Think of Round 11 of the NBL like those chocolate/candy Christmas stockings you get as a Secret Santa present.
Seven tasty games this weekend and each one is a treat for punters and Aussie Hoops fans alike.
A real mixed bag along with the one everyone is looking forward to – the clash between rivals/League leaders Melbourne United and the Sydney Kings on Saturday.
Five nights. Seven Games. We’ve covered them all in our complete NBL Round 11 tips and preview!
This Thursday nights clash to open the round is set to be a cracker with the Taipans starting to impress and the Wildcats finding their groove.
The boys from up north go into Round 11 after a sensational weekend with big wins over the Breakers at home (108-90) and upsetting the Sydney Kings away (109-98)
Cairns now find themselves 7-7 and are on a three-game winning streak and find themselves fourth on the table. It has been an excellent turnaround in fortunes for them.
Perth looks also to be back on track, with big wins over the Kings at home and getting the job done over the Phoenix away.
Bryce Cotton has been tearing the court up with 53 points across the two games last weekend and has really lead the way for Perth.
The Taipans have been in great form of recent, but a road trip holds no fear for the Wildcats.
If you’re going to go for the upset this weekend, perhaps it’s worth the punt in this game.
It’s a season defying game at the Titanium Security Arena in Adelaide if any of these teams want to remain in the hunt for finals.
The 36ers will be glad to be on their home court after coming off a thrashing from Melbourne United by 22 points.
Playing the South East Melbourne Phoenix will hold no fear for them having only won one of their past five games and coming off a loss to the Wildcats at home, Mitch Creek was a shining light with 31 points to his name.
With this being only the fourth time this season the Phoenix have found themselves on the road, it’s best to back the home team.
Adelaide are currently 3-2 at home this season and it’s best to play it safe.
There’s never a dull moment when Melbourne United plays the Sydney Kings and this Saturday’s clash is no exception.
The two heavyweights of the NBL are currently 1-1 this season, however, Melbourne United has the wood over the Kings, having won 13 of their last 15 against them.
After winning 11 of their first 12 games, The Kings had a round to forget last weekend, going down to both Perth away and Cairns at home in a shock upset.
Melbourne United is in great form, with seven wins from their last nine and smashing the 36ers by 22 points at Melbourne Arena last weekend.
Melbourne Arena is very much a happy hunting court for the home team, especially when they play Sydney.
The Sydney Kings have lost seven on the trot at Melbourne Arena and have not won a game there since November 2016.
While many see this as a potential Grand Final series, in the meantime it’s best to back the home team.
The Wildcats will have to back it up 48 hours from playing in Cairns to take on the Brisbane Bullets on their home court this Saturday night.
Currently sitting seventh on the NBL ladder, the Bullets have lost five of their last seven and were disappointing in their Monday night clash across the ditch against the Breakers going down by 11 points.
Perth hasn’t been kind to the Brisbane Bullets having lost their past three against the Wildcats at RAC Arena.
The Wildcats are 5-2 at home and you would think they’d get the job done in this one.
The NZ Breakers are dominating more off the court than on it with their star player Glenn Rice Jnr being axed from the clubs roster due to breaching bail.
Rice dominated in the Breakers game against Cairns last week with a game-high 30 points,11 rebounds and eight assists – he also averaged 25 points per game, so it’s a significant out for NZ.
The 36ers will back it up from Friday night across the ditch with a good record against the Breakers -having won six out of their last eight and belting them at home 117-110 only three weeks ago. They also go alright in Auckland having won three out of their last five.
In saying that, the Breakers have their backs against the wall but their home fans cheering them on.
This is a recipe for a home team win.
Despite having played in a Throwdown against cross-town rivals Melbourne United what seemed to be once a week, the NBL’s newest team – South East Melbourne Phoenix meet the Cairns Taipans for the very first time.
This will be the second game of the round for both clubs, with the Taipans getting two days off from Thursday night and the Phoenix having it back it up less than 48 hours later from a trip to Adelaide to take on the 36ers.
The Taipans have been in better form than Phoenix of recent and with extra rest on their side they might be able to take the win back up North.
The case for the Illawarra Hawks is no LaMelo Ball, no chance.
The highly prized future NBA player is out for a month with a foot injury.
Melbourne United has won seven out of their last nine against the Hawks and three out of their last four in Wollongong.
The Hawks have had four out of their last six lost by 10 or more points and they’ll have no chance against the likes of Melbourne United without LaMelo in the team.
Melbourne United by plenty.