Melbourne United remain the only undefeated team heading into Round 6 of the NBL and is firmly entrenched on top of the league.
However, we’re tipping a big upset in our preview ahead of the NBL action this weekend.
Check out the previews and best bets below!
cairns v Illawara
FEBRUARY 20TH 3:0PM
The second-placed Illawarra Hawks travel down to Melbourne, along with the entire NBL, for its round six encounter against the eighth-placed Cairns Taipans at John Cain Arena.
Having only won its second game for the season just under a fortnight ago, the Taipans will be chomping at the bit to get on the court after facing a delay in its travel to Melbourne due to covid restrictions.
Illawarra, meanwhile, is out to make it consecutive wins after a narrow 85-82 win over the Sydney Kings on Sunday.
Tyler Harvey led the frontcourt with a game-high 25 points against the Kings as he continues to forge his way through the competition averaging 21.2 points per game.
However, he and his offensive line are unlikely to have it easy on Saturday afternoon.
Despite sitting precariously placed in the bottom half of the league, Cairns had actually started favourite in two matches these two teams have already played. The Hawks did breeze through with comfortable 92-76 and 90-70 wins as the betting outsiders, but the market must be respected.
Cairns guard Scott Machado will need to continue his form to give the Taipans a glimmer of hope.
Machado leads the league for assists this season with 9.89 assists and has also managed to notch up 17 points per game as the focal point for the Taipans this season.
Back at a neutral venue, it might be a case of third time lucky for Cairns.
Suggested Bet: Cairns Taipans head to head at $2.32
melbourne united v perth
FEBRUARY 20TH 5:30pm
Six wins from six games sees Melbourne United poised at the top of the NBL table as it prepares for its clash against the Perth Wildcats on Saturday evening from John Cain Arena.
Ranked number one for points scored and second for points conceded, it’s no wonder United find itself undefeated with a game or two in hand on most teams in the league.
But for all the dominance of United in the season to date, a match against the reigning NBA champion poses a serious threat to this winning run.
The Wildcats will attempt to put the clamps down on the best current offence in the league when it sends out the best defence in the league on Saturday.
Having only conceded 82.4 points per game, Melbourne United coach Dean Vickerman looks bound to have a tough assignment manufacturing a winning score.
Without gun guards Chris Goulding and Shea Ili, United will need to rely upon Scotty Hopson, Mitch McCarron and Jock Landale to hit the scoreboard.
Hopson (21 points, nine rebounds and three assists) and McCarron (17 points, seven assists and four rebounds) were pivotal in the 91-88 triumph over the Illawarra Hawks last Wednesday and will need to do more of the same here.
While the Wildcats will lean on veteran, star shooting guard Bryce Cotton who is ranked second in the league for points per game with an average of 22.6.
Going with the upset here. Perth to hand Melbourne United its first defeat of the season.
Suggested Bet: Perth Wildcats head to head at $2.60
south east v brisbane
FEBRUARY 21st 3:00pm
South East Melbourne Phoenix plays host to the Brisbane Bullets on Sunday afternoon, with the home team on the hunt for back-to-back victories after easily accounting for the Perth Wildcats 96-71 last Sunday night.
The Brisbane Bullets are also seeking consecutive wins after overcoming the Adelaide 36ers with a commanding 93-74 win on Monday night which saw them advance to sixth on the league ladder.
American forward Vic Lin has fledged the path for the Bullets in recent matches and his 27-point, nine-rebound effort against the 36ers added to his already impressive season.
Lin has nearly managed to average a double double with 20.7 per game and 9.4 rebounds per game putting his name in lights as a potential MVP candidate.
Meanwhile, for the Phoenix, Mitchell Creek and Keifer Sykes continue to pull the strings on offence with Creek averaging 18.5 points per game and Sykes averaging exactly 18.
The Phoenix will be buoyed by the acquisition of NBA now NBL shooter Ryan Broekhoff who signed from the Dallas Mavericks.
He will not be able to play for at least a month as he travels to Melbourne and remains in quarantine but the news would have reverberated around the Phoenix camp and given them an added boost of morale.
From a point scoring perspective, this game should be a high-scoring affair.
The Phoenix have conceded the most points per game in NBL 21 while managing to average the second highest point per game, while the Bullets have conceded the second highest average of points per game but have also conjured up the third best point scored per game tally in the league.
No real value in the head to head market as we expect the Phoenix to get the job done here but the total points scored is where we will venture.
Suggested Bet: Total point scored over 182.5 at $1.91
