After a little bit of a break for some teams over the Christmas period, the 2016-17 NBL season continues and so do our previews as we offer our 2016-17 NBL Round 13 betting tips.
NBL Round 13 Betting Tips
Cairns Taipans Vs Melbourne United (Thursday, 29th December at 6:30pm)
Melbourne United are flying as they come into NBL Round 13. They come into this one off a spectacular victory during their Boxing Day clash against the Brisbane Bullets. Shooting at 58% and dropping 19 points, Chris Goulding was the leading scorer for Melbourne. They may not look as refined as they have in the past, but they are playing great team basketball, having 11 scoring players - 4 with double digits. Casper Ware had his quietest night in the NBL so far, but still looks dangerous. To add support to Goulding and Ware, Melbourne has just signed former NBA player Josh Boone. he will be a valuable addition with David Andersen out for the next 6-8 weeks.
The Taipans, meanwhile, are coming off an extended break after enjoying the bye week over the festive season. Prior to their break, the Taipans fired with a solid 99-82 win over the Illawarra Hawks. As always, Travis Trice was the standout with 22 points, 3 boards and 5 assists during his 26 minutes on the court.
This one is being played in Cairns and it seems the home court advantage isn't what it once was for the Taipans. We think the extended break may do more harm than good for Cairns and see Melbourne getting the job done here.
Tip: Melbourne United at the line (-1.5) - $1.90 at CrownBet
Sydney Kings Vs New Zealand Breakers (Friday, 30th December at 7:30pm AEST)
The Sydney Kings are spiraling out of control. They have now lost 5 of their last 7 and have gone from looking untouchable as the clean ladder leader to 3rd on the ladder and an easy target for teams. They added to their woes last week with a not-so-shocking loss to the Illawarra Hawks 75-87. A big issue seem to be that the Kings tend to leave everything up to Kevin Lisch and Jason Cadee. The rest of the team will have to start stepping up if they are any chance during the 2016-17 NBL season. Josh Powell could be the new shining light, one with the import finally showing what he's capable of draining 21 points, 7 rebounds and 1 assist off the bench.
The Breakers had the weekend off and they certainly needed it. They are severely depleted with Tom Abercrombie, Ben Woodside and Corey Webster all out. To help ease the injury woes, New Zealand have imported another international recruit. Paul Carter is a 29-year old former NBA player who has been playing in Berlin. He is a strong perimeter shooter and should be able to fill some of the Breakers voids.
With New Zealand struggling to field their best team, surely it's time for the Kings to make a statement and show the league they aren’t pushovers.
Tip: Sydney Kings at the line (-4.5) - $1.80 at CrownBet
Illawarra Hawks vs Perth Wildcats (Saturday, 31st December at 5:30pm AEST)
The NBL's New Year's Eve clash this year is between the second place Illawarra Hawks and the bottom-of-the-ladder Perth Wildcats.
Perth’s season all but ended when the heart and soul of the team Damien Martin went down with a season-ending injury. Since then their season has slowly been imploding. There was, however, a glimmer of hope last weekend when they faced off against the 36ers. In the 74-78 loss, Perth started well as they were leading at the main break before Adelaide clawed back the lead in a thrilling matchup. Jaron Johnson was on fire off the bench with 21 points and 4 rebounds in 26 minutes. Casey Prather was his normal dominant self, dropping 18 points, 7 boards and 2 assists. It was certainly a nail biter and could be the spark Perth needs to reignite their season.
Illawarra, meanwhile, spent the festive season knocking off the Sydney Kings. During the 87-75 victory, momentum swung back and forth, until the 4th quarter when the Hawks ran away with the game scoring 29-12 to seal the result. Oscar Forman was a surprise for the Illawarra faithful, coming off the bench scoring 24 points and 4 boards - well above his league averages of 4 and 1.
The Hawks should keep their foot on the pedal going into this one.
Tip: Illawarra Hawks at the line (-3.5) - $1.93 at CrownBet
Melbourne United Vs Adelaide 36ers (Monday, 1st January at 5pm AEST)
Jerome Randle and the Adelaide 36ers are absolutely flying at the moment. Randle is averaging a league high 23 points per game, along with 5 assists. They come into this Round 13 clash on the back of a tight win over the Perth Wildcats 78-74. Nick Sobey put together another impressive performance, dropping 24 points, 6 boards and a cheeky assist. In a game that was surprisingly tight, the 36ers kept their composure and nailed shots when they mattered.
Melbourne are on double road trip this week and come into this one after what we imagine will be a tough bout against the Taipans. Surprisingly, United are the favourite for this one, but we don't think they should be. Adelaide are playing like the best team in the league and we don't expect them to stop this week. Happy to take some value.
Tip: Adelaide 36ers to win - $2.13 at CrownBet
