The 2023-24 NBL season is finally here! There are seven games scheduled for play in Round 1 with action getting underway on Thursday night with Throwdown XXI. Double-headers will follow on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and there are plenty of exciting matchups among them. We bring you our best bets for all seven Round 1 games below!
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 1 Preview & Betting Tips
Melbourne United vs SE Melbourne Phoenix
Thursday 7:30pm AEST, September 28th, John Cain Arena
Click here for our full game preview and best bet!
Brisbane Bullets Vs Adelaide 36ers
Friday 7:30pm AEST, September 29th, Nissan Arena
The season is yet to begin for both of these teams but Adelaide 36ers already have some problems they need to solve. Just this week they’ve decided to part ways with import Jamaal Franklin and with no replacement yet to be named, they’ll begin the season at a disadvantage. The 36ers were embarrassing in the NBL Blitz, losing all three of their games including two of them by 25+ points. As a result, Next Star Trentyn Flowers, who was expected to run the point this season, has reportedly been moved to a wing position, with veteran Mitch McCarron taking over the ball handing and facilitating duties. Luckily, the 36ers will face a Bullets outfit in their first game that aren’t expected to be world beaters this season. The Bullets will be relying on veterans Aron Baynes and Nathan Sobey to improve on disappointing NBL23 campaigns to shoot back up the standings, although the signing of former Taipans guard Shannon Scott should also help their cause. All things considered, the Bullets are the deserving favourites in their home opener and it would be quite the surprise if they’re to fall short against the 36ers. They should be winning this and covering the small spread without too many issues.
Brisbane Bullets -5
$1.90 (2 Units)
Perth Wildcats vs Tasmania JackJumpers
Friday 9:30pm AEST, September 29th, RAC Arena
Click here for our full game preview and best bet!
New Zealand Breakers vs Cairns Taipans
Saturday 5:30pm AEST, September 30th, Spark Arena
The New Zealand Breakers will be looking to go one better in NBL24 after finishing as the runner-up last season. However, they’ll have to do it with an almost entirely different looking roster after shaking things up in a big way in the offseason. Importantly, Will McDowell-White returns and he’ll be crucial to their success this season. Meanwhile, the Cairns Taipans are coming off a third-place finish in NBL23 and they too have shaken up their roster. Unfortunately, their two best players from a season ago in Keanu Pinder and DJ Hogg joined the Wildcats and the Kings (respectively) in the offseason, and the Snakes haven’t quite been able to get the talent in to fill the void. As the odds suggest, the Breakers are clearly the more talented team in this matchup and their chances of winning are only improved by being on their home court. I have high hopes for the Breakers this season and expect them to get the job done comfortably on Saturday night.
NZ Breakers -5.5
$1.85 (2 Units)
Illawarra Hawks vs Sydney Kings
Saturday 8pm AEST, September 30th, WIN Entertainment Centre
Click here for our full game preview and best bet!
Adelaide 36ers vs Melbourne United
Sunday 2pm AEST, October 1st, Adelaide Entertainment Centre
Both the Adelaide 36ers and Melbourne United already have one game under their belt in NBL24, but their first games went in different directions. The 36ers got off to a hot start but ultimately fell to the Bullets by a comfortable margin, while United ended up making easy work of the talented Phoenix in Throwdown XXI. Looking ahead to Sunday’s matchup and United are heavily favoured to get the job done despite being the travelling side. However, from what we saw from the unstable 36ers on opening night, the current odds are justified. In fact, I expected the line to be even bigger and can see the seemingly far superior United outfit securing a win by a double-figure margin.
Melbourne United -8.5
$1.90 (1.5 Units)
SE Melbourne Phoenix vs Perth Wildcats
Sunday 4pm AEST, October 1st, John Cain Arena
Closing out the round is a clash between the Phoenix and the Wildcats who are both playing their second game of the season. The Phoenix got their NBL24 campaign off to a poor start when falling to United in the Throwdown. However, point guard Gary Browne missed the clash and will be returning on Sunday which is a massive boost to their chances. Meanwhile, the Wildcats took care of home court on Friday night in an entertaining clash with the JackJumpers. Bryce Cotton, Keanu Pinder, and Jordan Usher all had great games and will be a tough trio to contain this season. The Wildcats will start Sunday’s battle as the slight favourites and that makes sense considering their far better display in the opening game. Despite being the road team, I’m expecting them to come out on top in a close one.
Perth Wildcats to Win
$1.80 (1 Unit)
