The busy NBL26 season continues over the Christmas period with Round 14. It officially gets underway on Christmas Eve with a game between the 36ers and the Taipans, before the Christmas night matchup between the Kings and the Hawks. We also have Boxing Day action with the JackJumpers and the Breakers locking horns, as well as plenty of other juicy matchups. We bring you our best bets for all NBL Round 14 games here!
NBL26 Round 14 Preview & Betting Tips
Adelaide 36ers vs Cairns Taipans
Wednesday 5:30pm AEDT (Dec 24), Adelaide Entertainment Centre
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Sydney Kings vs Illawarra Hawks
Thursday 8:30pm AEDT (Dec 25), Qudos Bank Arena
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Tasmania JackJumpers vs New Zealand Breakers
Friday 7:30pm AEDT (Dec 26), MyState Bank Arena
The NBL26 Boxing Day clash in Hobart shapes as a crucial matchup for two sides heading in different directions. The Tasmania JackJumpers come into this one with growing confidence, sitting at 9–11 after a strong win against Melbourne United last time out. That result continued an impressive stretch of form, with Tasmania now winning three of their past four games. The JackJumpers’ defensive pressure and ability to control tempo have been central to that improvement, particularly at home where their physicality and crowd energy often lift their intensity. With finals still within reach, this game looms as a must-win opportunity against a direct rival lower on the ladder.
New Zealand, meanwhile, arrive under mounting pressure at 7–13 and struggling to find momentum. The Breakers have dropped three straight games and have often looked vulnerable late in contests, particularly on the defensive end. While they have shown flashes of competitiveness, consistency has been a major issue, and road performances have been difficult to sustain across four quarters. Against a JackJumpers side building confidence, New Zealand will need a near-complete performance to stay in touch.
Given Tasmania’s recent form and home-court edge, the JackJumpers look well placed to cover the -4.5 spread in this Boxing Day showdown.
Tasmania JackJumpers -4.5
$1.91 (2 Units)
Brisbane Bullets vs Melbourne United
Saturday 8:00pm AEDT (Dec 27), Brisbane Entertainment Centre
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Adelaide 36ers vs Perth Wildcats
Sunday 2:30pm AEDT (Dec 28), Adelaide Entertainment Centre
Adelaide enters this Round 14 fixture firmly in control at the top of the NBL ladder with a 16-4 record, and will be aiming to build on their incredible recent victory over Perth. In their Round 11 meeting at RAC Arena, the 36ers produced one of the most remarkable comebacks of the season, overturning an 18-point deficit in the fourth quarter to steal a 95-94 win over the Wildcats in dramatic fashion. The late surge highlighted Adelaide’s offensive resilience and capacity to force turnovers and convert on transition opportunities when it matters most.
Perth, sitting fifth at 11-9, remain a formidable opponent capable of high-intensity stretches, but their inability to close out that recent contest at home will be a psychological hurdle. They’ve beaten Adelaide in past meetings this season, including a 94-87 win earlier in the campaign, showing they can execute balanced scoring and control the glass.
With Adelaide’s ladder position and momentum from that comeback win, they look poised to assert themselves again on home court. Expect them to cover the -4.5 spread as they impose their tempo and tighten defensively in key moments to secure a second win over Perth this season.
Adelaide 36ers -4.5
$1.91 (1.5 Units)
Tasmania JackJumpers vs South East Melbourne Phoenix
Monday 7:30pm AEDT (Dec 29), MyState Bank Arena
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Sydney Kings vs Brisbane Bullets
Tuesday 7:30pm AEDT (Dec 30), QudosBank Arena
The Sydney Kings return home on Tuesday night as hot favourites for their Round 14 clash with the Brisbane Bullets, carrying plenty of momentum into the contest. Sydney were dominant on Christmas Day, dismantling the Illawarra Hawks by 24 points to extend their winning streak to five games. That victory also marked their ninth win from the past 11 outings, underlining their strong late-season surge. Now sitting fourth on the ladder at 12–7, the Kings are playing with confidence at both ends of the floor and have consistently overwhelmed lower-ranked opponents during this run.
Brisbane arrive in a far more difficult position. The Bullets showed improved fight in their most recent outing against Melbourne United but ultimately fell short, missing the chance to record back-to-back wins. That loss leaves them having dropped eight of their past nine games, a stretch that has stalled any momentum and kept them second last on the ladder at 6–15. Consistency continues to be an issue, particularly against top-six sides.
These teams met earlier in the season with Sydney producing a ruthless 37-point win, and the gap between them remains significant. With form, confidence and depth all favouring the Kings, they should be well placed to cover the -10.5 spread once again.
Sydney Kings -10.5
$1.87 (2 Units)
