Round 8 of the NBL25 season begins on Thursday night with a special double-header for fans and punters to sink their teeth into. Following that will be a single-game slate on Friday night, while we get double-headers on both Saturday and Sunday. As always, we bring you our best bets for all of this weekend’s NBL action below!
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NBL25 Round 8 Preview & Betting Tips
Brisbane Bullets vs Melbourne United
Thursday 7:30pm AEDT, Brisbane Entertainment Centre
The Bullets secured an important road win against the Taipans in Round 7 to stay in touch with the top six. They had to overcome a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter and managed to do just that en route to a four-point win. The Bullets have now won three of their past four games since starting the season 0-3, although they lost their most recent home game to the ninth-placed JackJumpers. In injury news, Deng Adel is a chance to return for Round 8 after battling with illness.
United had mixed results in Round 7 where they began with a strong home win against the Kings, before getting thoroughly outworked and outplayed by the Breakers on Monday night. Their recent loss snapped a three-game win streak and saw them fall down to third spot in the standings. United have now suffered four defeats in NBL25 and interestingly, each of them have been by at least nine points. This tells us that when they aren’t totally locked in on both ends of the floor, then they’re clearly vulnerable to any opposition.
Regardless of their recent effort against the Breakers, United are the deserving favourites in this matchup with the Bullets. They have a significant talent advantage and also won’t mind being the away team considering they’re 3-1 on the road this season. United have bounced back with a win after every loss so far this campaign, and I expect them to do it again here.
Melbourne United -4.5
$1.82 (2.5 Units)
Perth Wildcats vs Tasmania JackJumpers
Thursday 9:30pm AEDT, RAC Arena
The Wildcats had a mixed bag in Round 7, beginning with a fantastic home win against the Hawks before faltering on the road against the new-look Phoenix. Still, the Wildcats have managed to win two of their three games without Bryce Cotton, and the superstar is set to miss again this weekend but is eyeing off a return in Round 9. The good news is the likes of Ben Henshall and Elijah Pepper have shown they’re more than capable of carrying a bigger load on offence, while there’s still upside in Keanu Pinder and Kristian Doolittle who both haven’t been at their best recently.
The JackJumpers have been by far the biggest disappointment to date in NBL25, securing only three wins from 10 games which has them just % above last spot in the standings. It’s been a significant drop-off across the board for the reigning champions, particularly on offence where they’re averaging just 76.6ppg, which is a whopping eight points less than the next worst team. On the injury front, Sean McDonald is still at least a month away from a return, while Will Magnay should be back after missing last game.
The JackJumpers have an excellent record against the Wildcats in recent times, winning each of their past three meetings. However, the current trajectory they’re on has them starting as the big underdogs on this occasion and rightly so. I’ve been waiting for the wheel to turn for the Jackies for a number of games now, and it just doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen. On the flip side, the Wildcats have won back-to-back home games against top tier opposition in the Hawks and the Kings, and I have them getting another win on Thursday night.
Perth Wildcats -5.5
$2.00 (1 Unit)
Sydney Kings vs South East Melbourne Phoenix
Friday 7:30pm AEDT, Qudos Bank Arena
Click here for our full game preview and best bet!
Tasmania JackJumpers vs New Zealand Breakers
Saturday 5:30pm AEDT, MyState Bank Arena
Preview and best bet coming soon.
Melbourne United vs Perth Wildcats
Saturday 8:00pm AEDT, John Cain Arena
Preview and best bet coming soon.
South East Melbourne Phoenix vs Cairns Taipans
Sunday 2:30pm AEDT, John Cain Arena
Preview and best bet coming soon.
Adelaide 36ers vs Illawarra Hawks
Sunday 4:30pm AEDT, Adelaide Entertainment Centre
Preview and best bet coming soon.
