NBL25 Round 16 continues on Saturday night with a juicy double-header for us to sink our teeth into. The match of the night comes second up, with the South East Melbourne Phoenix looking to build on their momentum as they host the wounded Brisbane Bullets in Gippsland. We bring you our full game preview and best bet below!
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 16 Preview & Betting Tips
South East Melbourne Phoenix vs Brisbane Bullets
Saturday 8:00pm AEDT (Jan 11), Gippsland Sports Stadium
The South East Melbourne Phoenix take on the Brisbane Bullets in what should be an exciting clash. The Phoenix have turned their season around after a tough start, improving to an 11-10 record. They’ve been red-hot on offense lately, putting up over 100 points in six straight games. Their ability to score quickly and efficiently has made them one of the most dangerous teams in the league, and they’ll be looking to keep that momentum going in this matchup.
Derrick Walton Jr. has been running the show for the Phoenix lately, leading their offense and making big plays when it counts. He’s been key to their turnaround, but it’s not just him—their depth has been a huge advantage. The Phoenix can rely on a bunch of guys to step up, which makes them way tougher to handle than the Bullets, who often lean heavily on a smaller group.
The Bullets, sitting at 10-11, have been up and down this season. They snapped a three-game losing streak with a solid win over the Breakers, but consistency has been a challenge. That said, they’ve had the edge over the Phoenix this season, winning both of their earlier meetings. The Bullets’ defence and ability to capitalise on turnovers have been key in those games, and they’ll need to bring that same intensity to slow down a Phoenix side that’s been lighting it up offensively.
Head-to-head, the Bullets have historically had the upper hand, winning 13 of their 22 clashes with the Phoenix. However, this feels like a different Phoenix team, especially with their scoring surging in recent weeks. If the Phoenix can tighten up defensively and use their home-court advantage, they should have too much firepower for a Bullets team without their star centre in Tyrell Harrison (concussion), as well as a couple of banged up returnees in Keandre Cook and Rocco Zikarsky.
With all of that said, the Phoenix are in great form right now, with their offense firing on all cylinders and plenty of depth to back it up. If they keep playing like they have been, they should have no trouble handling the Bullets in this one.
Phoenix -7.5
$1.91 (1.5 Units)
