The 2022-23 NBL season begins on Saturday night with a juicy double-header. The season opener will feature the Phoenix taking on the JackJumpers, which is the game we’ll be focusing on in this article. Find our spread and player prop bets for the game 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!
S.E. Melbourne Phoenix vs Tasmania JackJumpers Preview & Betting Tips
Saturday 6pm AEST, John Cain Arena
S.E. Melbourne Phoenix
Although they finished ahead of the ledger in the regular season (15-13), the Phoenix would’ve been bitterly disappointed with how their campaign ended as they failed to finish in the top four. Their second half of the season was catastrophic with losses in eight of their last 12 games, which sealed their fate and saw them finish in sixth position.
The Phoenix have improved their roster from last season, adding NBA veteran big-man Alan Williams to the frame. He will join the returning Zhou Qi in what will be a formidable frontcourt should the pair stay healthy. Mitch Creek will be their on court leader again this season, while the currently injured Ryan Broekhoff will be hoping to make a greater impact in his third go around with the squad.
You can never read too much into pre-season results, but the display from the Phoenix in the NBL Blitz certainly left a lot to be desired. They were winless across three games and only managed to win three out of the 12 quarters on offer.
Tasmania JackJumpers
The JackJumpers inaugural season was nothing short of a miracle and was one that won’t be forgotten anytime soon, particularly from Tasmanian’s who were desperate to have a team of their own back in the competition. They started as short-priced favourites to finish bottom of the ladder but defied the odds to make it all the way to the Grand Final where they would eventually fall to the uber-talented Kings in a 3-0 series sweep.
The loss of star import Josh Adams cannot be understated, as it was he who was hitting big shot after big shot in their magical run last campaign. However, they have brought in some decent talent with the likes of Rashard Kelly and Milton Doyle who will both be able to put the ball in the basket when called upon. Will Magnay also returns for the JackJumpers this season but will miss the first part of the season due to injury, which leaves them without much size in the frontcourt.
The JackJumpers looked good in the Blitz with wins from two of their three games, winning 6.5 quarters in the process. The absence of Will Magnay was noticeable in their matchup with the Bullets, who were able to dominate the glass against Scott Roth’s small-ball line-up.
Match Prediction
The Phoenix won the first two meetings between these sides last season and looked on their way to a sweep when they led by 12 at the half in their third encounter, however, the JackJumpers fighting spirit saw them rally back for one of their more memorable wins in their inaugural campaign.
This matchup features a perennial poor defence in the Phoenix against a top three defence from a season ago in the JackJumpers. Defence, along with team chemistry will likely decide the result in the opening game of the season, and I think this favours the visitors. The JackJumpers are well-coached and showed us last season that they absolutely love quieting down opposition home fans, winning each of their last six away fixtures in the regular season. I expect them to get their campaign off to a winning start.
Tasmania JackJumpers H2H
$2.10 (2.5 Units)
