Round 16 of the NBL24 season begins on Wednesday night and concludes on Sunday night, with a whopping eight games on the schedule. There are plenty of key matchups to look out for and we have our best bets for all games right here!
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 16 Preview & Betting Tips
SE Melbourne Phoenix vs Adelaide 36ers
Wednesday 7:30pm AEDT, January 17th, State Basketball Centre
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Illawarra Hawks vs Cairns Taipans
Thursday 7:30pm AEDT, January 18th, WIN Entertainment Centre
The Hawks will be keen to bounce back from their last start loss against the Bullets which snapped a season-high four-game win streak. That was just the third loss for the Hawks under coach Justin Tatum from 10 games. The Hawks now return home on Thursday night where they’ve won their past two games and three of their past four. Meanwhile, the Taipans won an overtime thriller in their most recent outing, defeating the 36ers in a fantastic comeback. Still, the Taipans will be hoping to put in another pair of good performance in Round 16 as inconsistencies have severely plagued them this campaign. The Snakes have lost their last two on the road by blowout margins and won’t find it an easier when they head to Wollongong on Thursday night. The Hawks, although losing last time out, are in fantastic form and should be coming away with another strong win here.
Illawarra Hawks -3.5
$1.90 (2 Units)
Tasmania JackJumpers vs Melbourne United
Friday 7:30pm AEDT, January 19th, MyState Bank Arena
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Perth Wildcats vs Brisbane Bullets
Friday 9:30pm AEDT, January 19th, RAC Arena
Second up on Friday night is an intriguing clash between two of the form teams in the competition, with the Wildcats hosting the Bullets in Perth. The Wildcats will be searching for their fifth straight win since suffering a heartbreaking overtime loss to United. They destroyed the Phoenix last outing by 21 points, putting up 100+ points on the board for the sixth straight time. Likewise, the Bullets will be hunting their fifth straight win which has been a little bit more surprising. Their recent resurgence has seen them improve to an even 11-11 on the season and move to fifth in the standings. As good as the Bullets have been of late, they haven’t faced such a challenge as they will on Friday night. The Wildcats at RAC Arena are arguably the toughest test in the NBL right now and it’s one I can’t see the Bullets overcoming here.
Perth Wildcats -4.5
$1.74 (2 Units)
New Zealand Breakers vs SE Melbourne Phoenix
Saturday 5:30pm AEDT, January 20th, Spark Arena
Thoroughly outplayed last game against the Kings, the Breakers will be desperate to get back onto the winners list in their lone game in Round 16. The Breakers have now lost three in a row, all against top four sides which has put their momentum to a halt. Meanwhile, the Phoenix are in despicable form having lost seven of their last eight games, which includes five defeats by 20 points or more. And in a further blow to the Phoenix, star centre Alan Williams has now been ruled out for the remainder of the season as he’s been scheduled for knee surgery. The Phoenix are in a world of pain right now and won’t find it any easier on Saturday night when they take on the Breakers who are super talented and desperate for a win. With that in mind, I’m expecting this one to be a blowout in favour of the home side.
New Zealand Breakers -8.5
$1.89 (2.5 Units)
Illawarra Hawks vs Adelaide 36ers
Saturday 8pm AEDT, January 20th, WIN Entertainment Centre
Is the honeymoon period finally over for Justin Tatum and the Hawks? Back-to-back losses have certainly raised the question. They were beaten at the death by the Taipans last start despite having nearly triple the amount of free throws over the course of the game. Still, the Hawks are yet to put in a seriously poor performance in under Tatum and are only one win outside the top six. elsewhere, the 36ers are making a bit of a run at the moment with three wins from their past four games. They had the easy kill against the Phoenix last start and piled on 110 points in the win. However, the 36ers are still a long shot to make it to the Play-In, as they currently sit last in the standings at 8-14. The 36ers have been playing with increased effort in recent games but will now face a Hawks outfit that have a significant talent advantage over them. I struggle to see how the 36ers will get the edge and am happy to make a play on the home side.
Illawarra Hawks -4.5
$1.90 (1.5 Units)
Sydney Kings vs Perth Wildcats
Sunday 2pm AEDT, January 21st, Qudos Bank Arena
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Cairns Taipans vs Brisbane Bullets
Sunday 4pm AEDT, January 21st, Cairns Convention Centre
Both playing their second game of Round 16, the Taipans and the Bullets will come together in the final game of the weekend. The Taipans are coming off a dramatic one-point win against the Hawks thanks to a buzzer-beater from Lat Mayen. That made it back-to-back thrilling wins for the Taipans to get their season and playoff hopes back on track. In contrast, the Bullets barely fired a shot in their recent loss against the in-form Wildcats, losing by 28 points in the Jungle. That loss put an end to a four-game win streak that has seen the Bullets surge into playoffs contention. These teams will be meeting for the fourth time this season with the Taipans leading the series 2-1. All three games have been decided by five points or less and a similar result is to be expected on Sunday. The road side has managed to cover the spread in each of the five games between these clubs, and with a close result seemingly on the cards again, I like the chances of the Bullets to cover.
Brisbane Bullets +4.5
$1.90 (1 Unit)
