The NBL24 Grand Final series got underway last Sunday and it was Melbourne United who secured the early ascendancy. This best-of-five series now heads to Tasmania for Game 2 where the JackJumpers will be desperate to tie it up at 1-1. It should be another cracking contest and as always, we have you covered with our full game preview and best bet below!
NBL24 Grand Final Preview & Betting Tips
Tasmania JackJumpers vs Melbourne United (Game 2)
Friday 7:30pm AEDT, March 22nd, MyState Bank Arena
Game 1 of the Grand Final series was a touch underwhelming as it was simply all one-way traffic in favour of the home team, Melbourne United. United ended up winning all four quarters en route to a comfortable 104-81 point win at John Cain Arena, and are now just two wins away from being crowned NBL24 Champions.
United dominated just about every key statistic in Game 1 and finished +5 in FG%, +6 in 3P%, and +5 in assists. However, probably the most important differential was in the rebounding battle where United finished +8 in offensive rebounds and +15 in total rebounds.
Chris Goulding was down on his impact in the three-game series against the Hawks, but started the Grand Final series on fire. He poured in 22 points in Game 1 and connected on six of his 10 attempts from deep. Jo Lual-Acuil also returned to form with a 20-point 11-rebound double-double and caused all sorts of issues for the likes of Will Magnay and Marcus Lee.
For the JackJumpers, Jordon Crawford has been incredibly poor in recent weeks and that continued on Sunday when he finished with just seven points (3-13 FG) and one assist. Milton Doyle (16 points) and Anthony Drmic (18 points) were the shining lights on offence, but there was little help around those two.
Game 2 prediction: Concerningly, the effort stats were down for the JackJumpers in Game 1 and that mirrored what we saw on the court. The 23-point defeat is by far the biggest of their campaign to date; in fact, it is the first time they’ve gone down by a double-figure margin, as their heaviest defeat in the season prior was just eight points.
Thankfully for the JackJumpers, they’ve now had a full five days rest and will get to play host in Game 2. They’ve been fantastic on their home court of late with wins in each of their last five games at MyState Bank Arena, whereas United have lost each of their last three road outings.
Time and time again we’ve seen the JackJumpers produce their best basketball when their backs are against the wall, and this is another one of those moments. I expect them to bounce back on their home deck to tie up the series at 1-1.
Tasmania JackJumpers to Win
$1.82 (2 Units)
