Another good week for us in the NBL, hitting on 2/3 tips to make it 8/10 for the season. Here, we’ll look for some more value as we preview the upcoming games and provide our NBL Round 4 betting tips!
2017-18 NBL Round 4 Preview & Betting Tips
Perth Wildcats Vs Illawarra Hawks (Thursday, 26th October 9:30pm AEST)
The Perth Wildcats began Round 3 with a gutsy win against championship-fancies Melbourne United, however, they ended the round with a lacklustre performance against the Taipans, which ended in a 21-point loss. The Wildcats fans will be hoping that the loss to the Snakes was an anomaly and that they’ll bounce back with a big win against Illawarra on Thursday night. Bryce Cotton has teased us with patches of last season’s form and we feel that he is ready for a statement game in the very near future.
The Illawarra Hawks finally got a win on the board after beating the Bullets 105-96 in their fourth match of the season. It’s been a disappointing start for the Hawks and they’ll hope to carry last games form into the rest of the season. Star player Rotnei Clarke was brought into the starting line-up in their win over the Bullets, where he lit it up with 26 points on 7 of 15 shooting. Import Demetrius Conger has been solid for the Hawks, while AJ Ogilvy has been effective in patches.
The Wildcats have had the wood over the Hawks in recent times and will fancy their chances at home here. We think this will be a high scoring affair, with Bryce Cotton leading the Wildcats to their fourth win of the season.
TIP: Bryce Cotton 21+ points and Perth Wildcats win - $2.25 at Ladbrokes
Cairns Taipans Vs Adelaide 36ers (Friday, 27th October 7:30pm AEST)
The Cairns Taipans have been up and down to start the 2017-18 season and hold a 3-2 record after 5 games. The latest game for the Taipans was their best performance to date, as they beat the reigning champion Perth Wildcats by 21 points in Cairns. Whether this was a sign of things to come for the Taipans or if it was just an off night for the Wildcats remains to be seen. Five players recorded double-digit points against the Wildcats, with Mitch McCarron leading the way with 18 points off the bench. Cairns will be looking to string together back-to-back wins with a victory against the 36ers, as they continue to search for consistency in their 2017-18 campaign.
The Adelaide 36ers improved their record to 3-2 in Round 3 with a huge 30-point win over the Kings on Saturday. Although the Kings have really struggled in the early part of the season, the 36ers were uber-impressive enroute to scoring 114 points, as they relentlessly pushed the ball out in transition and scored at will. Nathan Sobey responded to being knocked back to the second unit by lighting it up with 25 points off the bench on 5 of 7 shooting from beyond the arc, while Mitch Creek (14.8ppg, 5.6rpg, 3.4apg, 69%FG) continues to stuff the stat sheet.
The 36ers have matched up well against the Taipans, recording a 27-point victory over them in Round 2. We feel like this game will be a bit closer, however, the 36ers will be too quick for the Snakes on transition and will cover the small line here.
TIP: Adelaide 36ers at the line (-1.5) - $1.91 at CrownBet
Brisbane Bullets Vs Melbourne United (Saturday, 28th October 5:30pm AEST)
The Brisbane Bullets are still an unknown in the NBL after playing just three games so far and holding a 1-2 record. However, we will find out a lot about them this weekend as they face genuine championship contenders Melbourne United. The Bullet’s last game was a disappointing 9-point loss against the Hawks, where they conceded a worrying 105 points for the game. Perrin Buford (20ppg, 6.7RPG) has been a shining light for the Bullets, while Travis Trice (13.3ppg, 4rpg, 5.3apg) has been serviceable at the point guard position.
Melbourne United had a horrible third round in the NBL, losing to the Wildcats (84-89) and the Breakers (76-88). Melbourne United are 0-2 since Chris Goulding returned from injury, with United struggling to gel on offense. They are now 2-2 for the season and will be desperate to grab an away victory against Brisbane on Saturday. Josh Boone was huge for United in their last match and finished with 22 points and 14 rebounds, while Casey Prather added 20 points to go along with 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Casper Ware managed just 6 points against the Breakers and will be looking for a big game in this one.
In recent weeks, both Brisbane and Melbourne have managed to tick the scoreboard over while struggling to keep the opposition at bay. We expect Melbourne to bounce back and get the win in a high scoring contest.
TIP: Total Points Over (173.5) - $1.87 at Sportsbet
Value Tip: Melbourne United to win by over 5.5 points - $2.42 at Sportsbet
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