NBL24 Round 3 action begins on Thursday night with the Tasmania JackJumpers taking on the Illawarra Hawks. Both last start winners, this should be a cracking contest to get the round underway. We preview the clash and provide our best bet below!
Also, we’re providing previews and expert betting tips for every game of the NBL24 season, so make sure to head over to our NBL Tips page regularly to keep up to date with all of our content.
NBL24 Round 3 Preview & Betting Tips
Tasmania JackJumpers vs Illawarra Hawks
Thursday 7:30pm AEDT, October 12th, MyState Bank Arena
Although still not getting the respect they deserve, the Tasmania JackJumpers are going to be one of the teams to beat in NBL24. They started the season with a narrow loss away to the Wildcats, but quickly found their first win of the season at home against the Kings before backing it up with a gutsy win against United last start.
The most impressive aspect of the JackJumpers game albeit in a small sample size has been their stinginess on defence. They’ve kept two high powered offences in the Kings and United to 72 and 75 points respectively, and with an easier run of games to come over the coming weeks, they can set themselves up well inside the top four.
From an individual perspective, Milton Doyle has had a spectacular start to his second season in the league. He nailed three after three in their recent win over United, clawing his side back from a double-digit deficit late in the fourth quarter to steal what could prove to be a pivotal road win.
Elsewhere, the Illawarra Hawks would be pleased to head into Round 3 all square with a 1-1 record. They couldn’t throw a rock in the ocean in their first game against the Kings, but bounced back with a confidence-boosting win over Phoenix last time out.
The Hawks were cruelled by injury in NBL23 and that was a big reason why they could muster only three wins. However, their key personnel are fit and firing this time around and they’ll be expecting a sharp rise back up the standings.
Import Justin Robinson featured in just one game for the Hawks last season but has repaid the clubs faith in him early doors this campaign. He was enormous in their recent win over the Phoenix, pouring in 26 points to go along with five rebounds and seven assists in a breakout NBL performance.
Match prediction: Thursday night’s game is a clash between two sides that are looking to play two completely contrasting styles of basketball. On one hand the JackJumpers are keen to soak up all 24 seconds on the shot clock and find the best look available, while on the other hand the Hawks are trying to get out and run in transition and fire away early in the possession. Whoever can implement their style for the majority of the 40 minutes will likely come away with a win.
In my opinion, the JackJumpers are the more well-oiled machine and certainly the more trustworthy from game-to-game. They rarely take a possession off and I believe their grit and grind style will frustrate the Hawks here. The JackJumpers have kept two elite clubs to an average of 73.5 points in their last two games and face an easier opponent on Thursday night. As long as they bring a similar level of intensity against the Hawks, they’ll keep them under their current total team points line.
Hawks Under 82.5 Points
$1.83 (1.5 Units)
