The following are previews with betting tips for selected fixtures in Round 7 of the 2022/23 NBL season.
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Melbourne United vs Adelaide 36ersThursday Nov 17, 7:30pm |
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6X Championship winning Melbourne United head into their home fortress of John Cain Arena having triumphed in 10 of their last 12 clashes against C.J. Bruton’s Adelaide 36ers. Not only that, but the hosts have also won their last two home matches on the trot by an average margin of 21PTS against the Phoenix and Wildcats respectively. And with Jordan Caroline having just been cut in exchange for ex-Kentucky Wildcat and 6’11 replacement Centre Marucs Lee, the home side also appear to be desperately trying to salvage something from this season. It appears to be finals or bust for Dean Vickerman’s troops. However at the very least on the bright side, they appear to have both previous history and recent form working heavily in their favour.
United’s last match was in fact at home and it turned out to be a relatively easy one at that, as they destroyed local rivals South East Melbourne to the tune of 110PTS to 85. It was a scintillatingly brilliant team orientated effort as captain Chris Goulding led the way with 7/12 converted shots from deep, en route to 30PTS. Whilst Isaac Humphries was commanding close to the rim with 20PTS, 4REB, 3AST, 2STL and 3BLK. Shea Ili also secured 15PTS, David Okwera & Xavier Rathan-Mayes had a 13-piece meal each and Rayjon Tucker fashioned 12PTS of his own. Meanwhile the captains other stats also included, 2REB, 4AST and 1STL.
As for the 36ers they were just edged out at home versus the Wildcats, going down 94-89 in what was a topsy turvy and entertaining contest of Basketball. Robert Franks did his usual thing with 24PTS, 9REB, 1AST and 1STL, as he shot a very impressive 11/19 from the floor. Whilst Antonius Cleveland backed him up with 7/11 shooting, as he locked down 22PTS. That went along nicely with his 4REB and 2STL. And despite his limited playing time, Kai Sotto also flexed a bit, as he went 3/3 from the floor for 8PTS, 3REB and 1AST, in just under 13-minutes of playing time. Anthony Drmic also contributed with a little bit of everything as well, going for 7PTS, 5REB, 1AST and 1STL.
The result of this match is one that so to speak, well and truly is a coin toss. If the match was being contested in Adelaide then I’d pick a 36ers victory, But because it’s in Victoria, I’ll back Melbourne United to get home in a close one. The captain and NBL veteran Chris Goulding loves a 5-star performance against the 36ers and if history continues to repeat itself here, then there’s no reason that Melbourne won’t collect victory NO.6 of the campaign. Last time out against the visitors he fashioned 10PTS & 5AST. While two games prior he secured 18PTS and before that it was 12PTS & 5AST. With the 36ers being in a particularly vulnerable spot right now, who better to take advantage then a quick-fire shooting Guard who can get hot in a real hurry.
Betting tips: Pick a Melbourne victory, a tight one, at $1.89 (BoomBet)
They should also edge Q1 at $2.00 (TexBet)
While it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them win Q4 either at $1.86 (TexBet)
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Perth Wildcats vs South East Melbourne PhoenixThursday Nov 17, 9:30pm |
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With Perth currently stationed 7th on the ladder, in addition to being just a singular victory above 9th/second-last place, their season isn’t currently oozing much optimism for their loyal band of ‘Red Army’ supporters. Meanwhile the visiting Phoenix have won five of their nine games contested so far this season, as they sit in 4th spot, just one win off 2nd. With the two sides in completely different places as I’m currently writing this, strong performances from Mitch Creek – 21.1.PPG & 6.0RPG this campaign, Gary Browne – 11.0PPG & 8.6APG this campaign and Alan Williams – 30PTS & 14REB in his sides most recent clash against arch-rivals Melbourne United, should be more then enough to see the visitors through with a victory. And further boosting South East Melbourne’s hopes are that the Wildcats have gone down in their last three consecutive contests at RAC Arena.
The Wildcats last match was a truly tough game of Basketball, but in the end they highlighted all their class as they came and conquered the 36ers in Adelaide, prevailing 94-89. And it was Brady Manek who stole the show as he smashed his season average of 10.2PPG, with a stellar 25PTS, 1REB, 2AST and 1STL to his name. While Corey Webster was also up there as he hit a pair of threes, contributing to his 18PTS. As he also secured 4REB, 2AST and 1STL to his name. Meanwhile Bryce Cotton was far from his usual self, but he still contributed with a solid 15PTS, 2REB, 5AST and 2STL. And TaShawn Thomas shot 6/10 for 12PTS, alongside his 9REB, 4AST and 1STL.
As for the Phoenix their latest game was far from pretty as they went down at John Cain Arena to Melbourne United in what was a HEAVY, HEAVY, HEAVY, 25-point defeat. However, in a few bright spots for the club, Alan Williams had his previously mentioned monster performance. His 30PTS nearly doubling that of his season average, 15.4PPG. And his 14REB was again significantly more than that of his season average, 8.0RPG. Mitch Creek also let loose with 24PTS, 6REB and 1STL. And Gary Browne dug in deep at the line, converting 5/6 FT attempts on his merry way to 16PTS + 4REB and 8AST. Whilst Owen Foxwell, the young ‘Aussie’, also conjured up 2STL.
Just like the match before it, this Friday night thriller should also be closely contested and one in which either side can really prevail. However, prior to their loss against Melbourne, South East Melbourne were really displaying some vibrant and rich signs of life. They had won four on the trot, meanwhile they’ve even prevailed in three out of their last four games played against Perth. Travelling to Western Australia is far from easy Basketball or travel-wise, but with the vets playing so well for the visitors, along with the less experienced players gaining more and more crucial experience, they may just have this one in the bag. Bryce Cotton or not, the Phoenix will genuinely be hard to top in this tasty affair.
Betting tips: Look for South East Melbourne to come through with the dub at $2.20 (Bet365)
Also look for H1 to see slightly more PTS in it than H2 at $1.71 (Bet365)
While you can also look for Bryce Cotton to produce 23+PTS at $1.87 and Mitch Creek 22+PTS at $1.85 (Bet365)