Another profitable week for us in Round 8 where we went 2/3 in our NBL tips. With another seven games coming up this weekend there’s plenty to get excited about. So join us here where we will assess some of the key upcoming games and preview our NBL betting tips for Round 9!
2017-18 NBL Round 9 Preview & Betting Tips
Cairns Taipans Vs Melbourne United (Saturday, 9th December, 7:30pm AEDT)
The Taipans will look to square their season up at 7-7 with a win over Melbourne United on Saturday Night. They are coming off a 2-game round where they lost to the Kings away and then beat them at home in the reverse fixture. They have been coping reasonably well without their star player Michael Carrera, however, their resolve will be put to the test in this one against a rampant United outfit.
Melbourne United are coming off one of their most complete performances of the season, where they defeated the Illawarra Hawks by 18 points at home on Monday. Although the Hawks were undermanned, United were clinical and put the foot down for all four quarters. The most encouraging sign from the win was Chris Goulding’s performance, where he scored 14 points and played tenacious defence on Rotnei Clarke in the second half.
The bookies have given us juicy odds for United to make it back to back wins and we’ll be taking full advantage of it. Look for United to back up last week’s performance with a big win on the road here.
TIP: Melbourne United to win - $1.80 at Ladbrokes
Illawarra Hawks Vs Perth Wildcats (Sunday, 10th December 3:00pm AEDT)
The Hawks season is starting to get away from them as they now sit third-bottom with a 5-7 record. They have been ravaged with injuries all year and have been forced to give minutes to a lot of inexperience guys on their roster. Rotnei Clarke has been sublime this season but has had little to no help, which is something that won’t get the job done when they face the reigning champion Perth Wildcats on Sunday.
The Wildcats had their best win of the season in Round 8 when they punished the top of the ladder Breakers by 16 points on the road. This places them in second place on the ladder with an impressive 8-3 record. JP Tokoto has been magnificent in filling the hole Casey Prather left them and he was huge again last weekend, posting 25 points, 5 rebounds and 9 assists.
We are expecting the duo of Bryce Cotton and JP Tokoto to be too much for the Hawks to handle, resulting in another comfortable win for the Wildcats.
TIP: Perth Wildcats at the line (-1.5) - $1.87 at Sportsbet
Adelaide 36ers Vs New Zealand Breakers (Sunday, 10th December 5:00pm AEDT)
The 36ers won their only game in Round 8 in an absolute nail-biter. They came back from the death to clinch a 1-point victory thanks to a Mitch Creek layup that came with 28 seconds left on the clock. They are now 6-5 for the season and are starting to gain momentum. Josh Childress looks better in every game he plays and may well see himself promoted to the starting line-up this weekend.
The Breakers crashed back down to reality last weekend, losing to both the Wildcats and the Bullets. It won’t be any easier for the Breakers as they travel to Adelaide to take on the 36ers, who love to play at an extremely fast pace. They will be hoping to recapture their pre-break form and snap a 2-game losing streak with big games from their star imports DJ Newbill and Edgar Sosa.
We are expecting the Breakers to suffer their third defeat in a row when they travel to Adelaide on Sunday. The 36ers are the last team you want to face after a lot of travel, especially when they’re in form.
TIP: Adelaide 36ers at the line (-2.5) - $1.86 at CrownBet
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