A Thursday-night blockbuster and a Saturday night double-header launch us into this week’s edition of BetDeluxe NBL preview.
All the best bets from the Hawks versus the Kings, the Bullets versus the Phoenix, and the Taipans versus Melbourne United.
illawarra hawks vs. Sydney Kings
january 13th 7:30pm
New South Wales rivals go toe to toe when the Illawarra Hawks greet the Sydney Kings at WIN Sports and Entertainment Centre on Thursday night.
Neither team has played in nearly a month and it will be intriguing to see how they have coped with the gap between matches.
The Hawks and Kings both come off disappointing losses prior to COVID sending fixtures into disarray.
However, Illawarra has definitely played the better basketball throughout the season and it is part of the reason they sit three places higher on the table than the Kings.
Illawarra should be able to get the job done at home against a Kings team that has been wildly inconsistent this year.
Expect a big game from Duop Reath who is a barometer for the Hawks.
Suggested Bets:
Illawarra Hawks -4.5 at $1.86
brisbane bullets vs. south east melbourne phoenix
January 15th 5:30pm
The Brisbane Bullets will try to bounce back from a disheartening loss against New Zealand when they face the South East Melbourne Phoenix on Saturday night.
Brisbane was left to rue a very slow start against the Breakers on Sunday as it fell to an 88-83 defeat, while the Phoenix have not played since their 84-73 loss against Sydney back on December 18 last year.
It is the first time these teams meet this season and, while the Bullets might have the home-court advantage, the Phoenix are -3.5 favourites.
The Bullets are going to need to find an answer for Phoenix star Mitch Creek who continues to pile on the points in this competition.
His 22-point effort against the Kings was not enough to help his side win, but it is form that needs to be stopped regardless.
In what will likely be a tight game, the Phoenix should be able to cover the spread.
Suggested Bet: SEM Phoenix -3.5 at $1.97
cairns taipans vs. melbourne united
January 15th 8:00pm
Before the season started it would take a brave man to suggest Cairns could topple Melbourne United this season, but that could very well be the case when the two teams duel on Saturday night.
The Taipans have showed plenty of fight and grit with their only two losses coming against top-of-the-table Perth.
Melbourne United will need to be at its best when it heads to Cairns Convention Centre.
United comes into this game with winning form, but it is form that is far from convincing after surviving a big scare against Tasmania to record a 76-72 win.
Caleb Agada will be tasked with going head to head with gun Taipans forward Majok Deng who is coming off a 27-point game against the Wildcats.
This matchup will be integral to the result of the game, but we feel Deng can get the upper hand here and give the Taipans a huge chance of pinching the win.
Suggested Bet: Cairns Taipans +4.5 at $1.90
