The excitement ripples around Australia as we prepare for a big weekend of NBL fixtures.
With double headers set for Friday and Saturday night, all the best best for every game this weekend are ready to be slam dunked into our betting accounts.
Illawarra vs. new zealand
December 17th 7:30pm
The undefeated Illawarra Hawks will be on the hunt to keep that record intact when they face the New Zealand Breaks at WIN Sports & Entertainment Centre on Friday night.
The Hawks made it two from two with a 92-84 win over Sydney last Saturday with a big 27-point performance from centre Duop Reath being the catalyst for the result.
The Breakers, meanwhile, continue with an injury-plagued squad which currently sits last in the league with an 0-3 record.
It has been a desperate struggle in the early stages of the season for the Breakers who have been without captain Thomas Abercrombie.
Defensively, the Breakers have had all sorts of trouble and that will likely continue against a Hawks team in solid winning form.
Suggested Bets:
Illawarra Hawks -6.5 at $1.94
perth wildcats vs. brisbane bullets
December 17th 9:30pm
The second of back-to-back games between the Perth Wildcats and Brisbane Bullets gets underway on Friday night with the Wildcats looking to bounce back from a shock loss.
Brisbane, which went into the game as underdogs, pulled off a stunning double-overtime 97-94 upset on Sunday to atone for its season-opening loss to the Jack Jumpers.
The big factor for the Bullets was the clamps their defence put down on gun guard Bryce Cotton who could only manage 19 points.
Despite the Bullets win, we have to respect the market in that game as it heavily sided with the Wildcats.
Very rarely do the Wildcats suffer two shock defeats in a row, so we will be backing them to bounce back here.
Suggested Bet: Perth Wildcats -5.5 at $1.89
sydney kings vs. sem phoenix
December 18th 5:30pm
The Sydney Kings need to get their act together and quick fast when they face an in-form South East Melbourne Phoenix.
In what was simply a horrendous performance against Melbourne United, the Kings could barely score a point in the first quarter of an 89-47 loss, which consigned them to 1-2 through three matches.
The story for the Phoenix, however, is the polar opposite having blitzed to a 3-0 record to top the NBL table.
The Phoenix played out a fiery clash with cross-town rival Melbourne United in which it won 94-86 thanks to a dominant performance on the boards and 20-point game from Zhou Qi.
If the early season form is anything to by, the Kings are going to have a hard time overcoming the Phoenix.
Mitch Creek has also been a revelation for the black and green army, so expect him to fire up as well.
Suggested Bet: SEM Phoenix -2.5 at $1.87
cairns taipans vs. adelaide 36ers
December 18th 8:00pm
The Cairns Taipans (1-1) welcome the Adelaide 36ers (2-2) to Cairns Convention Centre for a Saturday night NBL clash.
A 69-62 win over the Jack Jumpers got the season moving for the Taipans last Saturday, while the 36ers made it two wins in a row with a 98-85 hiding of the embattled New Zealand Breakers.
With the Taipans getting the home-court advantage, they will be hoping more than Tahjere McCall and Kouat Noi can hit double-figure points if wish to defeat the 36ers who enter this game as the -2.5 favourites.
The Taipans will have the fresher legs and do look the value in this game considering the 36ers were were favoured to beat the Breakers who are really struggling without their captain.
Suggested Bet: Cairns Taipans head to head at $2.21
