The second game of Tuesday night’s NBL23 double-header will see the Wildcats host the Breakers in a blockbuster! Jake Smit provides his analysis and best bet for the game 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!
Perth Wildcats vs New Zealand Breakers Preview & Betting Tips
Tuesday January 10th, 9:30pm AEDT, RAC Arena
Meeting for the second time in less than a week, the Perth Wildcats will host the New Zealand Breakers at RAC Arena on Tuesday night.
The Breakers defended homecourt in the reverse fixture last Wednesday and are currently priced as favourites to double the dose in Perth ($1.72 vs $2.10).
Their Round 14 battle went down to the wire and threatened to go to overtime, but eventually the Breakers were able to get the necessary stops to win (97-94) and level the season series at one win apiece.
Barry Brown Jr. was the best player on the court for the winners with splits of 23/6/6, and Bryce Cotton was superb again for the Wildcats with 32 points on a highly-efficient 10-15 shooting.
The Wildcats have now lost two on the spin and three of their last four, all of which were on the road. They’ll finally return home for the first time since Round 10 when they toppled Melbourne Untied by one point.
After a tough three-game slide, the Breakers have regained their early season form with two wins in a row. They remain in the pole position to secure a top two spot and an automatic playoff berth.
Although they met only six days ago, both teams will be looking a little bit different on Tuesday night. Will McDowell-White is expected to suit up for the visitors after missing their recent battle with the Wildcats due to a hand injury. He made a successful return in their last outing when coming off the bench in his team’s win over the 36ers.
For the Wildcats, Tai Webster will likely be hitting the court again after making his debut against the Kings last start. Webster was active early in the piece but finished with just nine points on 4-12 shooting.
The Wildcats had to make some sort of move to improve their roster and give themselves a chance of doing some damage in the backend of the season; however, I’m not sold that Tai Webster is the answer, and would’ve preferred them to strengthen their front court with another big rebounder.
The Breakers have the clear advantage in the paint in this matchup and with the Wildcats expected to play even more three-guard line-ups on Tuesday, that paint advantage will be even more profound. With that in mind, I’m keen to be with the Breakers to secure another important win and cover the tiny spread for a touch more value.
New Zealand Breakers -1.5
$1.85 (2 Units)
