The 2022-23 NBL season kicks off with five games in Round 1. Nine of the 10 teams are in action in the opening weekend, as the 36ers will have to wait until Round 3 to get their campaign underway. Jake Smit takes you through each of his best bets for all five games right here!
Also, make sure to check out our season preview to find our best bets in the futures market, as well as our NBL tips page where you’ll find our best bets for every game of the 2022-23 NBL season!
NBL Round 1 Preview & Betting Tips
S.E. Melbourne Phoenix vs Tasmania JackJumpers
Saturday 6pm AEST, John Cain Arena
Illawarra Hawks vs Sydney Kings
Saturday 8pm AEST, WIN Entertainment Centre
The Hawks will start as the underdogs in this game against the champs and rightfully so. They had a turbulent off-season with coach Brian Goorjian leaving, alongside star player Antonius Cleveland and sixth man Xavier Rathan-Mayes. They still have some decent talent on their roster and will be competitive in games, but it’s hard to see them starting the season off well after the smorgasbord of changes. Meanwhile, the Kings have also shaken up their championship winning roster and don’t look as strong on paper this campaign. Still, they have one of the best coaches in the business and plenty of star power on offense, which should be enough to get the chocolates against the Hawks on Saturday night.
Sydney Kings -3.5
$1.90 (1.5 Units)
Melbourne United vs New Zealand Breakers
Sunday 2pm AEST, John Cain Arena
Melbourne United’s season ended on a sour note when they bowed out against the JackJumpers in the finals last season, but there’s still a feeling that their best is good enough to get to the business end again. Isaac Humphries is a big addition and will be an important cog in the machine, while Shea Illi and Chris Goulding will need to play big minutes in the backcourt due to lack of depth. United get a seemingly easy kill first up in the form of the Breakers who managed just five wins last season and haven’t set the world on fire with their off-season signings. Happy to be on United to cover the spread here.
Melbourne United -5.5
$1.85 (1.5 Units)
Perth Wildcats vs Brisbane Bullets
Sunday 4pm AEST, RAC Arena
The most star-studded game in the opening round is on Sunday afternoon between the Wildcats and the Bullets. The Wildcats are absolutely stacked again this season with the likes of Cotton, Travers, Webster and co. and will be extremely hard to beat on their home deck. On the other hand, the Bullets will likely cause some damage on the road and have the potential to be the big improvers this season if their star players can gel. Still, it’s tough to see them beating the Wildcats on their own floor first up, regardless of their star quality. With that said, taking the Wildcats in the H2H market is one of my favourite plays in Round 1.
Perth Wildcats H2H
$1.70 (3.5 Units)
Tasmania JackJumpers vs Cairns Taipans
Monday 7:30pm AEST, MyState Bank Arena
The JackJumpers got their campaign underway with a loss on the road against the Phoenix on Saturday night. A terrible first half was their undoing, but there were still plenty of positive signs in the second half, particularly from their imports who started to get involved on offense. Meanwhile, the Snakes have had to wait until Monday night to get their season started and have been given a tough assignment first up, travelling to Tasmania where few teams had success last season. The Snakes haven’t provided fans with too much to get excited about with their off-season signings, and I’m expecting them to be down the bottom of the ladder again this season. They’ll struggle to put up big numbers on offense, especially against a stingy defence like the JackJumpers. This should equate to a low-scoring game, with the JackJumpers having the edge at home.
Tasmania JackJumpers/Under 160.5 Points
$2.80 (2 Units)
