Round 17 in the NBL24 season begins on Thursday night with an epic double-header. Following on will be double-headers on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, making Round 17 one of the busiest of the season. We bring you our best bets for all eight games for free 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 17 Preview & Betting Tips
SE Melbourne Phoenix vs Sydney Kings
Thursday 7:30pm AEDT, January 25th, State Basketball Centre
There’s not much you can say about the Phoenix at the moment. They’ve been riddled with injuries for a long time now and they’re struggling mightily to stay competitive in games. The Phoenix have lost four games in a row by 20+ points and seven of their last eight by at least a dozen. Meanwhile, the Kings have been going through a tough time themselves lately and desperately need to find a pair of wins this weekend. They enter Round 17 having won only once from their past five outings and twice from their past eight. However, a seemingly easy kill has come at the right time for the Kings, as the Phoenix are just a horrible basketball team as currently constructed. With that said, I expect the Kings to control this one right from the tip and to come away with a comfortable win.
Sydney Kings -10.5
$1.80 (2.5 Units)
Perth Wildcats vs Illawarra Hawks
Thursday 9:30pm AEDT, January 25th, RAC Arena
What a run the Wildcats are on at the moment. They come into Thursday night’s clash with the Hawks on a six-game win streak and have given themselves a realistic chance to finish the regular season on top of the standings. The Wildcats are now only a game behind the ladder-leading United but are in by far the better form of the pair. In contrast, the Hawks are going through a really tough stretch right now with losses in each of their last three games. It seems as though the honeymoon period with interim head coach Justin Tatum has come to an end at exactly the wrong time. The Hawks now find themselves a couple of games outside the top six with time quickly running out. Unfortunately for the Hawks, they now must face the toughest test in the NBL on Thursday night by taking on the Wildcats in the Jungle. And on current form, I can’t see them getting much joy from their trip west.
Perth Wildcats -6.5
$1.84 (1.5 Units)
New Zealand Breakers vs Tasmania JackJumpers
Friday 5:30pm AEDT, January 26th, Eventfinda Stadium
Click here for our full game preview and best bet!
Brisbane Bullets vs Melbourne United
Friday 7:30pm AEDT, January 26th, Nissan Arena
The Bullets had mixed results in Round 16, beginning with a heavy road loss against the Wildcats before bouncing back with an emphatic win against the Snakes. The Bullets are clearly going through their most successful period in NBL24 right now as they’ve won five of their last six games, which has seen them storm into both Play-In and Championship contention. On the other hand, Melbourne United are going through their leanest patch of the season having lost three of their past five outings. They’ve had excuses for their poor performances however, with a number of their key guys missing time recently. The word going around is that star centre Jo Lual-Acuil will return in Round 17 which provides a massive boost for the ladder-leaders on both ends of the floor. With JLA back coupled with the fact United haven’t lost back-to-back games all season, I’m expecting a big bounce-back game here. Take United to cover the small spread on the road.
Melbourne United -4.5
$1.83 (1 Unit)
Adelaide 36ers vs Cairns Taipans
Saturday 5:30pm AEDT, January 27th, Adelaide Entertainment Centre
Click here for our full game preview and best bet!
SE Melbourne Phoenix vs Perth Wildcats
Saturday 8pm AEDT, January 27th, State Basketball Centre
Two teams coming off contrasting results on Thursday night will come together on Saturday night, with the Phoenix hosting the Wildcats at the State Basketball Centre. The Phoenix pulled off without a doubt the biggest upset of the season in their Round 17 opener, defeating the Kings by six points despite being heavily undermanned and double-digit underdogs at the spread. In contrast, the Wildcats went into their opening game of the round against the Hawks as the clear favourites but were outworked and outplayed in the Jungle where they eventually lost by 18 points.
In my opinion, there’s been a huge overreaction in the market for this game, with the Wildcats only listed as 6.5-point favourites. The Phoenix have lost eight of their last 10 games by 12+ points and the Wildcats will be hungry to bounce back from their recent loss. I’m happy to have a big crack at the Wildcats to cover the handicap here.
Perth Wildcats -6.5
$1.86 (3.5 Units)
Illawarra Hawks vs New Zealand Breakers
Sunday 2pm AEDT, January 28th, WIN Entertainment Centre
The first game of Sunday’s double-header is a pivotal one for both teams involved, with the Hawks and the Breakers set to lock horns in the ‘Gong. The Hawks are coming off a thoroughly impressive win against the Wildcats in the Jungle on Thursday night to snap and three game losing streak. Importantly, they remain only one game outside the top six with a 10-12 record. Meanwhile, the Breakers hold an identical record to their upcoming opponents which means they too are just one game outside a finals spot. However, the Breakers are boasting a two-game win streak coming into this one, defeating the Phoenix and then most recently the JackJumpers. The Breakers are now almost fully healthy and with that have become arguably the most talented team in the competition. They have star power at each position and deserve to be the favourites on Sunday. I’m more than happy to back them in to get the job done on the road.
New Zealand Breakers to Win
$1.91 (1.5 Units)
Sydney Kings vs Melbourne United
Sunday 4pm AEDT, January 28th, Qudos Bank Arena
Last but certainly not least in Round 17 is the Sydney Kings vs Melbourne United. The Kings are coming off a disastrous loss against the heavily undermanned Phoenix which now has their season hanging by a thread. They’ve lost two in a row as well as seven of their last nine games and will likely enter Sunday’s clash in sixth spot on the ladder. In contrast, United pulled off a strong win in their last outing against the Bullets to bounce back from a poor loss against the JackJumpers. United remain the only team in the competition that are yet to lose back-to-back games in NBL24. Both of these clubs have had their struggles on the defensive end of late, particularly the Kings who have given up 100+ points in their last two and four of their past six games. With that in mind, I fancy the overs for a single unit.
Over 187.5 Points
$1.91 (1 Unit)
