The 2016 NBL season is producing one of the tightest ladders we have ever seen. Week after week we are seeing surprise victories and shock losses and this week looks to be no exception as we offer our 2016 NBL Round 11 betting tips.
NBL Round 11 Betting Tips
New Zealand Breakers Vs Perth Wildcats (Thursday, 15 December - 5:30pm AEST)
In another Grand Final replay, the Breakers are coming off a surprise win against the Bullets. Prior to the win, the Breakers had strung together four-straight loses resulting in them anchoring the ladder in 8th position.
Against the Bullets, the Breakers showed significant improvement on their previous games. David Stockton continued to struggle, despite notching up six assists to help his team to a 7-point victory. The combination of Tom Abercrombie and Kirk Penny were vital for the Breakers with both finding form providing a combined 31 points 8 boards and 3 assists.
I'll be he first to admit I wrote the Wildcats off last week. With a bruised and battered line-up, I couldn't imagine them being able to win with any consistency and expected to slowly see them drop down the ladder. Then they played Melbourne and finished up with a 92-89 victory. It was a huge effort to beat the team on the rise. However, it's not that simple. Casey Prather did drop 39 points in what could have easily been a brutal loss for the Wildcats. But the rest off the team barely added anything. Melbourne lost David Andersen early which effected their defence and allowed Prather to run wild. So with that, i’m sticking with the Round 10 opinion.
Tip: New Zealand Breakers at the line (-2.5) at $1.90 at CrownBet
Adelaide 36ers Vs Sydney Kings (Friday, 16 December - 7:00pm AEST + Sunday)
The 36ers are no longer relying on one man to get the job done. Earlier in the season Jerome Randle was the shining light of his team, but we are finally starting to see the rest of the team pick up the slack with stellar performances from the likes of Daniel Johnson who accounted for 27 points, 9 rebounds and 1 assist during Adelaide’s 13-point win against the Cairns Taipans 96-88.
Sydney are still a game clear at the top of the ladder, but with recent losses to Melbourne - and of course the 36ers - its not all smooth sailing. Last time out Kevin Lisch and Brad Newley led the way for the Kings with scores of 24 and 22 respectively, but they are going to need some help to get Kings over the line.
Sydney are on top of the ladder for a reason and they are still the best team on paper. Mixed performances make this one tough to predict. However, Adelaide are on fire and infant of their home crowd will be tough to beat.
Tip: Adelaide 36ers at the line (+1.5) at $1.90 at CrownBet
This week is a double for these two teams. They face off in Adelaide on Friday night then in Sydney on Sunday afternoon. As said above, we expect the 36ers to win on Friday, but the Kings rarely drop two in a row. Add in a home court advantage and we like the Kings here - just watch for any injuries etc of course.
Tip: Sydney Kings to win head-to-head - $1.58 at Sportsbet
Brisbane Bullets Vs Melbourne United (Saturday, 17 December - 6:30pm AEST)
The Brisbane Bullets take on Casper Ware this Saturday night. It might be an overstatement, but that's how well Ware is playing. Just make this kid the MVP already. He is virtually unstoppable from inside the arch and he’s making shooting 3's look easy. Ware has averaged 30.5ppg in his last two games and is averaging 22ppg, 3 boards and 3.6 assists since joining the league last month. The downside is he wont be at Melbourne next year so they need to strike now. David Andersen, meanwhile, looks to miss the next 6 weeks with the ankle injury he picked up in the opening minutes against Perth last weekend.
Brisbane are coming off a losing double last round. The Breakers out played them on Thursday night and Illawarra had them covered in Brisbane on Saturday. Torrey Craig had a rare drop in production against the Hawks, scoring only 16 points, 7 boards and 3 assists. Brisbane have lost four of their last five and we don't see them drastically improving this week.
United are very strong and will certainly have the Bullets on the back foot. I can’t see anyone in the Brisbane line up being able to contain Ware, or to a lesser extent, Goulding.
Tip: Melbourne United at the line (-1.5) - $1.90 at CrownBet
Brisbane Bullets Vs Illawarra Hawks (Monday, 19 December - 6:30pm AEST)
The Brisbane Bullets and Illawarra Hawks will face off for the 2nd time in 10 days at the Brisbane Convention Centre. Last time out the Hawks were clearly dominant, leading at every change.
Marvelle Harris has now played three games since returning from injury. His performances haven't been up to the standard we were used to pre-injury, but if Harris can find some form and confidence in his shooting, we expect the Hawks to run away with this one. Rotnei Clarke, meanwhile, continue to dominate off the bench. He dropped 24 points against the Bullets last week.
It can’t go unsaid that Torrey Craig had an off-game against the Hawks. Despite scoring more than his season average, Craig didn't seem to have the same impact and failed to tear the game open. Brisbane’s season is quickly coming unraveled, winning only one of their last five games.
Depsite the odds, this could be a one-sided affair. The Hawks have reignited their season and don't look like missing a step.
Tip: Illawarra Hawks to win head-to-head - $2.08 at CrownBet
Take note: Any of the tips in this article are simply the author’s opinion, so bet at your own risk and always gamble responsibly. Also be sure to check out the Before You Bet Twitter Page for all our thoughts in the lead up to bets! Happy punting!
