The Adelaide 36ers and Perth Wildcats are really building up some momentum as we head into the later stages of the NBL season. Can they keep it up? Find out what we think with our 2016-17 NBL Round 15 preview and betting tips.
NBL Round 15 Betting Tips
Adelaide 36ers Vs Melbourne United (Thursday, January 12 at 7:00pm AEDT)
Coming off the back of two huge Round 14 wins, the Adelaide 36ers are sitting three games clear at the top of the NBL ladder. They started the round with a 32-point victory over the Hawks which saw Jerome Randle continue his strangle-hold over the competition with 25 points,3 boards and 4 assists. Nathan Sobey was also vital to the 36ers success with 19 points,4 boards and 6 assists. If that wasn't enough, three days’ latter the 36ers traveled to New Zealand to continue their form, delivering a 18-point thumping to the Breakers.
Melbourne, meanwhile, suffered a shock loss to the Hawks last week. In a game we expected to be close, United simply failed to ignite. During the 18-point loss, Casper Ware was the only United player to perform with any consistency. Melbourne needs to address these off weeks if they want any hope of post-season success.
Adelaide is on a roll and its going to be very tough for Melbourne to over power them in this one. Take the small line while it is available.
Tip: Adelaide 36ers at the line (-1.5) - $1.83 at CrownBet
New Zealand Breakers Vs Sydney Kings (Friday, January 13th at 5:30pm AEDT)
For the first half of the season the Kings looked unstoppable. Coach Andrew Gaze was the man with the midas-touch. Now, however, it seems all that gold has begun to deteriorate. The Kings have gone from clear first to 5th in a matter of weeks and have been lacking any intensity on the court. This slump is costing them games, ladder position and the likelihood of winning this season's NBL championship is slipping away fast.
Kirk Penney really stepped up for the Breakers last weekend. He shot 21 points, had 2 rebounds and 2 assists. The Breakers are currently anchoring the ladder, but were resilient against the Taipans until the very last minute. They were certainly unlucky not to get away with the win. The same can’t be said for their performance against the 36ers, however. Its clear the with a string of stars out injured, the Breakers simply aren't capable of competing with the top teams. On a plus note, new import Paul Carter had his best NBL game with 12 points, 6 boards and an assist.
The Kings need to turn their season around and this is their chance.
Tip: Sydney Kings to win - $2.03 at CrownBet
Melbourne United Vs Cairns Taipans (Saturday, January 14th at 7:30pm AEDT)
When big man Nathan Jawai is the best on the court, you know the Taipans didn't have a great game. Sure they got away with a 2-point win over the Breakers, but the main issue for the Taipans is they don't have a shooter. When Travis Trice has a quite night, they can’t compete. They were lucky to beat the Breakers - which is saying something considering New Zealand are clearly the worst team in the NBL.
Melbourne will come into this one off the back of a likely loss to the Adelaide 36ers. They will be a little tired and rundown, but we still expect they will be able to handle the Taipans with relative ease.
Tip: Melbourne United at the line (-4.5) - $1.87 at CrownBet
Perth Wildcats Vs Adelaide 36ers (Saturday, January 14th at 9:30pm AEDT)
With a couple of quick wins, the Perth Wildcats have again shown us just how volatile the league is. They have travelled from 8th position to 2nd in just two short rounds. Are they ready to continue proving they are contesting for the championship? Damian Martin and Matthew Knight are both returning from injuries which couldn't have come at a better time. Martin is a defensive freak and Knight loves a defensive rebound. Having them back in the side frees Corey Prather to take more shots at the basket.
Adelaide are the best team in the league at present and its not hard to see why. With the quick turn around, this might be the opportunity for the Wildcats to take a major scalp and announce they’re truly back. Regardless, this should be the most competitive game of the round.
Tip: Wildcats / 36ers - Either Team by less than 7 - $2.15 at CrownBet
Cairns Taipans Vs Perth Wildcats (Monday, January 16th at 6:30pm AEDT)
The Wildcats are historically virtually unstoppable at home, but have always struggled a little on the road. At present they are on a three-straight road game streak and it doesn't look like stopping any time soon. Bryce Cotton - the Wildcats newest import - had a stellar debut against the Kings, dropping a game high 26 points and 5 boards.
As we said earlier, the Taipans aren't capable of competing against a fast-shooting team and will again to be out-classed when the Wildcats come to town. We’re expecting Perth to add another game to their road tally and position themselves for yet another finals campaign.
Tip: Perth Wildcats to win - $1.73 at CrownBet
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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!
