looks.

Another offense that has struggled this season, Yazur continues to have difficulty finding consistent sources of scoring. There are a couple areas that could give them a boost. Atef is capable of more, with only one bucket on the season. They’ve also shot better from 3 than in the paint so they can benefit from not forcing it down low against bigger teams. Safad has physical defenders which could lead to another long night on the offensive end.

Safad by 4

Bethlehem vs Baysan

The ball is moving and the offense is rolling for Bethlehem. They lead the league in FGM so putting the ball in the basket is no issue for them. Omar Hussein’s efficiency from three is a welcome sight and makes them even more threatening. There’s so many options that need to be stopped but the focus for Baysan should be slowing down Jay Wiggins, who has been the engine for this team.

Knowing what your strengths are is super important and Baysan has leaned into being a good three point shooting team. Great bounce back game for Asim who led the way with 4 threes. They’ll need some balance in the paint and Omar Abdelgany looks to be settling into that role for Baysan with 5 baskets. Bethlehem has the depth across their starters to match up against a balanced offense like this but they need to stay focused and guard close.

Bethlehem by 8

Gaza vs Yaffa

Slow day at the office for Gaza’s engine Ian Felix and it bled over to the shooters who could not hit anything. A lot of the shots came after a very quick lead for the other team that only got bigger as the game went on. They can forget about that performance and build on the success they had in previous weeks. Yaffa has an underrated defense and if they can focus on limiting Ian, they might be able to recreate the snowball effect on the shooters.

On the other hand, Yaffa’s offense is last in almost every category. Jojo is doing a lot of work for this team but they should try and tap more into Malik Zubi’s scoring to give them an additional boost. They have some size as well, and can try to work it down low occasionally to change it up and let the guards recover. Gaza is not known for defense but this is the matchup to show a baseline level that they will compete the rest of the season.

Gaza by 6

Tulkarem vs Al-Khalil

When the full team is available, Tulkarem has a pretty talented lineup. Moad showed what he could do with more opportunity, which speaks to how deep their talent runs. Their playstyle fits the roster build, as it seems like they try to force their way in rather than spread the floor. If I’m Al-Khalil, I’d focus on defending shots at the rim but it will be difficult when you also have to have a separate gameplan to slow down Mana.

It feels like the consensus is that Al-Khalil’s offense is just Mahdy but they have different pieces to work with. Omar Sehwail is a threat driving which gives them 5 out spacing even if he’s not shooting. His presence on the perimeter will either space the floor or if defenses sag, he can screen or handoff to create space for shooters like Elhindi. Tulkarem will likely sag off him so he’ll have the opportunity to take advantage as a playmaker.

Al-Khalil by 2