Round 2 in the exciting new NBL25 season is a busy one with seven games scheduled across four days (Thursday – Sunday). We hit the ground running in week 1 when nailing 5/7 of our tips to finish +1.62 units. Let’s see how we fare this weekend as we bring you our best bets for each Round 2 clash!
Also, we’re providing previews and expert betting tips for every game of the NBL25 season, so make sure to head over to our NBL Tips page regularly to keep up to date with all of our content.
NBL25 Round 2 Preview & Betting Tips
SE Melbourne Phoenix vs Melbourne United
Thursday 7:30pm AEST, September 26th, John Cain Arena
Click here for our full game preview and best bet!
Illawarra Hawks vs Brisbane Bullets
Friday 7:30pm AEST, September 27th, WIN Entertainment Centre
It was a terrific start to the season for Justin Tatum and his Illawarra Hawks who utterly destroyed the Snakes in all facets of their opening round clash. They won all four quarters in Perth and their new additions fitted in seamlessly, led by Darius Days who had a juicy double-double. Lachie Olbrich franked his hot preseason form with an impressive double-double off the bench, and all 12 guys that suited up saw at least some court time.
Elsewhere, the Bullets looked on track to copping a hiding in their opening game against the Breakers before almost pulling off one of the greatest heists in NBL history. It wasn’t to be however, as the Bullets fell to the Breakers by four points. Keandre Cook was a man on fire with 25 points, while unfortunately Next Star Rocco Zikarsky saw just seven minutes of game time due to being continually exploited for his subpar pick-and-roll defence in the first half.
The Bullets showed some great fight last start but I think the Hawks are just a different beast. They look like a team on a mission in NBL25 and I love how their roster has been constructed. And in their first game at the Sandpit this season, I expect the Hawks to put on a show in front of their fans.
Illawarra Hawks -4.5
$1.80 (2 Units)
Perth Wildcats vs Sydney Kings
Friday 9:30pm AEST, September 27th, RAC Arena
Click here for our full game preview and best bet!
Cairns Taipans vs Adelaide 36ers
Saturday 5:30pm AEST, September 28th, Cairns Convention Centre
The Taipans entered the season as the wooden spoon favourites and that certainly looks accurate after their dismal display in their season opener. The Snakes were belted by the Hawks to the tune of 27 points and lost all four quarters by 3+ points. Rob Edwards was letting it fly and finished with 17 points despite shooting 0-8 from inside the arc, and Tanner Groves was his team’s best with 19 points. Taran Armstrong will remain sidelined with injury for at least another week.
The 36ers fought hard but were outclassed by the Kings in their first game of NBL25. Chasing tail for almost the entirety of the game, the 36ers never gave up as they came up eight points short. Montrezl Harrell was fantastic off the bench in his NBL debut, while Lat Mayen and DJ Vasiljevic both shot the ball extremely well. Import guard Kendric Davis struggled but still had his moments.
It's no surprise to see the 36ers listed as the clear favourites in this game on the back of Round 1. They have far more talent to work with and I expect them to be winning. Another play I like is Rob Edwards in the points markets as he looks to be the number 1 option on offence and he remains solid value for 15+ and 20+ points.
Also Backing:
Rob Edwards 15+ Points $1.62 (1 Unit) & 20+ Points $3.20 (0.5 Units)
36ers -5.5
$1.82 (1.5 Units)
Tasmania JackJumpers vs Melbourne United
Saturday 8:00pm AEST, September 28th, MyState Bank Arena
The JackJumpers were unable to get their championship defence off to a positive start as they fell to United in their opening game of NBL25. Still, they showed their fighting spirit throughout that contest and have the personnel to compete for the ultimate glory again this season. There’s also plenty of improvement to come from Jordon Crawford who couldn’t throw it into the ocean first up as he finished 5-16 from the field.
It's been a strong start to the season for Melbourne United who have won both of their games to date. Of course, they defeated the JackJumpers first up before backing it up against the Phoenix in the Throwdown on Thursday night. Veteran Matthew Dellavedova has been great in both games as he shows no signs of slowing down.
The JackJumpers have had a full nine days to prepare for this rematch and will also have the home support on their side this time around. In contrast, this is the second game in three days for United and their older bodies may feel the pinch a bit as a result. With those factors considered, getting even money for the champs is solid value here.
JackJumpers to Win
$2.00 (1 Unit)
Sydney Kings vs Illawarra Hawks
Sunday 2:30pm AEST, September 29th, Qudos Bank Arena
The Kings have made an excellent start to the season and look every bit the championship favourites they were touted as in the preseason. They’ve secured wins against the 36ers and the Wildcats, both in Perth, and will travel back to QBA full of confidence. Jaylen Adams has made a sublime start to the season and has been their best player in each outing.
Similarly, the Hawks have begun NBL25 in fine fashion and look as though they’ll be contending when the whips are cracking. They have won both of their games to date by comfortable margins and have cracked the ton in both outings. Darius Days has made a bright start to his time in the ‘Gong and Lachie Olbrich is making a serious impact off the bench.
The Kings are the heavy favourites in this Freeway Series matchup but I’m not a fan of the odds here. The Hawks have been a touch disrespected and I’d have them as almost an even money shot. I think we could be in for an upset in this one, but will play it safer and take them to cover the spread.
Illawarra Hawks +6.5
$1.80 (1.5 Units)
New Zealand Breakers vs SE Melbourne Phoenix
Sunday 4:30pm AEST, September 29th, Spark Arena
The final game of Round 2 is a tough one to have any confidence in betting on as we’ve only seen one game from the new-look Breakers, while the Phoenix have had plenty of roster turnover themselves.
The Breakers were great in the first three quarters against the Bullets before crawling over the finish line, and the Phoenix have lost both of their games despite battling hard on each occasion.
Like previously mentioned, this is a tricky betting game and one in which I would advise to avoid. However, the Breakers are at home and have been notoriously tough to beat there, so there’s a decent chance this new Phoenix side have some issues which the Breakers can take advantage of.
Breakers to Win
$1.67 (0.5 Units)
