What an NBL22 it’s been so far and there’s still plenty more action to come. There’s another big seven-game round on this weekend, with action kicking off on Thursday night. Catch our previews and best bets for the round right here!
Also, if you’re a basketball fanatic like us, then make sure to check out our NBA Tips page for a ton of quality free NBA betting tips for multiple games on multiple slates, each and every week of the season!
NBL Round 16 Betting Tips
Illawarra Hawks vs S.E. Melbourne Phoenix
Thursday 7:30pm AEDT, WIN Entertainment Centre
Looking to bounce back from a disappointing loss to the JackJumpers in Round 15, the Hawks will return home to host the Phoenix in the Round 16 opener. That loss snapped a three-game losing streak and also saw them fall back out of the top four. The Hawks are now 11-8 on the season and it feels like they’re yet to really hit their straps.
Coming off a poor fourth quarter performance that cost them a win in the Throwdown, the Phoenix will be looking to bounce back on Thursday night. They enter this clash on a two-game losing streak, both of which came against teams expected to be playing playoff basketball this season. The Phoenix now hit the road where they’re 5-3 on the season, which is the third best mark in the league.
These teams will be meeting for the third time this season with the series currently tied at one win apiece. Instead of playing the head-to-head market which could honestly go either way here, I’ll be looking to make a play on the total points going under the current total of around 173 at most bookmakers. That mark has been surpassed only once in the last five meetings between these teams and with how both clubs have been playing of late, I can’t see it happening again here.
Adelaide 36ers vs Cairns Taipans
Friday 7:30pm AEDT, Adelaide Entertainment Centre
The 36ers had their chance to snap their four-game losing streak against another struggling team in the Breakers last time out, but instead were thoroughly outplayed and extended their streak to five. Simply put, it’s been a nightmare season for the 36ers to date and it doesn’t look like changing anytime soon. They’re now 5-12 and are six wins behind fourth spot.
The Taipans got their first proper look at both Scott Machado and Tahjere McCall sharing the court together in their recent clash against the Kings, but unfortunately it didn’t equate to a win as they went down by nine points at home. That was their fourth straight loss and their 11th from their last 13 games after starting the season at 2-1. It’s fair to say they won’t be featuring at the business end of the season once again.
This is a fantastic opportunity for both teams to snap their respective four-game losing streaks, but it’s also a game that’s very hard to predict considering their poor form. Instead, I love the look of the unders in the total points market again here. They’ve played each other twice this season for totals of 160 and 153 and the current line of 162.5 just seems too high in my opinion.
Tasmania JackJumpers vs Illawarra Hawks
Saturday 5:30pm AEDT, Silverdome
The JackJumpers enter Round 16 as one of the form teams of the competition after wins in each of their last three outings. They were victorious in both of their Round 15 games, one on the road against the Taipans and the other at home against the Hawks. On the back of their fantastic form, the JackJumpers are now within just two wins of a top four place with a game in hand.
The Hawks kicked off Round 16 with a strong win over the Phoenix despite being outscored 31-19 in the final term. They poured in 84 points in the first three quarters in what was easily their best offensive performance of the season. That win was a great way to bounce back from their Round 15 loss against the JackJumpers and also made it six wins from their last eight games.
These teams have already played each other twice this season and interestingly, the JackJumpers have been victorious on both occasions. However, the Hawks are in fantastic form at the moment and are the more talented team on paper. I expect it to be third time lucky for them with a big win on Saturday night.
Illawarra Hawks -2.5
$1.93
Perth Wildcats vs New Zealand Breakers
Sunday 5:30pm AEDT, RAC Arena
After playing 14 straight games on the road, the Wildcats finally return home for a game at RAC Arena against the Breakers. They enter this clash in some really good form having won each of their last five games, four of which were by double-figure margins. As a result, they’re currently sitting second in the standings with a very good 13-6 record.
The Breakers have had little go their way over the past two seasons and have found it very tough going this campaign with just five wins to their name from 19 outings. They have found a good prospect in Hugo Besson, but apart from him there hasn’t been much consistent production. The Breakers have lost five of their last six games and are now second last on the ladder.
These teams met each other just last week and it was a cracking game that required overtime to finally crown the Wildcats as the winner. There were plenty of positives about the way the Breakers Played in that game and as long as they bring similar intensity this time around, then I expect them to be able to cover the big spread here.
New Zealand Breakers +10.5
$1.90
