We went 5-2 in our best bets for NBL Round 3 to continue our terrific start to the season. We now shift our focus to the next week of action, where we have a 6-game slate with plenty of exciting match-ups set to play out. Here’s our NBL Round 4 preview and betting tips.
NBL Round 4 Betting Tips
Brisbane Bullets vs Adelaide 36ers (Thursday, 7:50pm AEDT)
Round 4 of the 2018-19 season kicks off in Queensland with the Brisbane Bullets hosting the Adelaide 36ers. Like many teams, the Bullets had a lot of roster turnover in the off-season and the new squad is still in the midst of gelling as a team. However, we’ve seen enough from them to know that they have some real quality on their roster and will be one of the teams fighting it out for a finals spot come the end the of the season. On the other hand, the 36ers have already shown that at their best they can devastate teams just as much as they have in recent seasons and are going to be genuine contenders once again.
In our view, anything over $2.20 for the Bullets to win this one is genuine value. They showed last round that they’re a force to be reckoned with on their home deck as they proved too good for the then undefeated Wildcats. Bullets at the line is a safer option, but we’re keen on a play on the money line at such tasty odds.
Sydney Kings vs Illawarra Hawks (Friday, 7:50pm AEDT)
This weekend’s Friday night fixture features the in-form Sydney Kings hosting the Illawarra Hawks. The Kings had a rough start to their 2018-19 campaign losing their first two games, but have since come on strong to win their last two in impressive fashion. Meanwhile, the Hawks are coming off a road loss to Melbourne United, which takes their season win-loss record to 2-3.
It’s hard to see this game going in any other direction other than a dominant victory for the Kings. It was always going to take a couple of games for their big guns to gel, but if their last couple of performances are anything to go by then they should be far too strong for Illawarra on Friday night. We have the Kings winning this one comfortably.
Kings at the line (-5.5)
$1.90
Perth Wildcats vs New Zealand Breakers (Saturday, 3pm AEDT)
Saturday’s two-game slate kicks off in Western Australia with the red-hot Perth Wildcats looking to take down the travelling New Zealand Breakers. The Wildcats unbeaten run came to a close in the opening game of Round 3 where they fell to the Bullets on the road, although they were able to bounce back just a couple of days later to defeat the defending champions and take their season tally to 4-1. On the other hand, the Breakers were able to put in a really strong offensive performance at home against the 36ers on the weekend and will be looking to keep the momentum rolling.
It’s hard to see the Breakers defeating the Wildcats at home this weekend when looking at both teams early season form, however, we do have them being competitive and at least making the Wildcats earn the victory. We like the value of a 1-10 Wildcats win in this one.
Wildcats win by 1-10 points
$2.90
Cairns Taipans vs Melbourne United (Saturday, 7:50pm AEDT)
Saturday night’s match-up has the Cairns Taipans hosting the defending champions, Melbourne United in what promises to be a ripper. The Taipans have found wins hard to come by in the early part of their campaign and currently sit on the bottom of the ladder with a 1-3 record. Meanwhile, United have found themselves in more close and taxing battles than they’d like on their way to a 3-2 start.
With United stars Josh Boone and Chris Goulding both under injury clouds heading into this weekend, we give the Taipans every chance of winning this game. The Taipans don’t get many Saturday night home fixtures and will be absolutely pumped, whereas we feel that United may very well have one eye on their Monday night battle against the Kings. Very happy to take anything above $2 for the Taipans here.
Adelaide 36ers vs Brisbane Bullets (Sunday, 2:50pm AEDT)
Sunday’s lone game will see the Adelaide 36ers match it up against the Brisbane Bullets in the reverse fixture of Friday night. This one is a bit of a harder game to get a read on as a lot will depend on how these two teams play each other in the two days prior.
If you’re looking to make a play on the money line, then we still see Bullets as value, however, our focus will be on the total points for this one. These two teams arguably play the fastest of any teams in the competition, which will surely lead to a very high scoring affair. Don’t be surprised to see one of these teams eclipse 100 points here.
Total points over 182.5
$1.90
Melbourne United vs Sydney Kings (Monday, 7:50pm AEDT)
The final game of Round 4 will take place on Monday night with Melbourne United doing battle with the Sydney Kings in what is the most highly anticipated regular season game in recent memory. Both teams will be playing their second game of the round, which means fatigue is no excuse, although you could argue that United’s injuries woes leave them a little thin compared to their rivals.
This is one of the harder games of the rounds to predict with both teams boasting a number of star players on their roster. However, the fact that Sydney have less injury concerns and have a tiny bit more recovery from the earlier game in the round has us leaning towards them here. A play on their + line seems the safe and smart option.
Kings at the line (+3.5)
$1.90
