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Cairns Taipans vs Illawarra HawksThursday January 23, 7:30pm |
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Barring a catastrophic finish to the regular season the visiting Illawarra Hawks have got 1st spot on the NBL ladder sewn up. However with a high chance they’ll rest players that gives the hosting Cairns Taipans a massive shot at causing an upset on the tropical north east coast. Because Adam Forde’s Men have won two of their last five games lately, whilst they also upset Jason Tatum’s Men 108-105 the last time they battled down at the ‘Gong’. Now with the Hawks having to travel to the ‘Snake Pit’ to face off against the likes of Rob Edwards – 28PTS vs ILL and Taran Armstrong – 25PTS vs ILL, it’s a task that’s far more tough and far more arduous then that of what meets the naked eye. Because last versus 1st is a battle that should be anything but!
Cairns have won two of their last five, but their losses paint a pretty positive picture for the side whom slowly but surely are restoring their image as a feared underdog. After conceding a record seven threes to sharpshooter DJ Vasiljevic during Q1 last round, the Taipans rebounded to win Q2 against Adelaide 25-22. Prior to that they scored 102PTS in a tight eleven-point defeat to the Phoenix. Then before that at Qudos Bank Arena, they pushed the Kings to the brink before going down 91-87. Cairns won the opening quarter as Rob Edwards and Taran Armstrong combined for an impressive 47PTS overall. If the Taipans can glue this sort of effort together consistently over the course of four quarters they will have a humungous chance of perhaps upsetting a ‘restful’ Illawarra side.
Betting tips: Look for the total Q1 points to be 50 or less at $1.95 (Unibet)
Also pick Rob Edwards to have 20+ PTS and Taran Armstrong to have 19+ PTS at $1.85 and $1.95 (Bet365)
And pick Trey Kell III to have 4+ assists at $1.12 (Bet365)
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New Zealand Breakers vs Brisbane BulletsFriday January 24, 5:30pm |
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New Zealand currently sit 9th on the ladder with a 9-16 record. Whilst Brisbane are one spot above them with a 10-15 record. Both teams have been far below expectations this season. The Breakers are only two seasons removed from making the Grand Final series. Whilst the signing of Josh Adams for the Bullets was supposed to reignite them back into finals contention. Suffice to say it hasn’t panned out too well for either rival but they get one last hurrah here to try and salvage something from their seasons. And with five of their last seven matchups having been decided by just ten-points or less there’s absolutely every chance here that one team will walk away with their campaign in utter tatters due to just a couple of baskets. Tune in because this should be an absolute whirlwind of an NBL encounter.
Interestingly enough the last time these two teams faced off it was Brisbane who won 83-74. And before that they won 84-73. When the Bullets last triumphed at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre Casey Prather led the way for the hosts with 31PTS, whilst Matt Mooney locked down a 21-piece meal for the visitors. And now with the regular season in its final stages you can again expect those two to be centre stage. Former Israeli League MVP Prather is putting up 21.4PPG this season + 2.3APG + 1.1SPG. He’s dragging Brisbane’s offence to be above average. Whilst Mooney, the former Knick and Cavalier, is locking down 16.2PPG, 4.1APG and 1.6SPG as he’s New Zealand’s electric force. With Prather playing the SG/SF position and Mooney the G, they tend to overlap positionally a little bit. How these two natural scorers perform will virtually say which team breathes and which team passes away peacefully. It’s on like a fiery kong in this epic battle.
Betting tips: Pick a Breakers win at $1.44 (Unibet)
Also pick them to win Q1 at $1.69 (TopSport)
And pick the total points scored in Q1 to be 45 or less at $1.83 (Unibet)