The NBL heads into week four of the regular season with only the Illawarra Hawks and Melbourne United yet to taste defeat as they one two atop of the league table.
Both the Hawks and United face stiff opposition on the road this week and it means we’ll get some value as we preview and hunt down the best bets for the games of the round.
melbourne united v brisbane bullets
FEBRUARY 5TH 7:30PM
Melbourne United (3-0) fly up to Brisbane as it prepares to keep its undefeated start to the season intact against the Brisbane Bullets on Friday night.
Veteran United guard Chris Goulding will look to continue his solid start to the season after posting 19 points, four rebounds and three assists in the 96-90 ‘Throwdown’ triumph over the South East Melbourne Phoenix on Sunday.
While Brisbane will attempt to make it three wins on the bounce after a tight tussle with the Cairns Taipans resulted in a 105-103 overtime win.
Nathan Sobey (30 points) and Vic Law (29 points) headed the scoring for the Bullets against the Taipans and pose a genuine threat to current NBL title favourites.
The Bullets took it up to first-placed Hawks on January 21 and if not for a poor second quarter, it may well have won that game.
From a head to head perspective between the Bullets and United, it’s the home team who hold the advantage in this department having won five of the last six contests.
It also holds a starting price against United when it started the $1.6 favourites the last time these two teams met last year.
Prediction: The Brisbane Bullets get home court advantage and look great value to inflict United’s first defeat of the season.
Suggested Bet: Brisbane Bullets head to head at $2.94
Cairns Taipans v New Zealand Breakers
FEBRUARY 6TH 5:30pm
The New Zealand Breakers head to up to North Queensland for its clash with the Cairns Taipans in a bid to break through for its first win of the NBL season.
Having only played two games thus far – the least of any team due to a coronavirus scare – New Zealand finds itself sitting last on the NBL table after its opening two fixtures against the Adelaide 36ers ended in defeat.
For the Taipans, it’s been a disastrous fortnight since an impressive season opening win against The Hawks.
Mike Kelly’s men are staring directly at a fifth defeat in a row and given this New Zealand Breakers team has genuine aspirations of winning the NBL championship this year, it seems like an uphill battle for the Taipans.
Cameron Oliver has been the go to man for the Taipans and if it has any chance of winning this it will need him to be at his best.
Oliver is the second best rebounder in the league at the moment with an average of 10.5 boards per game. He also boasts the ninth best point scoring average in the NBL this season with 18.8 points per game.
The Breakers too, will be reliant on gun guard Tai Webster to provide an offensive outlet.
Webster battled his way to 15 points, seven assists and five rebounds in the second loss to the 36ers but did have a blistering 34-point opening game and he brings that form into this the Breakers will be winning.
Prediction: The market is suggesting a close one with the Taipans edging favouritism here but the New Zealand Breakers should have the class to prevail comfortably.
Suggested bet: New Zealander Breakers head to head at $2
Adelaide 36ers v Sydney Kings
FEBRUARY 6th 8:00PM
The Adelaide 36ers host the Sydney Kings for a second time in a week at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Saturday night.
Fresh off defeating the Kings 85-80 which followed back-to-back victories against the New Zealand Breakers, the 36ers go into this game as the $1.55 favourites.
36ers centre Isaac Humphries was dominant on Sunday night and could not be contained by the Kings.
The Adelaide big man registered a team high 27 points to go with nine rebounds as he led this squad to its fourth win for this season.
But the Kings will gain some heart off the performance of guard Dejan Vasiljevic who scored a game high 28 points while grabbing four boards and dishing out three dimes in the loss.
Sydney will look towards improving the 62.5 percent free throw conversation rate it went at on Sunday which ultimately proved a costly factor on Sunday.
If the Kings can tidy that part of its game up and match it on the floor with the 36ers they are more than capable of winning.
Prediction: Expecting this to be an arm-wrestle again but the price differential between the two sides is out of whack. Value lies with Sydney.
Suggested Bets: Sydney Kings win at $2.45.
