A huge NBL match comes our way this Saturday evening as the Adelaide 36ers host the South East Melbourne Phoenix in a clash between 1st and 3rd on the NBL standings.
It’s already been a challenging Round 19 for both the 36ers and the Phoenix.
The 36ers easily dispatched of the Bullets on Wednesday night but not before a near all-in brawl saw seven players ejected from the match. Big man Nick Rakocevic was right in the thick of things and will be sweating the outcome from the Game Review Panel given he already has a suspended sentence hanging over his head from a striking charge earlier this season.
Meanwhile the Phoenix will head to Adelaide after a disappointing loss in Perth. In a tight contest, the Phoenix had their noses in front but could only manage 16 points in the final quarter to let the game slip through their fingers. It also saw them drop to 3rd on the standings and now they are under pressure to avoid sliding further.
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Adelaide 36ers vs South East Melbourne Phoenix Prediction & Betting Tips: NBL26 Round 19
On-Court Focus for Adelaide
It’s been an excellent season for the 36ers so far so they won’t want to let the fall out from the altercation with the Bullets on Wednesday distract from their on-court focus. At the time of writing, it’s undetermined if any players will be missing from their lineup. If players are suspended, it will be terrible timing, but they do still have a two-game buffer in top spot on the standings.
Adelaide shot the lights out against Brisbane, and they’ll be looking to bring that form to the Phoenix. They are the best three-point shooting team in the competition led by superstar Bryce Cotton who leads the league in both scoring and assists. Phoenix coach Josh King will have to find a plan on how to stop Cotton but that’s easier said than done.
Adelaide’s recent form has been a bit mixed, so if they are indeed the team to beat this season, they’ll be wanting to make a statement in this one.
Phoenix to Bounce Back
The Phoenix have been the form team of the second half of the season, yet the loss on Wednesday night leaves them in the pack of four chasing a top two spot along with the Kings and United.
The Phoenix will once again want to keep the pace of play fast and put plenty of points on the board. They remain the number one scoring team in the competition and with Nathan Sobey in their lineup this time around against the 36ers, they’ll be keen to balance the ship and push for that top two playoff spot. Sobey was great against the Wildcats with 28 points, while John Brown against Zylan Cheatham will be a classic matchup on the boards.
Recent History
The Phoenix were surprising 19-point winners when the two sides met on January 18th, and that win was without superstar Nathan Sobey. It should be a classic matchup between the MVP candidates in Sobey and Cotton here.
The Phoenix have only lost back-to-back matches once this season and that was back in Round 11, with their last four losses only coming against Perth (twice) and Tasmania (twice).
Adelaide were successful in their two meetings earlier in the season to have a 2-1 head-to-head record with the Phoenix in NBL26.
Adelaide have lost 3 of their last 5 matches, with the only wins in that time coming over the lowly Breakers and Bullets.
Plenty of Points on Offer. Here's our Match Prediction!
Similar to our winning tip on Wednesday night, we want to back the best offence in the league to score points. The Phoenix are a fast-paced, high-scoring team, and look to outgun teams rather than play hard defence. Adelaide won’t mind that either as they have plenty of scoring weapons, led by the leading scorer in the competition in Bryce Cotton. Expect to see a shootout that covers the points overs.
Total Points Over 186.5
$1.90 (2 Units)
36ers vs Phoenix Same Game Multi
Popular sportsbook Dabble have some great features and offer same game multis on every NBL match this season. Follow our BeforeYouBet account on Dabble and you can copy our SGM with a single tap! Here's our SGM for this match!
- Phoenix Win
- Over 186.5 points
- Bryce Cotton 20+ Points
- Nathan Sobey 20+ Points
- Zylan Cheatham 7+ Rebounds
- Josh Brown 7+ Rebounds
Same Game Multi Odds - $6.50 at Dabble
36ers vs Phoenix Betting Odds & Match Info
Date: Saturday, January 31st, 2026
Time: 5:35pm AEDT
Location: Adelaide Entertainment Centre
Odds: 36ers $1.78 vs Phoenix $2.05
Line: 36ers -3.5
Points: 186.5
Where to Watch 36ers vs Phoenix
You can watch the 36ers vs Phoenix clash live and ad-free on Kayo Sports.
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