The exciting 2019-20 NBL season continues with this weekend with Round 19. We went a perfect 2/2 last weekend and looked on our way for 3/3 until the final match of the round was called off midway for a leak in the stadium roof. We’ve now hit on 12 of our last 14 tips (all $1.80 or better) and don’t see any reason why that form won’t continue. Now, let’s turn our attention to the upcoming Round 19 where we’ve provided some more great tips.. As always, good luck to everyone following!
NBL Round 19 Betting Tips
Melbourne United vs Illawarra Hawks
Saturday 5:30pm AEDT
Melbourne United lost a crucial game against the Bullets last weekend that may well cost them a finals spot. Melo Trimble came off the bench and was excellent with 36 points, but it still wasn’t enough to get the job done. United now find themselves two games outside the top four with just three games to play, making them huge outsiders to feature in the playoffs.
The Hawks were pummelled in their first game in Round 18 by the Taipans and were on their way to a similar outcome against the Breakers in their second game before it was called off in the third quarter due to a leak in the roof. The Hawks have now lost eight in a row and will find it tough to end that losing streak before season’s end.
Although they aren’t in the best of form, we expect Melbourne United to be far too good for the Hawks in this matchup. United will be desperate to record a big win to keep their playoffs hopes alive and we don’t see the Hawks providing much resistance on the road.
Melbourne United -12.5
$1.90
Adelaide 36ers vs Cairns Taipans
Saturday, 8pm AEDT
The 36ers absolutely needed to win both of their Round 18 fixtures, but only managed to salute in their second, which means their season is effectively over. It’s been a pretty disappointing season for Joey Wright’s men who were never really able to find any game to game consistency, winning three games in a row on just one occasion.
The Taipans have been the big surprise packet this season, making a tremendous improvement from their Wooden Spoon campaign last season. They were big winners over the Hawks (99-75) in their only Round 18 fixture, which made it eight wins from their past nine games. The Snakes need just one win to clinch a playoffs berth from their three remaining regular season games.
The Snakes are clearly the better team in this matchup and unlike the 36ers; they actually have something to play for. They’ll be looking to sure up third spot on the ladder with a win here and are the favourites to do just that. They’ve won their past two games against the 36ers by comfortable margins and we expect them to do the same when they clash this weekend.
Cairns Taipans -3.5
$1.92
Perth Wildcats vs Brisbane Bullets
Sunday, 5pm AEDT
The Wildcats have been ultra-consistent since the early part of the season and have now locked away a top two spot in this year’s playoffs. Last weekend they took care of the Kings for third time in a row by a double figure margin. The Wildcats have won four of their last five games and are in a really good position to back up their championship from last year.
The Bullets have been the big movers in the middle to late section of the season and have their destiny in their hands in terms of whether or not they play in the playoffs. They won a crucial matchup with Melbourne United last weekend, notching up their sixth win on the spin to go two games clear in fourth spot on the ladder.
These are two of the more in-form clubs in the league coming into this game, along with the Taipans. For us, we see the Bullets as a really good chance to win on the road and will be playing them in the head to head market. The Wildcats don’t really have anything to gain or lose and are pretty much locked into second spot, so they may opt to rest some players. Even if both teams field their best available squad, the Bullets are a great chance to cover the generous spread.
Value: Bullets Win $2.63
Brisbane Bullets +4.5
$1.94
