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
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Tasmania JackJumpers vs New Zealand Breakers
Saturday 5:30pm AEDT, MyState Bank Arena
The JackJumpers found themselves in a winnable position against the Wildcats on Thursday night but couldn’t come up with enough stops down the stretch. They went onto lose by six points at RAC Arena, which made it three losses in a row and six from their past seven games. In positive news, Milton Doyle found his shooting stroke in their recent outing and finished the game with 30 points including 6-12 from long range; however, no other JackJumper could score more than 14 points.
The Breakers have put together a terrific start to the season which has them entering Round 8 on top of the NBL standings. They’ve won six of their eight games including three in a row, two of which were on enemy soil. Their most recent win against United was the most emphatic of the bunch, as they poured in 113 points in front of a stunned John Cain Arena crowd. Parker Jackson-Cartwright continues to dominate and is ranked #1 in every pundit’s early season MVP rankings.
It's two contrasting form lines coming together here, with the Jackies sporting a three-game losing streak, while the Breakers are on a three-game winning run. These clubs are yet to face each other this season, but clearly the Breakers are playing the far better basketball and deserve to be the favourites on Saturday night. On current form, it’s impossible to have any faith in the JackJumpers, so I’ll be taking the Breakers on this occasion.
Breakers -3.5
$1.87 (1.5 Units)
Melbourne United vs Perth Wildcats
Saturday 8:00pm AEDT, John Cain Arena
Melbourne United bounced back from their horrible loss against the Breakers with a dominant win against the Bullets on Thursday night. They poured in a season-high 120 points on enemy soil to stay within striking distance of top spot in the standings. Rob Loe shot the absolute lights out en route to a 30-point performance, and Jack White was everywhere once again.
The Cotton-less Wildcats managed to find another win on their home floor on Thursday when they played host to the JackJumpers. That made it three wins from four games without Cotton, all of which were on their home deck. However, they now hit the road where they’ve lost their past two, including a 24-point loss against the Phoenix last time.
This is a very, very tough task for the Wildcats and while they’ve performed admirably without Cotton in recent weeks, it’s tough to see them having much success against the juggernaut that is Melbourne United. With that said, I’m happy to back the favourites in to record a bit win here.
United -8.5
$1.90 (1 Unit)
South East Melbourne Phoenix vs Cairns Taipans
Sunday 2:30pm AEDT, John Cain Arena
The Phoenix looked on their way to making it 3/3 under new coach Josh King when they led by double-digits in the fourth quarter against the Kings on Friday night; however, some poor shot selection down the stretch and costly turnovers saw them finish up on the wrong side of a 69-74 score line. The Phoenix now return home to John Cain Arena where they won by 24 points last time out. They’ll also regain Derrick Walton Jr. after he missed the past couple of weeks with a hamstring injury.
The Taipans have been dealt some cruel luck with injuries this season and that’s a large part as to why they enter Sunday’s clash on a six-game losing streak. The good news is they’re likely to welcome back Taran Armstrong to the lineup, although Rob Edwards will miss after being suspended by the NBL for his post-game comments about the referees last start.
Coach King is known for his emphasis on defence and it’s certainly shown in his first couple of games in charge. The Phoenix have kept their opposition to 76 and 74 points which is well below league average. They now come up against the Snakes who are missing their most potent scorer in Edwards, so I suspect we’re in for another low(ish) score here.
Under 174.5 Points
$1.90 (2 Units)
Adelaide 36ers vs Illawarra Hawks
Sunday 4:30pm AEDT, Adelaide Entertainment Centre
It’s a cracking contest to close out Round 8, with two of the most talented teams in the competition set to lock horns for the second time this season. The 36ers got the better of the Hawks in their first meeting at the WIN Entertainment Centre, which was a massive upset at the time. The Hawks were undefeated at 3-0 but the 36ers came away with a two-point win on enemy soil.
Since their meeting in Round 3 both clubs have played five games and secured three wins. The Hawks currently occupy second spot on the ladder with a 6-3 record, while the 36ers are sitting in fifth at 5-4.
In injury news, Trey Kell is set to return after missing the past couple of weeks with a back injury, and his inclusion is enormous for his side as he was among the leading pack for the MVP prior to getting hurt.
Back at full strength, the Hawks have one of the best rosters in the competition and deserve to be the favourites in this matchup despite being the travelling team. They’re far more reliable and tend to have fewer lapses across four quarters compared to the 36ers. I like the Hawks to win this one.
Hawks to Win
$2.03 (1 Unit)
