Round 2 of NBL25 begins on Thursday night with the first Throwdown of the season. It's the South East Melbourne Phoenix vs Melbourne United at what will be a jam-packed John Cain Arena in Melbourne. And as always, we have you covered with a full free betting preview for the clash 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.
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NBL25 Round 2 Preview & Betting Tips
SE Melbourne Phoenix vs Melbourne United
Thursday 7:30pm AEST, September 26th, John Cain Arena (Melbourne)
South East Melbourne Phoenix were up against it in Round 1 as they were tasked with taking on the Wildcats in the jungle. And while they fought hard and never threw in the towel, Bryce Cotton and co. were simply too good.
Still, there were some positive signs for the new-look Phoenix. Matt Hurt had a great debut with 16 points and 12 boards, and he was joined by their four other starters who all scored at least a dozen points. The issue for the Phoenix seems to be their depth as only Owen Foxwell and Angus Glover were able to have any impact off the bench.
From a health standpoint, defensive stopper Matt Kenyon picked up a foot injury last week and has been ruled out of Round 2 action. Kenyon will be assessed ahead of their Round 3 matchup with the 36ers.
Melbourne United managed to exact revenge in their season opener against the JackJumpers in what was a championship series rematch from NBL24. They got off to a great start and were able to lead at the end of each break en route to a fairly comfortable nine-point win.
It was business as usual for Matthew Dellavedova who finished with a team-high 21 points to go along with six assists. Shea Ili also franked his strong preseason form with 14 points, while Jack White made a seamless return after a couple of seasons with the Nuggets to finish with 14 points and seven boards.
United have a clean bill of health heading into Round 2 which is important considering they have the busiest schedule of any team to start the NBL25 season. United have a double-header in Round 2 as well as in Round 3.
Game Prediction: It’s always tough to get a proper gauge on how a team is likely to fare when they have an almost brand new roster as well as coaching staff, and that’s exactly the case with the Phoenix this season. However, they showed enough in their opening game against the Wildcats to suggest they’re a solid outfit.
Regardless, United are the deserving favourites in the first Throwdown of NBL25, especially considering they’ve won each of the past five editions. I expect them to come out on top and cover the small(ish) spread here.
Melbourne United -5.5
$1.88 (1 Unit)
