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Tasmania JackJumpers vs Cairns TaipansThursday December 05, 7:30pm |
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Despite the general trechardness of their season so far Tasmania are still fighting tooth and nail to secure a spot in the playoffs and it shows. Now with a 6-8 record for the season the ‘Jackies’ are just two games off 6th place with plenty of the year left to play for to stake their claim. They have won their last three games in a row including an incredibly thrilling last start 77-73 victory over the 36ers in Adelaide. Despite the defensive tenacity that the affair possessed all of Sean McDonald, Will Magnay and Anthony Drmic combined for 44PTS, 13REB and 11AST to help lead the charge. Meanwhile for Cairns although its not mathematically impossible for them to qualify for the postseason at 3-10, it’s highly unlikely as their season has seemingly bounced from one disaster to another. The latest of which culminated in a tight six-point loss to the Kings at home and a missed open slam dunk that would’ve put them just one-point behind with seconds left to play. That was also loss number nine in a row! The JackJumpers will want this more and frankly given how close they are to the Top Six need it more. A thoroughly deserved Tasmania victory should be on the horizon here.
Tasmania vs Cairns recent history –
W CAI 90-78 @Cairns Convention Centre and Taran Armstrong w 20PTS & 5AST and Rob Edwards w 16PTS & 5REB.
W TAS 94-86 @Cairns Convention Centre and Jordan Crawford w 25PTS & 5AST and Milton Doyle w 17PTS & 7AST.
W TAS 103-86 @MyState Bank Arena and Milton Doyle w 31PTS & 3AST and Marcus Lee w 16PTS & 2REB.
Betting tips: Back a comfortable Tasmania win at $1.42 (PlayUp)
Also pick them to win Q1 at $1.55 (bet365)
And pick the total number of points scored in Q1 to be 43+ at $1.84 (UniBet)
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Brisbane Bullets vs Adelaide 36ersFriday December 06, 7:30pm |
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Brisbane who are just three games out of a playoffs spot host Adelaide who are currently holding onto the last qualification spot by a thread (they are just two games ahead of the next two teams) and so the Bullets ‘firing’ into action would throw just another shock into the NBL ladder as it starts to get incredibly sticky from about 4th all the way down to 9th spot. The hosts have won nine of their last 13 overall games at home this season and as a result should prove to be a very tough competitor for the 36ers. The latest of these was a 21-point thrashing of an extremely bewildered Perth Wildcats side. And it was Milwaukee-born James Batemon III who put in a historic shift with 51PTS! With the home crowd no doubt eager to see another huge game from the 27-year-old PG, the Brisbane Entertainment Centre is sure to be rocking come Friday night. Adelaide on the other hand have lost three of their last four games so anything goes in what is bound to be a can’t miss classic between two fierce rivals.
Brisbane vs Adelaide recent history –
W ADL 97-96 (Club Friendly).
W BRI 102-84 @Nissan Arena and Nathan Sobey w 37PTS & 3AST and Mitch Norton w 15PTS & 5AST.
W ADL 95-88 @Adelaide Entertainment Centre and DJ Vasiljevic w 23PTS & 6AST and Jacob Wiley w 21PTS & 12REB.
Betting tips: Pick a Bullets victory to be the end result at $1.38 (UniBet)
And pick the total points scored to be 172+ at $1.57 (bet365)
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New Zealand Breakers vs Sydney KingsSaturday December 07, 5:30pm |
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The Breakers are incredibly hard to topple at home having won eight out of their last 10 clashes in which they’ve hosted. The last time they played at home they broke Adelaide in half as they thumped them 109-82. Parker Jackson-Cartwright led the way with 25PTS & 6AST, whilst both Karim Lopez and Matt Mooney had a 17-piece meal each. That’s in stark contrast to the Kings who have been struggling lately as they’ve lost four of their last five games on the road. And their latest defeat to Melbourne by a three-point margin and it was only so close because of their second-half comeback as they were far off the wheel in Q2 going down 38-21! Cam Oliver had 21PTS & 6REB for the visitors as he continues to work his way into being a focal point of Sydney’s game under Brian Goorjian. In what is a battle of 3rd vs 4th on the ladder there is plenty to compete for in this undoubtedly heated encounter. The Breakers at home however are a different kind of animal to compete with and I expect the Kings to struggle big time in this clash. Look for New Zealand to show why they’ve been a Grand Final challenger all season long with a sweet, sweet victory.
New Zealand vs Sydney recent history –
W NZ 89-83 @Qudos Bank Arena and Matt Mooney w 24PTS & 5AST and Parker Jackson-Cartwright w 21PTS & 8AST.
W SYD 90-79 (Club friendly) and W SYD 120-76 (Club Friendly).
Betting tips: Look for the end result to be a New Zealand victory at $1.78 (Sportsbet)
Also look for New Zealand to win Q1 as well at $1.96 (Sportsbet)
And pick Sydney to prevail in Q4 at $1.85 (Sportsbet)