Round 7 of the NBL25 season begins on Thursday night with United vs Kings getting us underway. That’s the first of eight games for Round 7, with action spanning across five days (Thursday-Monday). Last round we hit on 4/8 of our plays for -0.65U, taking us to 29-18 and +6.48U for the season. We bring you our best bet for all Round 7 games below!
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NBL25 Round 7 Preview & Betting Tips
Melbourne United vs Sydney Kings
Thursday 7:30pm AEDT, John Cain Arena
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Tasmania JackJumpers vs South East Melbourne Phoenix
Friday 7:30pm AEDT, Silverdome
The JackJumpers managed to snap their three-game losing streak with an eight-point win against the Bullets in Round 6. They got off to a terrific start, particularly on the defensive end where they kept the Bullets to only nine points in the first quarter. The JackJumpers also recorded their highest score of the season with 87 points, and now have three wins to their name to go along with five losses.
The Phoenix couldn’t make it three from three under interim coach Sam Mackinnon, as they fell by six points at home to the Hawks despite remaining a constant threat throughout. New head coach Josh King will take the reins this weekend and will look to build on the momentum Mackinnon started. On the injury front, Derrick Walton Jr. will miss again with injury, and Owen Foxwell is also battling illness.
At home and up against a Walton-less Phoenix, this is the perfect opportunity for the JackJumpers to record consecutive wins for the first time this season. They have a positive 2-1 record in home games this season and I expect them to be improving on that here.
JackJumpers -3.5
$1.86 (2.5 Units)
Perth Wildcats vs Illawarra Hawks
Friday 9:30pm AEDT, RAC Arena
Despite being without superstar Bryce Cotton in Round 6, the Wildcats managed to come away with an important three-point win at home against the highly-fancied Kings. Keanu Pinder stepped up in a huge way with 34 points in what was easily his best game of the young season. The Wildcats now have a 3-4 record and will be without Cotton for both Round 7 games, so their ‘other guys’ will need to but in another big shift.
The Hawks had their wings clipped by a determined United outfit in their opening game of Round 6 as they suffered a five-point defeat. However, they managed to bounce back with a gritty six-point road win against the Phoenix to take them to six wins and three losses for the season. Trey Kell suffered a back injury against United and missed against the Phoenix, and he’ll be out of action again this weekend.
Both clubs are missing arguably their best player here, but it’s the Hawks who clearly have the better depth to cover. On top of that, they’ve been dominant against the Wildcats in recent meetings, defeating them three straight times by at least 16 points. I have them winning again here.
Hawks -2.5
$1.95 (1.5 Units)
New Zealand Breakers vs Adelaide 36ers
Saturday 5:30pm AEDT, Spark Arena
The Breakers recorded their best win of the season last outing when they took down the Kings by four points on enemy soil. It was a necessary bounce back performance for the Breakers after a very poor loss at home against the Phoenix the game prior, where they could put only 62 points on the board. The Breakers continue to battle through injuries and will be playing deep into their roster again on Saturday night.
The 36ers have become most people’s second favourite team this season, with a lot of the reasoning being the acquisition of Montrezl Harrell. He was absolutely enormous last game against the Taipans where he had 36 points, 16 rebounds, and five blocks. That win was their fifth from their past six games since starting the year 0-2.
The Breakers were great last start but now face who I believe to be the most in-form team in the competition in the 36ers. They’re currently firing on all cylinders and despite being the visiting team, I’m fully expecting them to come away with the chocolates.
36ers -2.5
$1.91 (2 Units)
Cairns Taipans vs Brisbane Bullets
Saturday 8:00pm AEDT, Cairns Convention Centre
The Snakes injury woes continued last week with import Pedro Bradshaw hurting his ankle and is now set to miss at least a month. Bradshaw joins key players Taran Armstrong and Tanner Groves on the sidelines. Due to their growing injury list, the Snakes were obliterated on the road against United last start, going down by a whopping 43 points. They’ve now lost five straight games since their 3-1 start.
The Bullets have had a difficult start their campaign and enter Round 7 with a 2-4 record. They had their mini two-game win streak snapped by the JackJumpers last start after digging themselves a huge hole early. Slow starts have plagued the Bullets all campaign, although they’ve shown the ability to get themselves back into games which is a positive sign.
I’m not a huge believer in this Bullets group but I do fancy them against the wounded Snakes on Saturday night. It might not be the prettiest game to tune into, but it’s one where the Bullets should be able to deliver us a winner.
Bullets -3.5
$1.90 (2.5 Units)
South East Melbourne Phoenix vs Perth Wildcats
Sunday 2:30pm AEDT, John Cain Arena
The Phoenix played under new head coach Josh King for the first time on Friday night and managed to come away with a narrow two-point win against the JackJumpers. Matt Hurt continued his stellar campaign with 24 points and six rebounds, guiding his side to their third win from four games. The Phoenix are now off the bottom of the ladder and sit in eighth with their 3-6 record.
The Wildcats were without Bryce Cotton once again on Friday night but it mattered little as they took down the Hawks by eight points in an absolute shootout. The Wildcats were scorching hot all night from the three-point line, led by Ben Henshall who finished with 26 points and six assists. The Wildcats have also now won three of their last four games after a tough start to the season.
Both clubs enter this matchup in good form which should make for an entertaining watch. Both will also continue to be without their star guard, with the Phoenix missing Walton and the Wildcats without Cotton. The Wildcats have dominated this matchup in recent encounters, but the Phoenix are a lot better equipped to reverse current trends on this occasion. I loved the intensity on defence that they played with under King on Friday night, and if they can replicate that again here, then I see them coming away with another win.
Phoenix to Win
$1.86 (1.5 Units)
Sydney Kings vs Tasmania JackJumpers
Sunday 4:30pm AEDT, Qudos Bank Arena
The Kings enter their final game of Round 7 in a bit of a hole after three straight losses. They were unable to come away with the win on the road against United on Thursday night despite a solid effort. In positive news, Jaylen Adams returned from his back injury and was highly effective off the bench with 13 points and seven assists. Cam Oliver also had a big bounce back game with 18 points and 16 rebounds.
The JackJumpers are also in a rut right now after four losses from their past five games. They missed out on a fantastic opportunity to record consecutive wins for the first time this season when they fell at home to the Phoenix on Friday night. The defending champions are now sporting a 3-6 record and that has them sitting second last in the standings.
Both clubs are struggling for form at the moment so it’s surprising to see the Kings priced as the overwhelming favourites, even if they have home court advantage. Yes, the Jackies have been poor this season but rarely do they get blown out for a double-digit defeat. I like them to cover the big spread here.
JackJumpers +8.5
$1.86 (1 Unit)
Melbourne United vs New Zealand Breakers
Monday 7:30pm AEDT, John Cain Arena
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