Round 5 action in the 2022-23 NBL season concludes on Monday night with a juicy matchup between Melbourne United and the Perth Wildcats. Jake Smit brings you his best spread and player prop bets 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!
Melbourne United vs Perth Wildcats Preview & Betting Tips
Monday 7:30pm AEDT, John Cain Arena, Melbourne
Both Melbourne United and the Perth Wildcats will be playing their second game of Round 5 when they lock horns at John Cain Arena on Monday night.
United’s Round 5 opener was arguably the game of the season so far and required double overtime to declare a winner. Xavier Rathan-Mayes was the hero for united with 32 points and some extremely timely plays in their 106-100 win. Isaac Humphries was also important with a double-double (20 points, 12 rebounds).
A loss in that game against the Hawks would’ve put immense pressure on Dean Vickerman and United, but instead they’re now 3-4 on the season and can go even on the ledger with a win on Monday night.
Speaking of pressure, John Rillie will be feeling the pinch in his first season in charge of the Wildcats, with his team travelling to Melbourne on a three-game losing streak.
The Wildcats were upset at home against the Phoenix in their first game in Round 5, coughing up a five-point advantage at three-quarter time to go down by a single point.
They’ve been favourites in all six of their games this season, so entering this game at 3-3 is somewhat of a failure. Still, it’s very early on in the season and they’ve had quite a few new pieces added to the roster who will need some time to build chemistry.
This is one of the best rivalries in the NBL, but it’s been a one-sided one in recent years. In the last 10 meetings, United have nine to the Wildcats one.
Most recently, these teams met at RAC Arena in Perth, and it was United who upset the home fans with an 84-81 win, despite Bryce Cotton pouring in 32 points.
United will be riding a high after their thrilling win over the Hawks and will be full of confidence coming up against a team they’ve dominated over the last couple of seasons. With all things considered, they should be starting this game as favourites.
Melbourne United +2.5
$1.95 (1.5 Units)
Alternate Bet
Part of the struggles for both of these teams this season has been their inconsistency on the offensive end. Both teams lost a lot of firepower over the off-season and haven’t been getting enough production out of their new imports. United rank second last in points per game and the Wildcats are also in the bottom four. On top of that, their earlier meeting this season finished with 165 points being scored. Taking the unders looks to be the play here.
Under 167.5 Points ($1.90 at Ladbrokes)
