The following are previews with betting tips for Round 20 of the 2019/20 NBL season.
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Thursday, February 13
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Melbourne United v Cairns TaipansMelbourne Arena 7:30pm AEDT |
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Last RD- If they lose, they’re out, that’s the predicament that Melbourne face in this game. As of currently, they are 6th on the NBL ladder. They possess a 13-13 record through the first 26 games of the season. They are a win behind each of Brisbane and 4th placed New Zealand. Here we go! In their latest outing they came up huge at home, as they smashed the Hawks 95-72. They won every single quarter. The scores were 24-18, 22-16, 27-23 and 22-15. Goulding led the way with 20PTS, while Long had 13. Both Barlow and McCarron had 11PTS each. Of the bench, Trimble posted 13PTS, Smith-Milner 10 and Kidd 8. Goulding hit 6 3’s, as he also had 5REB and 4AST. Long had 9REB, 1AST and 1BL, as he hit 5/5 FT’s. Barlow also got 2REB, 2AST and 1STL. McCarron also had 4REB and 1AST next to his name. Melo hit 4/6 2’s, as he also had 2REB, 9AST and 3STL. Smith-Milner also got 4REB, 3AST and 1STL. Kidd got 10REB, 1STL and 1BL.
They’ve done it! They’ve done it! They’ve done i! Last round Cairns officially booked their foray into the post-season, highlighting what a truly awesome season they have had thus far. Positioned in 3rd on the ladder, they currently have 16 wins and just 10 losses through 26 games played. Playing Adelaide in Adelaide last round, they embarrassed them on their home-court, as they won 99-80. They won every quarter, with the scores being, 27-20, 30-25, 17-16 and 25-19. Oliver had 31PTS, Newbill 17 and both Machado and Deng, 12 each. Of the pine, Both Jawai and Kenny had 7PTS a piece and Krslovic 5. Oliver shot an outstanding 61.9% from the floor, as he also had 11REB, 3AST, 1STL and 2BL. Newbill hit 6/9 2’s, as he also got 3REB, 4AST and 3STL. Machado shot 5/5 from the line, as he had 7REB, 6AST and 2STL. Deng made 5/8 shots, as he got 10REB, 3AST and 1STL.
Key Player- Goulding. The veteran will have to have a huge impact if United are to come away with a crucial and much-needed win here. On the season he has averages of 16.9PPG and 2.3APG. His ability to shoot the ball, especially from deep, will be much needed so that the likes of Long, etc, are able to feast inside the paint. He will have to draw Cairns defenders away from the basket in order for that to happen. In 2 of his last 6 games, he’s made 6 3’s. And in another one, he made 3. In his last game he scored 20PTS, two before that it was 17, 13 twice before that, then 26 and 21. He’s had some quite impressive numbers to date. And he’ll need to have some more in this Queensland affair and do-or-die clash for his side.
Betting tip: Pick Cairns to win at $2.44 (SportsBet)
Friday, February 14
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New Zealand Breakers v S.E. Melbourne PhoenixHorncastle Arena 5:30pm AEDT |
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Last RD- The Breakers are so, so, so close to making the finals. And they’ve done it largely without the likes of Hampton and Webster, making it all the more impressive. They are currently in 4th spot on 14 wins and 13 losses. They are ahead of Brisbane on % and Melbourne by a single victory. Hopson? Abercrombie? Who’s gonna get it done for the international lads here? Their last game saw them came away with a clutch win in Brisbane against Brisbane, 91-87. That being a match that kept their finals hopes alive for another round. They lost Q1, 31-30. But they won every other one, 23-21, 19-18 and 19-17. Hopson had a big 31PTS, both Delany and Henry had 15 each and Abercombie had 11. Loe had 9PTS and of the bench, Ashley had 10. Hopson shot 10/18 2’s, as he also had 7REB, 4AST and 2STL next to his name. Delany had 12REB and 1AST, as he shot 50% from the floor. Henry had 1REB and 5AST, as he also shot a prefect 4/4 from the line. And finally Abercrombie had 7REB and 1 dime, as he made 2/2 FT attempts.
The Phoenix are just playing for pride in this game, as they are currently 2nd last and 8th on the NBL ladder. They are only ahead of the Hawks, which doesn’t exactly bode well for them! They have just 9 wins and 17Â losses next to their name. They weren’t quite clutch enough last round as they fell to the Kings in Melbourne, 99-96. Q1 ended 28-20 in the Kings favor. Q2 S.E.M won, 21-15. They also won the next one as well, 21-19. The 4th ended in a 27-27 draw. And overtime saw the Kings slightly prevail, 10 points to 7. Roberson posted 19PTS, Creek had 14 and Madgen 12. Of the bench, Adnam had 19PTS, Wesley 13 and Gibson 10. Adnam also had 2REB, 2AST and 2STL. Wesley also had 3REB, 4AST and 2BL. Gibson also had 2REB and 1AST next to his name. Roberson made 5 3’s, as he also had 4REB and 6AST. Creek hit 6 2’s, as he also had 8REB and 1STL. For Madgen his other stats were, 7REB, 2AST and 3STL, as he shot 4/4 from the line.
Key Player- Hopson. Who else but the man Scotty?!! He has been huge for the Breakers up until this game. And there’s no reason why he can’t torment S.E.M either. This is the type of big game where star players and marquee men are expected to deliver. And so he should right here. On the season he has averages of 19.0PPG and 4.4APG. He scored 31 in his last match, before that it was 12, 13, 13, 22 and 30PTS! He’s also had no less than 2 dimes in each of those encounters as well. And to top it all of, in his last game vs S.E.M, he scored 19 and had 6 assists. Watch him step up big time for New Zealand in this one.
Betting tip: Pick New Zealand to win at $1.26 (SportsBet)
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Sydney Kings v Illawarra HawksQudos Bank Arena |
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Last RD- The Kings are well and truly vibing up in 1st place, as they have 19 wins and just 8 loses for the season. They’ve been their since Round 1, Day 1, which is pretty damn impressive! In their last match, they came up clutch as they beat S.E.M 99-96 down in Melbourne. Taylor made a 3 with a bit over a minute twenty left in the game, that put them up by enough points that they could hold on in the frantic, thrilling contest of NBL Basketball. The Kings won Q1, 28-20. They lost the next two, 21-15 and 21-19. Q4 was a 27-all draw. And Sydney came up big in OT, winning 10-7 and in turn, the game. Of their starters, Ware had 24PTS, Tate 17, Newley 14, Kickert 9 and Cooks 8. Of the pine, Taylor had 12, Lisch 8 and Bruce 7. Ware made a pair of 3’s, as he also got 1REB, 2AST and 2STL. Tate shot 7/12 from the floor, as he had 9REB, 2AST and 1STL. Newley made 3 3’s, as he got 7REB, 3AST and 2BL next to his name. And Taylor hit 2/4 from deep, as he also pulled in 3 boards. This was exactly the type of performance the Kings needed to have and it may not have been the prettiest games at times, but boy oh boy, they delivered the goods in the end!
The Hawks are last and 9th on the NBL ladder and have been for a while now. They have 5 wins and 22 defeats so far this season. Meanwhile various reports are emerging that Gelo Ball, the older brother of LaMelo Ball reportedly turned down an offer to play for Illawarra this season, so as to not damage his younger bros draft stock. Whether true or not, seeing Gelo in the NBL, playing alongside Melo would’ve been dope to say the least! In their latest outing they were thrashed by Melbourne to the tune of a 95-72 score-line. They lost every period, 24-18, 22-16, 27-23 and 22-15. Ogilvy had 15PTS, Blanchfield 12, Boone 10 and Coenraad 8. Of the bench, Froling had 9 and both Dech and Grida had 6PTS each. Ogilvy shot 50% from beyond the arc, as he also had 4REB, 7AST, 2STL and 1BL. Blanchfield hit all 3 of his FT’s, as he got 2REB, 2AST and 1STL. Boone got his points + 6REB +2AST, in only just over 22.5 minutes of playing time.
Key Player- Tate. The underdog MVP candidate has been making various NBL teams his own personal victims all season. Why can’t he do the same to the stumbling and bumbling Hawks? His offensive game will be huge as the Kings will likely claim a big win over the NBL’s last-placed team. On the season he has averages of 16.3PPG, 2.1APG and 1.1SPG. What can’t he do?! Against the Hawks last he had 17PTS, 6REB and 2AST. And he’s been damn well effective as well. His last six games have seen him shoot 7/12, 10/13, 8/11, 8/13, 6/9 and 7/12 from the floor! In his sides final regular season game, he is primed for a performance that will be anything but regular.
Betting tip: Pick Sydney to win at $1.10 (SportsBet)
Saturday, February 15
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Brisbane Bullets v Cairns TaipansNissan Arena 5:30pm AEDT |
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Last RD- Whether Brisbane make the finals now or not is totally out of their hands. They are currently in 5th position on the NBL ladder with a 14-13 record. They are behind the 4th placed Breakers on percentage. And they are ahead of United by one win. This Queensland Derby is gonna be HUGEEE!!! The Bullets needed a win, but they couldn’t deliver as they lost in Perth to Perth, via a 85-72 score-line. The only quarter they didn’t lose was the 2nd, which ended 20-20. Every other one ended 21-19, 19-16 and 25-17 in the Wildcats favor. Patterson posted 25PTS, while both Sobey and Hodgson had 11 each. Cadee also had 8PTS of the pine. Patterson made a pair of 3’s, as he also had 11REB and 3AST. Sobey went 0/2 from deep, as he had just 2REB and 1AST next to his name, in a performance I’m sure he wouldn’t have been all that happy with! Hodgson shot a neat 5/6 from the floor, as he also had 6REB and 1STL. Cadee went 50% from 2-point range, as he also had 4REB, 1AST and 1STL. At the end of the day, the way the Bullets performed simply wasn’t good enough. And that will more then likely be the game that ended their season, as Cotton and Kay lit them up for a combined 48PTS!!!
They’ve done it! They’ve done it! They’ve done i! Last round Cairns officially booked their foray into the post-season, highlighting what a truly awesome season they have had thus far. Positioned in 3rd on the ladder, they currently have 16 wins and just 10 losses through 26 games played. Playing Adelaide in Adelaide last round, they embarrassed them on their home-court, as they won 99-80. They won every quarter, with the scores being, 27-20, 30-25, 17-16 and 25-19. Oliver had 31PTS, Newbill 17 and both Machado and Deng, 12 each. Of the pine, Both Jawai and Kenny had 7PTS a piece and Krslovic 5. Oliver shot an outstanding 61.9% from the floor, as he also had 11REB, 3AST, 1STL and 2BL. Newbill hit 6/9 2’s, as he also got 3REB, 4AST and 3STL. Machado shot 5/5 from the line, as he had 7REB, 6AST and 2STL. Deng made 5/8 shots, as he got 10REB, 3AST and 1STL.
Key Player- Oliver. He is primed to kill Brisbane in all areas next game. He has season averages of 17.PPG, 9.2RPG and 1.7BPG. Patterson is the only star-man for Brisbane that seems to be able to step up regularly for Brisbane. Oliver is just one of several for Cairns. He will really take advantage of that and look to push the Bullets to their absolute limits. His last game saw him have 31PTS and 11REB, Before that he shot 6/12 from the floor en route to 17PTS. He also had 5REB and 4BL among other stats! He’s an efficient, star, big-man. And he knows just what he’s gotta to to eliminate their rivals from finals contention!
Betting tip: Pick Brisbane to win at $1.68 (Bet365)
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Perth Wildcats v Adelaide 36ersRAC Arena |
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Last RD- The Wildcats currently sit in 2nd on the ladder, as one of Australia’s most successful sporting franchises gears up for yet another shot in the post-season. They have 18 victories and 9 defeats through 27 games. They beat Brisbane at home last round, as they put a massive dent in their finals aspirations, via a 85-72 score-line. The only period which Perth didn’t win was Q2 and that ended in a 20-20 draw. All the others they won, 21-19, 19-16 and 25-17. Cotton had 25PTS and Kay had 23. Steindl had 14PTS, Wagstaff 7 and Plumlee 6. Cotton hit a simply mad 14/14 FT’s, as he also had 6REB, 5AST, 1STL and 1BL. Kay hit a perfect 3/3 from beyond the arc, as he also had 8REB, 5AST, 1STL and 1BL. Steindl hit 4 from deep, as he had 3REB and 1STL next to his name. Wagstaff had 7REB and 3AST, in addition to his points-total. Plumlee did a bit of everything else to make up for his distinct lack of points, as he also had 7REB, 1AST, 3STL and 1BL. White shot just 2/14 from the floor and 0/8 from 3! OUCH!
This match represents nothing more then a pride one for Adelaide, who can no longer mathematically qualify for the finals. And according to various reports, it could also be the final game in charge for long-time serving head-coach Joey Wright. He turned the 36ers into a Basketball powerhouse back in the day. So if the reports are true, then thankyou for everything you have done for Adelaide and the NBL in general. And best of luck in whatever your future may hold. On the season, the 36ers have 12 victories and 15 defeats. Their latest game was a blow-out loss at home, where they lost to Cairns, 99-80. They lost every quarter, 27-20, 30-25, 17-16 and 25-19. Johnson had 14PTS and Randle 9. Of the pine, McVeigh had 13, Griffin 11 and Froling 9PTS. McVeigh made 4/8 shots, as he also had 2REB, 2AST, 1STL and 1BL. Griffin had 9REB and 2BL, as he sot 50% from inside the arc. Froling had 5REB and 1STL, as he made 3/6 2’s. Johnson also had 8REB and 5AST. Whilst ‘Handles’ got 6REB and 5AST.
Key Player- White. 2/14 Last game and 0/8 from deep. Those are some pretty clunky numbers. But on the season he is averaging 15.5PPG, while shooting 45.1% from 2 and 34.2% from 3. He is primed for a rebound game, no doubt. The game before that against the 1st placed Kings, he shot 6/15 and made 3 3’s. Two games before that he was 5/10 and then 6/12. He’s got it in him, but he just needs to let it all come out. And who better to do that then against a defensively struggling side, one who are only playing for pride and conceded 99 points last game? The 36ers will be his victims. To top all of that of, it was only four games ago he scored 15 vs the PNX and then 17 vs ILL. Maybe he should send out his apology notes in advance to Adelaide and their fan-base?
Betting tip: Pick Perth to win at $1.14 (BlueBet, UniBet)
Sunday, February 16
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S.E. Melbourne Phoenix v Melbourne UnitedMelbourne Arena |
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Last RD- The Phoenix are just playing for pride in this game, as they are currently 2nd last and 8th on the NBL ladder. They are only ahead of the Hawks, which doesn’t exactly bode well for them! They have just 9 wins and 17 losses next to their name. They weren’t quite clutch enough last round as they fell to the Kings in Melbourne, 99-96. Q1 ended 28-20 in the Kings favor. Q2 S.E.M won, 21-15. They also won the next one as well, 21-19. The 4th ended in a 27-27 draw. And overtime saw the Kings slightly prevail, 10 points to 7. Roberson posted 19PTS, Creek had 14 and Madgen 12. Of the bench, Adnam had 19PTS, Wesley 13 and Gibson 10. Adnam also had 2REB, 2AST and 2STL. Wesley also had 3REB, 4AST and 2BL. Gibson also had 2REB and 1AST next to his name. Roberson made 5 3’s, as he also had 4REB and 6AST. Creek hit 6 2’s, as he also had 8REB and 1STL. For Madgen his other stats were, 7REB, 2AST and 3STL, as he shot 4/4 from the line.
If they lose, they’re out, that’s the predicament that Melbourne face in this game. As of currently, they are 6th on the NBL ladder. They possess a 13-13 record through the first 26 games of the season. They are a win behind each of Brisbane and 4th placed New Zealand. Here we go! In their latest outing they came up huge at home, as they smashed the Hawks 95-72. They won every single quarter. The scores were 24-18, 22-16, 27-23 and 22-15. Goulding led the way with 20PTS, while Long had 13. Both Barlow and McCarron had 11PTS each. Of the bench, Trimble posted 13PTS, Smith-Milner 10 and Kidd 8. Goulding hit 6 3’s, as he also had 5REB and 4AST. Long had 9REB, 1AST and 1BL, as he hit 5/5 FT’s. Barlow also got 2REB, 2AST and 1STL. McCarron also had 4REB and 1AST next to his name. Melo hit 4/6 2’s, as he also had 2REB, 9AST and 3STL. Smith-Milner also got 4REB, 3AST and 1STL. Kidd got 10REB, 1STL and 1BL.
Key Player- Long. S.E.M aren’t exactly known for their defence. And this is where Melbourne’s marquee man needs to step up the most and make them regret that. He needs to be at his terrorizing best to give Melbourne a chance of NBL finals Basketball. On the season he’s averaging 18.4PPG, 9.3RPG, 1.0SPG and 1.2BPG. His inside-post game will be especially critical to giving United a chance of winning this one. Last game he got 13 and 9. before that it was 15 and 9, 10 and 8 and 13 and 6. He’s consistently strong every game. And there’s rarely an off-night for him. His defensive ability will also be close down the stretch. In what should be a closely contested affair, he could well prove to be the difference between a win or a loss and finals Basketball or no finals Basketball for United!
Betting tip: Pick Melbourne to win at $1.40 (Bet365)
Best Bet of the Round
Pick Perth to win at $1.14 (BlueBet, UniBet) vs Adelaide
Also pick Melbourne to win at $1.40 (Bet365) vs S.E.M