Due to the Breakers vs Wildcats game being postponed, there is now only one NBL fixture on Friday night, which is the Hawks vs Kings in another edition of the Freeway Series.
Jake Smit provides his thoughts, analysis, and NBL tips for Hawks vs Kings this Friday night.
Illawarra Hawks vs Sydney Kings Preview & Betting Tips
Friday 16th December, 7:30pm AEDT, WIN Entertainment Centre
All eyes will be on the Illawarra Hawks vs Sydney Kings game on Friday night. This game was expected to be a prelude for the Perth Wildcats vs New Zealand Breakers at 9:30pm (AEDT), but that game is no longer being played due to a number of Breakers players testing positive for Covid.
These teams are on opposite ends of the table coming into Round 11, so it’s no surprise to see a big discrepancy in the head-to-head odds. Of course, the Kings ($1.30) are set to start as heavy favourites against the Hawks ($3.50).
Despite their contrasting form this season, both Freeway Series games have come down to the wire. The Kings won on enemy territory in their first meeting (106-97) and doubled the dose in front of their home fans more recently (83-82).
Shaun Bruce was the hero in their one-point win on the 20th of November, hitting a three-point go-ahead basket with only two seconds left on the clock. That shot overshadowed an outstanding performance from Hawks captain Tyler Harvey who finished the game with 32 points on 57% shooting.
It’s important to note that Xavier Cooks was missing from that game due to injury, and we all know how huge his impact is. He’s currently one of the front runners for MVP with averages of 17 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists per contest.
Cooks has since returned and has been playing well, although he couldn’t stop a JackJumpers fourth quarter surge on Sunday afternoon. The Kings led that one by 12 points heading into the final period but were held to an astonishing six points in the last quarter to eventually go down by eight (76-84).
On the back of that result, Kings coach Chase Buford has criticized his team’s hardness in fourth quarters, calling his players “soft”, which is arguably the biggest insult in the basketball world.
Meanwhile, the Hawks lost yet another heartbreaker in their recent game against the Taipans. They led for large portions of that fixture despite being on the road and touted as the massive underdogs. However, it was all in vain in the end as they lost by one point for the second time this campaign (101-102).
It’s no secret that the Hawks are simply playing for pride at this point. They’ve won only two of their 14 games to date and are ranked last in the league in both offence and defence - not usually a recipe for success.
The Hawks are unlucky to be 0-2 in Freeway Series games this season, but I can’t see the third time being the charm either. The Kings will be desperate to bounce back after letting one slip against the JackJumpers, and a blowout result in their favour would be of no surprise.
Sydney Kings -6.5
$1.82 (2.5 Units)
