There’s only five games slated for Round 10 of the NBL season, but plenty of opportunities to take advantage of some terrific value from a betting perspective.
Melbourne United produced arguably their biggest performance of the season last weekend and they are subsequently our Round 10 best bet.
Cairns Taipans vs Brisbane Bullets
The Taipans and Bullets will both carry winning form into this, the opening game of Round 10 in North Queensland on Thursday evening.
For Cairns, it was an impressive 9-point win over Melbourne United at the Snakepit which consolidated their position as fifth overall and within clear striking range of the top four. Mitch McCarron led the way for his side once again; netting thirteen points and 9 rebounds in the low-scoring affair.
The Breakers in New Zealand proved a slightly too-strong prospect the Bullets last Friday, but they responded with a strong win over the Kings in Sydney and will take plenty of confidence into this game. That eight-point victory was spearheaded by point guard Travis Trice, who posted a team-high 19 points and 6 assists. The twenty-four-year has become a key cog in Brisbane’s chances and he will need the lead the way again if his team is a chance in this.
Tip: Back the Taipans to beat the spread (-2.5) @ $1.90
New Zealand Breakers vs Adelaide 36ers
We are set for an exciting game of basketball when the Breakers host the 36ers on Friday afternoon.
The Breakers have produced many outstanding performances and results on their way to second in overall standings and while comfortably taking care of the Bullets last Friday, failed to overcome their Round 10 opponents on the road on Sunday afternoon.
It was a game dominated by guards as Nathan Sobey led the way for the 36ers with 22 points an 6 assists, while Edgar Sosa sent home a game-high 26 points and five rebounds in what was a stellar performance for the losing Breakers.
The Breakers are generally good on the road, but they are a far-better prospect at home and this should figure as another winning effort. Given last week’s performance however, Adelaide can go extremely close.
Tip: Back the 36ers to beat the spread (+3.5) @ $1.92
Perth Wildcats vs Brisbane Bullets
The Bullets are in action for the second time in three days when they travel to the nation’s west on Saturday afternoon.
In current form and by everything that we have witnessed this season so far, the Wildcats will just win this game, but the fight that the Bullets showed on the road last weekend, particularly in Sydney suggests that they will not just lie down for the defending champions.
The points spread is currently set at 9.5 and barring anything drastic happening in the Bullets’ Thursday fixture, they can cover that line.
Tip: Back the Bullets to beat the spread (+9.5) @ $1.90
Illawarra Hawks vs Melbourne United
Melbourne United put together one of their most convincing displays of the season with an absolutely dismantlement of the Kings last weekend and they are primed for another big performance on Saturday.
Goulding (23 points), Prather (21 points), Boone (17 points) and Ware (15 points) were all simply outstanding and paved the way for a 26-point victory. They’ve have steadily built back to the task in recent weeks, but this was the first real suggestion that Melbourne could go all the way this season.
While spirited, Illawarra were comfortably beaten by the Perth Wildcats at home and they’ll need to improve sharply if they are to return to winning form this weekend.
The Hawks and Melbourne are currently tied in head-to-head betting and the latter are subsequently out best bet of the round.
Tip: Back Melbourne United to win @ $1.90 (best bet)
Sydney Kings vs Cairns Taipans
The final game of the round will see the Cairns Taipans travel to Sydney on Sunday afternoon.
Our betting play of backing teams against the Sydney Kings paid off again in Round 9, to a particularly lucrative tune when they lost to the Bullets and we’ll be looking for a similar result again here.
The Taipans are obviously in action earlier in the round, but in current form there is no way that the Kings should be $1.40 favourites and Cairns can potentially make it two wins from as many games on Sunday afternoon.
Tip: Back the Taipans to win @ $3