Round 7 action in the 2022-23 NBL season concludes on Sunday afternoon with a rivalry game between the Sydney Kings and the Illawarra Hawks. Despite being on opposite ends of the ladder, you can expect there to be plenty of feeling in what will be another great Freeway Series matchup.
Jake Smit is back with his preview and NBL tips for Kings vs Hawks this Sunday!
Sydney Kings vs Illawarra Hawks Preview & Betting Tips
Sunday 4pm AEDT, Qudos Bank Arena
On opposite ends of the table heading into the final game of Round 7, the Sydney Kings and the Illawarra Hawks will lock horns at Qudos Bank Arena in another edition of the Freeway Series. The Kings ($1.10) will start as the overwhelming favourites against the Hawks ($6.50).
Both teams have had long layoffs after not playing last weekend due to an international break. And despite having extra time to rest, there will be key players missing for both teams. The Kings will be without MVP candidate Xavier Cooks, while the Hawks will be without George King who has now been ruled out for the remainder of the season.
The Kings are enjoying some early success in their attempt to defend last season’s championship. They currently lead all comers with a 7-2 record, including a perfect 5-0 on the road. Offence has been the key for the Kings this season as they come into this one averaging a league-best 93.2 points per contest.
The Hawks are coming off an impressive campaign where they made it to the semi-finals but have been nothing short of a basket case this season. They won their second game of the season against the undermanned Phoenix, only to lose each of their next six games. They enter Sunday’s clash with a 1-8 record, which has them glued to the bottom of the ladder.
These teams met at Qudos Bank Arena back in Round 1 and it was the Kings who were too strong in a 106-97 victory. That made it three straight wins for the Kings in this matchup, which is no surprise considering their success in the league over the past 18 months.
While the Kings clearly deserve to be favourites to get the job done on Sunday, you can’t underestimate the loss of Cooks both on offence and defence. Without Cooks, I expect the Kings to struggle to cover such a huge handicap of 14.5 points, even if they’re against the bottom team in the competition.
Illawarra Hawks +14.5
$1.85 (1 Unit)
Player Props
Sam Froling was the standout performer for the Boomers against Kazakhstan last weekend with 18 points and 11 rebounds in 25 minutes of action. He’s only averaging 10.6 points for the Hawks this season, but with key players dropping like flies around him, it’s time for him to step up on the offensive end.
Sam Froling Over 11.5 Points ($1.85 at TAB)
DJ Vasiljevic is another one that will be looking to improve on a lean start to the season. He’s averaging a decent 13.1 points per contest but is shooting just 36.7% from the field which is well below league average. With Cooks out for Sunday’s clash, I’m expecting DJ to look to be even more aggressive.
DJ Vasiljevic Over 14.5 Points ($1.90 at TAB)
