NNJ FallBall 2025 Week 7 Predictions

Prediction Record Tracker: 28-20

A subpar 4-4 for last week. I know the people expect more so we’ll look to get a perfect 8-0 this week to balance it out.

Yaffa vs Tiberias

Despite a solid selection of bigs, Yaffa doesn’t have someone who will play vertical around the rim. If they want to limit Tiberias attacking the basket, they need to give help early one defender away and be ready to rotate. As always, Tiberias will look to get looks quickly before the defense sets so Yaffa needs to be ready to get back in transition. Jojo will likely have to be the primary defender on Andrew with the length and agility to match up.

Tiberias will occasionally opt for a zone but this week might be more suited to play man against a team that has struggled to create space and generate offense for most of the season. Hosam has been scoring more for Yaffa and between Sej and Ghazi, they’ll need to match his physicality and keep him in front as he looks to attack the rim.

The edge in burst and explosiveness for Tiberias could leave Yaffa feeling helpless to defend in space for stretches.

Tiberias by 8

Areeha vs Bethlehem

This could be a big game for Sal as Areeha will need to contest shots at the rim, where Bethlehem’s players are often looking to score. Areeha will also need to be strong on the glass, as Bethlehem got tons of offensive boards in their late comeback effort last week. Ali Suiafan will likely have to guard either Jay or Trey, which Bethlehem may look to exploit. As always, you can’t let this team leak out early.

After switching between man and zone last week, Bethlehem could face a similar issue this week. The paint defense was soft last week and Mahrooz, Singer and Ali would all love to take advantage. Teams that have tried to zone them have not fared any better, in large part due to Jay who barely holds on to the ball before moving it into open space. Singer has also been very solid from 3 which has helped against these zones.

Based on some of the areas that were exploited in last week’s upset, it seems like Areeha has the advantage on both ends of the floor. Bethlehem will look to prove their loss was a one off game and remind everyone why they were the team to beat before that.

Areeha by 4

Jerusalem vs Jenin

Regardless of the official formation of the defense, what ends up happening is defenses double up on Akrum and Wajdi and leave everyone else relatively open. Nothing is likely to change this week and it’s possible there may be even more openings as Jerusalem is the lowest ranked defense in the league. Zubair will have to hit his 3s as he’s been doing and hopefully a Mohamed Sakar return will give them another threat.

This end of the floor should be very entertaining to watch. Mike has been putting up at least 30 points against everyone in the league and Akrum has been taking on the most difficult matchup for Jenin so we should be able to see them go head to head. Raied is also an excellent defender and will likely guard Nick. Nick has the length advantage but Raied’s physicality can throw Nick off his game.

Jerusalem has won a couple games when their top end talent was overwhelming but Jenin has their own firepower to match. The Akrum-Mike matchup will be must-watch but if everyone comes, I like the way the supporting cast looked last week for Jenin a little better.

Jenin by 2

Haifa vs Nazareth

After having their hands full with John last week, Haifa will now have to match up with Luis down low. They have to make everything difficult, starting with denying the ball and having help ready to dig the ball out if he puts it on the floor. While they help on Luis, they’ll also have to keep Larry off the glass, which could be a huge problem. Without a designated rim protector, they should also have a plan to keep Khaled from driving in.

Last week’s transition defense was very promising and Nazareth will need to pull that out again this week. The guards give up size against Shahzaib and Amir so they’ll need some help from Luis behind them down low. However, if Adam is stretching the floor as the 5 they may need to go to zone to keep Luis down low. Zoning Haifa is potentially a horrible idea but the energy of the backcourt justifies trying it for a few plays.

Despite the potential edges they have down low and on the glass, Nazareth will need to keep up with the high level shot making of Haifa, which means back to back strong scoring games for the youngins. We haven’t seen that yet so I’ll give the edge to Haifa in a close one.

Haifa by 4

Rafah vs Yazur

With Zain anchoring down low, Rafah will be well suited to take away looks at the rim that Yazur likes to take. Despite having Zain and Nabil, Joey leads the team in rebounds and he’ll be big in keeping Marawan off easy putbacks. Abdulrafay is a legit threat from 3 and leaving him any open shots is just lazy gameplanning. Yazur has some speed or size advantages but when everyone is looking to lay it up, it’s easier for defenses to take it away.

So far this season, Rafah has not matched up with any of the teams that play zone regularly. On paper, a zone could give them problems as they haven’t hit many 3s this year or moved the ball around as much. Between Zain, Anas Zubi, and Joey, they have a number of options with the skillset to be effective manning the FT line. They have the skills so perhaps this matchup will unlock parts of the offense we have yet to see.

On one end, this will be a crucial matchup to see if Rafah’s limitations are self-induced or part of the package. On the other end, Yazur will likely struggle to score consistently.

Rafah by 8

Al-Khalil vs Gaza

The type of perimeter defense Al-Khalil plays with Heemy and Baraa can get under their opponents’ skin, which already doesn’t bode well for Gaza and Ian Felix. Down low, they have a good answer with Omar for the strength of Muhanad Deeb around the rim. In the last couple matchups, Gaza has also been sloppy with the ball and Al-Khalil will be ready to pounce on any opportunity to force turnovers.

The way Gaza has defended in transition for most of the season is a nightmare matchup against Mahdy who has scored plenty of buckets this season off outlet passes or taking it coast to coast by himself. Gaza has also been getting beat off the dribble on the perimeter so this could be a good opportunity for Baraa to get up a bit on the scoresheet. It doesn’t seem like an athleticism issue for Gaza so it has to be technique or effort.

This will no doubt be the loudest game of the week. Gaza’s playstyle feeds too well into the Al-Khalil counterattack. Even with players missing, Al-Khalil has very solid depth and I don’t expect a big drop off in play.

Al-Khalil by 8

Safad vs Baysan

There doesn’t seem to be any weak links defensively among the Safad starters, which hurts Baysan even more than other teams. Preventing the initial penetration will help Safad a lot in limiting kickouts to shooters like Shahaan and Asim. Last week, they played through a John mismatch in the post but Brandon has held his own down there all year. If they don’t chase steals and blocks, Safad should match up well individually.

As the bottom ranking team in the league for rebounding, Baysan will need to pay extra attention on the glass this week against Aadil and Brandon who are regularly high pointing these boards 9 feet in the air. Safad can be quick in taking shots with the first glimpse of daylight so Baysan could potentially try and dictate where the attacks come from, but that’s a tall task for a team that has struggled defensively overall this season.

With the momentum Safad has right now, it will likely take a disruptive team or ugly game to give them trouble and so far, Baysan doesn’t fit the bill.

Safad by 6

Tulkarem vs Al-Bireh

These are the types of matchups Tulkarem is built to defend as Al-Bireh hasn’t hit a ton of threes this season. With Towfeek and Kevin out, Hamza is set to play big minutes and
Mana will likely help off him in the paint while Hassan Farhat takes on Khalid. If he shoots well, it could really open things up for everyone else. With paint help behind him, Elias can also look to apply some extra pressure to try and disrupt Shafic.

Al-Bireh is better suited than many teams to defend Mana, as Khalid has the length and athleticism to keep up. Mana’s touch around the rim has been pretty impressive, however, so we’ll see if Khalid is enough to slow him down. Elsewhere, if Al-Bireh’s transition defense continues to let them down, they’ll be in for a longer night than last week. Moayad, Mana and Anas will look to feast if Al-Bireh doesn’t get bodies back.

This should be a very good matchup. Amir and Hamza will have a huge task in taking pressure off Shafic and Adeeb but until I see it from them, I can’t trust this offense.

Tulkarem by 2