Another week, another NBL Saturday night double-header. The Sydney Kings will take on the Perth Wildcats in the second game of the night, which looms as the game of the round. We bring you our preview and best bet for this blockbuster clash right here!
Also, make sure to check out our NBL tips page where you’ll find our best bets for every game of the 2022-23 NBL season!
Sydney Kings vs Perth Wildcats Preview & Betting Tips
Saturday January 7th, 8pm AEDT, Qudos Bank Arena
The Sydney Kings will play hosts to the Perth Wildcats at Qudos Bank Arena on Saturday night. The Kings have been playing some fantastic basketball this season and are currently the hot favourites to get the better of the Wildcats ($1.35 vs $3.12).
This will be the first of three meetings between these teams this season. The Kings dominated this matchup last season by winning all three of their games including two on their home deck.
The Kings have enjoyed their lengthy homestand over the past couple of weeks, winning all three of their games by 16+ points, including the inaugural Christmas Night match against Melbourne United. Most recently, they poured on the points against a severely undermanned Phoenix outfit, scoring a season-high 118.
Meanwhile, the Wildcats will be playing their fifth and final game of their road trip on Saturday night. They’ve split their four games at 2-2 but could easily be 4-0 had they executed a touch better down the stretch against both the Bullets and the Breakers.
In line-up news, Derick Walton Jr. is expected to return after missing last game with an ankle injury. He’s been a vital part of the Kings success so far this season with averages of 16.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, and a team-high 6.6 assists.
The Wildcats don’t have any real injury concerns of their own, but it’s expected that Tai Webster will play his first game for the Red Army after being added to the roster in the past week. He’s the younger brother of fellow Wildcat Corey, and averaged 17/5/5 in his season with the Breakers in 2020.
It’ll be interesting to see the changes to the Wildcats rotations if Tai Webster suits up on Saturday night. Regardless, the added firepower was necessary for a team that is clearly a step or two below the likes of the Kings, Breakers, and Taipans so far this campaign.
The Wildcats have actually performed better on the road (6-5) compared to at home (4-4) this season, but taking on the defending champions at Qudos Bank Arena is a whole other beast. On current form, I just can’t see them matching it with the Kings and as such, I’ll be taking the home side to cover the spread for a couple of units.
Sydney Kings -5.5
$1.90 (2 Units)
