Round 12 of NBL26 continues on Thursday night with a matchup between two desperate clubs, as the Illawarra Hawks play host to the Brisbane Bullets at the WIN Entertainment Centre. These teams are currently 8th and 9th on the ladder, and there certainly won’t be room for both of them in the top six when it’s all said and done. We bring you our full game preview, best bet, and Dabble Pick’Em below!
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Illawarra Hawks vs Brisbane Bullets Prediction & Betting Tips: NBL26 Round 12
Hawks Lose the Unlosable
The Illawarra Hawks return to the WIN Entertainment Centre for a vital Round 12 match-up against the Brisbane Bullets, desperately needing a win to resurrect their season. The Hawks are reeling after a truly disastrous home loss to the depleted Cairns Taipans, going down by 17 points despite entering the game as overwhelming 15-point favourites. This latest stumble means the Wollongong side has now lost four of their last five outings, slipping down the ladder to 8th spot with a deeply disappointing 5-10 record. For a team with their perceived talent, their level of inconsistency and inability to close out winnable games has become the biggest talking point of the NBL season.
Bullets Can’t Catch a Break
The Brisbane Bullets find themselves in similarly dire straits, sitting one rung below the Hawks in 9th place on the ladder with a 5-11 record. Their most recent result was a demoralising 25-point thrashing at the hands of the Adelaide 36ers. The game also saw the debut of new import forward Terry Taylor, who unfortunately had a very poor showing, struggling to make an impact in his first outing. Compounding their form woes is a horror run with injuries; point guard Mitch Norton was forced to leave the last game with an ankle injury, and his status for Thursday remains unknown, as does the availability of star guard Jevon Freeman-Liberty, who missed the 36ers clash due to illness.
Recent H2H History
Recent history is heavily in favour of the home side. Earlier this NBL26 season, when these two teams met, the Hawks completely dominated the Bullets, strolling to a commanding 27-point victory. Illawarra also held a complete psychological edge last season, sweeping the entire three-game season series 3-0 against Brisbane. This consistent ability to get the better of the Bullets, regardless of form, will surely give the Hawks a much-needed confidence boost heading into this crucial fixture.
Hawks or Bullets? Here’s Our Tip!
Given the circumstances, the Illawarra Hawks simply must step up and get the job done at home. While they have been incredibly untrustworthy for bettors and fans alike this season, the Hawks possess far too much talent on their roster to continue wallowing at this low level. At some point, the sheer desperation to salvage their season has to kick in. Against a significantly injury-depleted and out-of-form Brisbane side, this is the perfect opportunity for the Hawks to secure a morale-boosting win and they should comfortably cover the -5.5 spread. They need to be beating the Bullets here, and they should do so convincingly.
Illawarra Hawks -5.5
$1.86 (2 Units)
Hawks vs Bullets Dabble Pick‘Em
Popular sportsbook Dabble have launched Pick’Em - a new a simpler way to combine player markets from the same game for bigger odds. We’ve put together a 3-Leg Pick’Em for the Hawks vs Bullets that you can follow via the link below! You can also learn more about Dabble’s Pick’Em feature here.
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Dabble Pick‘Em Odds Multiplier: 6.5x ($10 to win $65) - Click here to get involved!
Hawks vs Bullets Betting Odds & Match Info
Date: Thursday, December 11th, 2025
Time: 7:30pm AEDT
Location: WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
Odds: Hawks $1.44 vs Bullets $2.85
Line: Hawks -6.5
Points: 185.5
Where to Watch Hawks vs Bullets
You can watch the Hawks vs Bullets clash live and ad-free on Kayo Sports.
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