NBL Round 9 will see eight games played, with action spanning from Thursday night through to Monday night. As always, we’re providing our analysis and best bets for every game of the round, which you can find right here!
Also, make sure to check our NBL tips page where you’ll find our best bets for every game of the 2022-23 NBL season!
NBL Round 9 Preview & Betting Tips
New Zealand Breakers vs S.E. Melbourne Phoenix
Thursday 5:30pm AEDT, Christchurch Arena
*Click here for our full preview and betting tips for this game*
Brisbane Bullets vs Perth Wildcats
Thursday 7:30pm AET, Nissan Arena
Life after James Duncan didn’t exactly get off to a good start last weekend for the Bullets. Not only were they beaten by a whopping 37 points by the Breakers, but they also gave up a season-high 116 points in the process. The Bullets have issues all over the court at the moment, whether it be constant injury niggles to Aron Baynes and Nathan Sobey, or just the lack of scoring power on the wings and in the paint. Tyler Johnson has also underperformed as their star import and will need to start firing sooner rather than later or the Bullets playoff chances will be erased.
The Wildcats certainly haven’t set the world on fire with their play this season and enter Round 9 having lost six of their last eight games. However, there have been signs of them getting closer to some of their better basketball that made them perennial contenders in seasons gone by. Even so, the Wildcats don’t have to be world beaters to defeat this current version of the Bullets and I’m confident they can get the job done on Thursday night.
Perth Wildcats -1.5
$1.85 (2.5 Units)
Adelaide 36ers vs Cairns Taipans
Friday 7:30pm AEDT, Adelaide Entertainment Centre
*Click here for our full preview and betting tips for this game*
New Zealand Breakers vs Perth Wildcats
Saturday 5:30pm AEDT, Spark Arena
The Breakers are absolutely loving being back in front of their home fans this season and put on another terrific display in their Round 9 opener. They demolished the Phoenix by 26 points in what was their third straight win by double-figures. On the other hand, the Wildcats lost a brutal one against the Bullets in their first game of the round, going down in overtime despite having plenty of chances to win in regulation. The Wildcats have now lost two in a row and seven of their last nine games.
The Wildcats are lacking an identity on offence under new coach John Rillie, and they’ll need to turn their form around before their season is lost. Unfortunately, they now come up against the hottest team in the competition.
Simply put, the Breakers are airborne at the moment and should be winning this very easily on current form.
New Zealand Breakers -5.5
$1.90 (2 Units)
S.E. Melbourne Phoenix vs Melbourne United
Saturday 8pm AEDT, John Cain Arena
Can the real Phoenix please stand up? I can’t remember the last time a team in the NBL has had this big of a gap between their best and worst performances. After back-to-back wins by huge margins against United and the Hawks, the Phoenix were completely destroyed from start to finish by the Breakers last start. They gave up a whopping 110 points in that loss, including 63 in the first half, which is almost unheard of in 10-minute quarters.
Meanwhile, United haven’t been very consistent themselves. They’ve strung back-to-back wins together only once so far this campaign and look destined to miss the playoffs. They’re playing probably the worst basketball I’ve seen from them since they transitioned from the Melbourne Tigers to Melbourne United.
The Phoenix are by far the more talented team in the Throwdown and should be winning this game. However, their extreme mood swings mean this is a low bet game for me.
S.E. Melbourne Phoenix -4.5
$1.90 (0.5 Units)
Sydney Kings vs Adelaide 36ers
Sunday 2pm AEDT, Qudos Bank Arena
The 36ers were brave in a huge comeback win over the Taipans in their opening Round 9 game. They could barely throw the ball into the ocean in the first half but were good enough defensively to hand around and bide their time. The 36ers have now won two in a row and four of their past six since parting way with Craig Randall.
In contrast, the Kings gave up a good lead against the Snakes in their most recent outing. They were seemingly on their way to fifth straight win before Xavier Cooks was fouled out during the fourth quarter, which would be the moment where the pendulum swung.
The Kings have clearly been the better and more consistent team this season, but the 36ers are building momentum and already have one win over the Kings at Qudos Bank Arena this season. I expect them to put in a good fight and cover the big spread at the least.
Adelaide 36ers +6.5
$1.95 (2 Units)
Brisbane Bullets vs Tasmania JackJumpers
Sunday 4pm AEDT, Nissan Arena
The Bullets were lucky to escape Nissan Arena with a win over the Wildcats in their opening game of Round 9 which required overtime. Aron Baynes missed once again through injury and Tyrell Harrison was also unavailable, which left the Bullets undersized at the rim. Thankfully, the Wildcats didn’t have the presence inside capable of hurting them.
Meanwhile, the JackJumpers will be playing their first game of the weekend, so they’ll be nice and fresh for Sunday’s game. Their last outing was a 94-90 comeback win over United which snapped a mini two-game losing streak. The JackJumpers have been unlucky in a lot of close games this season but should have the advantage on their side against the undermanned Bullets on this occasion. I expect them to be too good and am happy to risk a couple of units here.
Tasmania JackJumpers H2H
$1.80 (2.5 Units)
Illawarra Hawks vs Melbourne United
Monday 7:30pm AEDT, WIN Entertainment Centre
Two of the league’s worst teams will go head-to-head in the final game of Round 9. The Hawks have been stuck on one win since Round 2, while United are riding a four-game losing streak. As a result, they enter this clash sitting in last and third last spot in the standings, respectively.
These clubs met back in Round 5 in a game that required overtime to determine a winner. United came out on top on the road via a 106-100 score line thanks to an XRM master class. He poured in 32 points against his old side, while Isaac Humphries was a beast in the paint with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Sam Froling was the best for the Hawks with a season-high 27 points and 15 rebounds.
Both teams will see this as their best chance to snap their losing streaks for quite some time, which should make for decent viewing on your Monday night. At this point in time, United have slightly more upside and I’ll be taking them to win for a very small wager, such is my confidence in them at the moment.
Melbourne United H2H
$1.77 (0.5 Units)
