We had a nightmare weekend in Round 12 with just one winner from the card. There were so many unlucky results, highlighted by the Kings failing to cover their -4.5 spread against the Taipans, despite being up by eight with just 20 seconds remaining in the game. Nevertheless, we’ll look to bounce back this weekend and get back to winning ways with some saucy fixtures set to play out. As always, good luck to everyone following!
NBL Round 13 Betting Tips
Illawarra Hawks vs Adelaide 36ers (Thursday 7:50pm AEDT)
Round 13 kicks off on Thursday night with the Illawarra Hawks taking on the Adelaide 36ers. This will be the fourth and final game between these teams in the regular season. As it stands, the Hawks lead the series 2-1.
The Hawks enjoyed a successful weekend in Round 12, defeating the Kings at home in an big upset. That win moves them to 8-10 on the season and keeps them in touch with the top four.
The 36ers lost their only game of Round 12, going down to the Breakers by eight points at home. It was a disappointing end to a four game winning streak, but they’re still right in the mix for a finals spot with their 9-9 record.
We expect the Hawks to build from their team-lifting win last weekend with another victory at home here. They’ve been the 36ers in each of their last two meetings and we feel they match up well to make it three on the spin.
Illawarra Hawks Win
$1.88
Sydney Kings vs New Zealand Breakers (Friday 7:43pm AEDT)
The first of two Friday night games sees the Sydney Kings host the New Zealand Breakers. This will be the fourth and final meeting between these two teams this season, in a series the Kings currently lead 3-0.
The Kings had a mixed bag in Round 12 with a loss to the Hawks and a win over the Taipans. They’re currently on top of the ladder at 12-6.
The Breakers will be looking to avoid a series sweep against the Kings here. They’re coming off an impressive round with wins over both the 36ers and the Wildcats. Their recent success has moved them into sixth spot and right into finals contention.
The Kings match up really well against the Breakers and we feel that they’re about to make it a 4-0 sweep of the series. They’re incredibly hard to beat on their home floor and will be desperate to hang onto first position in the standings.
Perth Wildcats vs Cairns Taipans (Friday 9:53pm AEDT)
The late game on Friday night takes place over in Perth with the Wildcats hosting the Cairns Taipans. This will be the fourth and final game of the regular season series. The Wildcats have won the three prior meetings by an average of 14 points.
The Wildcats have surprisingly won just two of their last eight games in the NBL, and are coming off a really disappointing 13 point loss to the Breakers on the road. It must be said though, that they’ve played each of their last five games away from home, and will rerun to their home deck where they’ve had tremendous success this season.
Meanwhile, the Taipans conjured their second win of the season in Round 12, defeating the Bullets once again. It was great to see them get one on their home floor in front of their fans that show up no matter what.
We can’t see anything but an easy win for the Wildcats taking place in this one. They’re a class above and return home in a must win game. They should get this by double digits.
Perth Wildcats -6.5
$1.94
Adelaide 36ers vs Brisbane Bullets (Saturday 2:50pm AEDT)
The lone game on Saturday sees the Adelaide 36ers play hosts to the Brisbane Bullets in a really important game for both ball clubs.
As mentioned above, the 36ers lost their only game of Round 12, and will be playing their second game of Round 13 against the Bullets after playing the Hawks in the round opener.
The Bullets will be playing their first and only game of the round here, and are coming off a weekend where they were blown out by bottom dwellers Cairns Taipans, before defeating defending champions Melbourne United.
The Bullets lead the series 2-1 between these teams this season, but we feel that the 36ers have a great chance to level it up here. They’ve been in great form over the past couple of weeks and are arguably playing better than any other team in the competition. We feel that the line is a couple of points too small to pass up in this one.
Adelaide 36ers -2.5
$1.90
Sydney Kings vs Illawarra Hawks (Sunday 2:50pm AEDT)
The first of two Sunday games has the Sydney Kings hosting the Illawarra Hawks. These teams played in Round 12 with the Hawks taking that one, although the Kings still lead the series 2-1 for the season.
The Kings will be playing their second game of the week on Sunday after playing the Breakers on Friday night. They get the big advantage of not having to travel this round and get to play on their home deck where they’ve had great success.
The Hawks will travel to Sydney after their Thursday night battle with the 36ers. The Hawks are one of many teams still in the mix for the a finals spot, but will need to pinch a few of these types of games if they’re to leap frog the other contenders.
The no travel factor and superior roster makes this one a no-brainer for us. We like the Kings to win this by double-digits, easily clearing their spread.
Cairns Taipans vs Melbourne United (Sunday 5:20pm AEDT)
The final game of the round will see the Cairns Taipans hosting Melbourne United. This will be the third of four meetings for the season, in a series United lead 2-0 as it stands.
The Taipans are playing for pride at this point as they’ve managed just two wins at the time of writing. They were competitive against one of the contenders in the Kings last weekend, but backing up against United is a tough task.
Meanwhile, United will be playing their first game of the week on Sunday, meaning they’ll be rested and ready to play. They still have every chance of finishing in top spot, so we expect them to be fully engaged in games like these.
We’re bullish about United at any spread up to around -6.5 here. They’re a much better team than their opponents and have far more to play for at this point in time.
Melbourne United -3.5
$1.87
