NBL BASKETBALL PREVIEWS/PLAYS
......... with OTP's hoops guru
Updated 4:15 PM AEST, Friday 21 November
NBL - FRIDAY 21 NOVEMBER
36ers -3.5 vs Spirit
2 at 1.94
?
Spirit vs 36ers OVER 201.5
1 at 1.90
?
These two teams have played each other 3 times
already this season, with the home team prevailing each time. Tonight the
Spirit will be looking to square up the ledger in front of their home fans.
They comfortably accounted for the Blaze at home last round but will have to
tackle the 36ers tonight without the services of Rush and Martin. Hodge
makes his season debut for the 36ers, who split their road double last week.
I expect his injection to be too much for the injury-hit Spirit and I am
also anticipating a high scoring game. 2 units 36ers -3.5 at 1.90 or better
(Pinnacle); 1 unit over 201.5 at $1.90 or better.
NBL - THURSDAY 20 NOVEMBER
Breakers -1.0 vs Dragons
2 at 1.90
+1.8
Top of the table clash here with the 2nd
placed Breakers hosting the Dragons. The Breakers won their road double last
week, running over the top of the Taipans and the Crocs. The Dragons
comfortably accounted for the 36ers at home last week, where their
opposition had a staggering 29 turnovers. They will not be afforded such a
luxury here. Goorjian does have a good record coaching in this venue but it
has never been against a Breakers side this good. 2 units Breakers -2.0 at
$1.90 or better
NBL - WEDNESDAY 19 NOVEMBER
Tigers vs Taipans
NO PLAY
The rough part of the schedule continues for
the Taipans with the cage in Melbourne being their stop for tonight, a venue
that has not been a happy hunting ground for them. They held big leads in
both of their games last week, only to come up short on both occasions. The
Tigers last game was eleven days ago where they were humbled by the Breakers
on their home court. They fell behind early in that game and ran out of time
to peg back the margin. I expect them to come out switched on tonight and to
repeat the round 3 result in Cairns, a comfortable victory.
NBL - SUNDAY 16 NOVEMBER
Blaze -2.5 vs 36ers
2 at 1.85
-2
Round 9 concludes with the Blaze hosting the
36ers. The Blaze have split their two road games this week. Bowen looks to
be finding his feet in the NBL after producing a solid game in the one point
win over the Hawks on Friday. The 36ers are down one import for this game
and also without Winitana which leaves them quite weak at the small forward
spot. I like the chances of the Blaze covering the small start at home
against a weakened 36ers side that has been terrible on the road thus far. 2
units Blaze -2.5 at $1.90 or better
NBL - SATURDAY 15 NOVEMBER
Wildcats -10.5 vs Taipans
1 at 1.90
-1
Fresh off of belting the Crocs at home last
round, the Wildcats will be hoping for a similar result as the Taipans come
into town. The Taipans ran out of steam against the Breakers in Cairns on
Wednesday, with a few of their players picking up some knocks to take on the
plane to Perth. Black is still the only player missing for the Taipans
tonight. I expect the Wildcats to attain a comfortable victory here and I
give them a decent chance of covering the big start as the Taipans may take
some time out on the back end of this game to lick their wounds ahead of
this Wednesday’s matchup with the Tigers if they fall too far behind. 1 unit
Wildcats -10.5 at $1.90 or better (TAB)
Crocs to bt Breakers
2 at 2.05
-2
The Crocs will be looking to put an end to
their losing streak as the Breakers come into the Swamp. These two teams
squared off at the Swamp in round 7, with the Breakers pulling away for a 9
point victory. Cedar returns for the Crocs tonight, which provides them with
an extra member in their backcourt to chase the likes of Penney and Jones
around the perimeter. I give the Crocs a decent shot at getting their season
back on track in front of their home fans. 2 units Crocs at $2.00 or better
NBL - FRIDAY 14 NOVEMBER
Blaze to bt Hawks
1 at 3.80
+2.8
Blaze +8.0 vs Hawks
2 at 1.90
+1.8
The Hawks return from a 13 day hiatus to host
the Blaze, who got hammered in Sydney 2 days ago. These two teams met at the
same venue in round 6, where the Hawks withstood a late charge by the Blaze
to prevail by 2 points. A lapse in the 3rd quarter really hurt the Blaze the
other day. Coach Joyce will have his troops fired up to put together a more
complete performance against his former team and I give them a decent chance
of getting the win here. 2 units Blaze +7.5 at $1.90 or better 1 unit Blaze
$3.50 or better
36ers to win NBL Championship
0.5 at 34.00
?
I have received mail that Julius Hodge will be
replacing Tyndale. During his stint with the 36ers at the back end of last
year, Hodge was the MVP of the league. No team had an answer for him. They
do only have 4 wins on the board at the moment and Hodge may need a game or
two to settle in. However, with more than half of the season left, this is
more than enough time for them to get into the top 6 and with the momentum
that they will have when they get there, a play on them at their current
price seems warranted to me. 0.5 Unit 36ers to win NBL at $34 or better
NBL - WEDNESDAY 12 NOVEMBER
Dragons vs 36ers
NO PLAY
The Dragons look to extend their winning
streak as the 36ers come into their building. The Dragons most recently
accounted for the Blaze by a comfortable 12 points. The 36ers, who welcome
back Maher and Davidson for this encounter, split their two games last week
(winning on the road and losing at home). I believe the Dragons have a bit
too much depth for the 36ers here but there is nothing in the betting for
me.
Spirit vs Blaze
NO PLAY
Two teams coming off defeats in their last
start square off with the Spirit hosting the Blaze. The Spirit ran out of
steam against the Tigers last round whilst the Blaze, after registering
their first win of the season 7 days ago, went down to the Dragons last
Saturday. The Blaze’s new import, Bowen, looked impressive in his debut and
looks capable of providing that spark that they have been missing up until
this point in the season. The Blaze will be keen to square up the season
series after losing at home to the Spirit in round 4. The betting looks
about right to me.
Taipans to bt Breakers
1 at 1.93
-1
The Taipans have defeated the Breakers twice
this season and will be hoping to make it three from three in front of their
home crowd tonight. Both teams are in the middle of the roughest part of
their respective schedules and also have a road game each later this week.
The Taipans notched up a gritty one point win in Adelaide last week and the
Breakers defeated the Tigers in Melbourne four days ago, after losing at
home to the 36ers last Thursday. I expect the Taipans to get the job done in
front of their home fans here. 1 unit Taipans $1.85 or better (Centrebet,
TAB are $1.90 at time of writing)
NBL - SATURDAY 8 NOVEMBER
Crocs +11.0 vs Wildcats
2 at 1.93
-2
Crocs to bt Wildcats
1 at 6.05
-1
After suffering a controversial loss in New
Zealand last week, the Wildcats host the Crocs. These two teams have already
played each other twice in Townsville, with each team attaining a blow-out
victory. The Crocs were terrible in the first half against the Blaze on
Wednesday. They got down by as many as 30 points at one stage. They got
their act together in the second half and still lost by 11 points, which can
be largely attributed to shooting 20 of 40 from the foul line. I give the
Crocs a decent chance with the big start and if they hit some free throws
and get their offence firing, a road victory is definitely on the cards. 2
units Crocs +10.5 at $1.90 or better 1 unit Crocs at $5.50 or better
Blaze +13.5 vs Dragons
1 at 1.91
+0.91
Blaze vs Dragons UNDER 189.5
1 at 1.90
+0.9
After securing their first win of the season
at home, the Blaze take on the competition front-runners, the Dragons, in
Melbourne. The Dragons have won their last 6, the most recent being against
the Spirit last week. The Blaze are a chance of having their second import
available for this game. The guy who he would replace, Vanderjagt, has been
playing very well in any case. I expect the Dragons to win this game and the
Blaze to make them earn it, as they will work hard until the end. I also
give the overs a decent chance as the Blaze look to be well over their
scoring woes from earlier in the season. 1 unit Blaze +14.0 at $1.90 or
better (Centrebet) 1 unit over 188.5 at $1.90 or better (Centrebet)
36ers -4.5 vs Taipans
1 at 1.90
-1
36ers vs Taipans OVER 192.5
1 at 1.90
-1
The 36ers, after defeating an under-strength
Breakers side in New Zealand two days ago, take on the Taipans, who lost to
the Hawks twice last week. Maher is a chance of returning for the home side
which will make matters even harder for the weakened backcourt of the
Taipans. The Taipans have had almost a full week off to work on their
offensive woes but I don’t think it will be enough to stay with the 36ers at
home. 1 unit 36ers -4.5 at $1.90 or better (TAB is -3.5 at $1.90 at time of
writing) 1 unit over 192.5 at $1.90 or better (TAB is 190.5 at $1.85 at time
of writing)
Tigers vs Breakers UNDER 208.5
1 at 1.90
+0.9
Melbourne is the venue where these two teams
wrap up their double header. The Tigers comfortably accounted for the Spirit
last night and the Breakers lost at home against the 36ers on Thursday.
Bruton is unavailable for the visitors and Ronaldson is rumored to be
carrying some niggles into this contest. I expect the Tigers to even up the
season series between these two sides but there is nothing in the line
betting for me. For the Breakers to be a chance without Bruton they will
have to play a grinding style of game and I anticipate some low scores as a
result. 1 unit under 208.5 at $1.90 or better (Sportingbet)
NBL - FRIDAY 7 NOVEMBER
Spirit vs Tigers
NO PLAY
After suffering two losses on the road last
week, the Spirit are back home and the task doesn’t get any easier as the
Tigers pay them a visit. These two teams met at the same venue back in round
one, where the Tigers prevailed by 10 points. Smith may make his Spirit
debut but I will be surprised if he will be much of a factor at all as he is
returning from shoulder surgery. Nothing in the betting for me so I am
sitting this one out.
NBL - THURSDAY 6 NOVEMBER
36ers +13.5 vs Breakers
1 at 1.91
+0.91
When these two teams met in New Zealand in
round 3, the Breakers prevailed by 38 points. Tonight the venue is the same
and the strength of the visiting side will be totally different. The 36ers
did not have Ballinger and Bruce for the round 3 encounter. Tonight, Maher
will not be playing and Davidson is in doubt. It should also be noted that
the play of Schenscher has been much improved since round 3. I like the
36ers chances with the big start as they will be keen to give a better
account of themselves against a side that notched two hard-fought victories
last week and have a tough encounter against the Tigers looming this
Saturday. 1 unit 36ers +13.5 at $1.90 or better
NBL - WEDNESDAY 5 NOVEMBER
Crocs -1 vs Blaze
1 at 1.91
-1
The Blaze will be hoping to avoid an eleventh
straight loss as the Crocs come into town. Justin Bowen, the replacement
import for the departed Hawkins, will be hoping to get his papers cleared in
time to take his place in front of his new home crowd. He, like many new
imports, will most likely need some time to settle in to the new
competition. Blaze Captain Harvey has labeled this a must win game but I
also expect the Crocs, on a 2 game losing streak, to show up here and I give
them a decent chance at stealing the road win. 1 unit Crocs -1.0 at $1.90 or
better
NBL - SUNDAY 2 NOVEMBER
36ers vs Spirit
NO PLAY
Round seven concludes with the 36ers hosting
the Spirit. The 36ers are still without Maher and Winitana. The Spirit lost
by nine points in Melbourne last night. These two sides have played each
other twice this season with the home team winning on each occasion. The
36ers do go into this game short handed but the much improved play of
Schenscher should be enough for them to halt their losing streak here. I’m
sitting this one out as there is nothing in the betting for me.
NBL - SATURDAY 1 NOVEMBER
Blaze +18.5 vs Tigers
1 at 1.90
+0.9
The winless Blaze takes on the Tigers in
Melbourne tonight. The Tigers accounted for the Blaze by 16 points back in
round one. The Blaze cut ties with their import Hawkins during the week as
he has been under-performing due to a nagging foot injury. Vanderjagt, his
replacement, has arguably been their best player this season. The Tigers win
this game easily but I give the Blaze a decent shot with the big start as
they will play hard to the end and the Tigers may take their foot off the
pedal down the stretch as they sew this game up and cast their minds to
their double header next weekend. 1 unit Blaze +18.5 at $1.90 or better
(TAB)
Dragons vs Spirit OVER 190.0
1 at 1.90
-1
The Dragons, fresh off giving the Taipans a
pasting at home last weekend and on a five game winning streak, entertain
the Spirit. The Spirit split their two games last week with a narrow loss in
Townsville and a comfortable win at home against the Hawks. The Spirit are a
tough team but the Dragons are a different kettle of fish in their home
building and there is nothing in the line betting for me. These two teams
are quite defensively minded, at the same time, there is also a lot of
offensive firepower on both sides. I give the overs a decent chance,
especially if Coach Beveridge gets his troops playing in the high-octane
manner that he has been pushing for. 1 unit over 190.5 at $1.90 or better
(Centrebet, Racingodds over 190.0 at $1.90 at time of writing)
Breakers +5.5 vs Crocs
2 at 1.90
+1.8
Breakers to bt Crocs
1 at 2.70
+1.7
The Breakers, on the back of their
controversial home victory against the Wildcats on Thursday, take on the
Crocs in the Swamp. The Crocs split their two games last round, with the
loss coming on the road. Both of these teams have very perimeter-oriented
games and the team who establishes the better inside presence will have the
edge here. I like the Breakers chances with the start and their offence, if
it fires, is potent enough to steal the road win. 2 units Breakers +5.5 at
$1.90 or better (Centrebet) 1 unit Breakers at $2.70 or better (Centrebet,
Racingodds $2.80 at time of writing)
Taipans vs Hawks
NO PLAY
The Taipans blew a 13 point 3 quarter time
lead against the Hawks in Wollongong on Wednesday to lose by 8 points. They
have a chance to exact revenge in their own building here. The Taipans
really struggled to keep Franklin quiet the other day and will need to make
some kind of adjustment there. It seems like they have a lot of work to do
in order to turn around an 8 point loss in the space of a few days. However,
their building is a very hard one for away teams to win in and the Hawks are
a terrible road team which tells me that the betting seems about right in
what I expect to be another grinding encounter.
NBL - THURSDAY 30 OCTOBER
Breakers -4.5 vs Wildcats
1 at 1.91
-1
Two of the deepest squads in the competition
square off with the Breakers hosting the Wildcats. The Breakers split their
road double last week, with the loss coming in overtime. The Wildcats
comfortably accounted for an under strength 36ers side in Adelaide last
round. The key to this game will be the battle inside the paint. Whilst the
Wildcats do have the overall size advantage, I believe that the Breakers
will only have to ensure that they do not get completely dominated inside,
which will enable their superior backcourt to notch up another win in front
of their home fans. 1 unit Breakers -4.5 or better
NBL - WEDNESDAY 29 OCTOBER
Taipans +2.5 vs Hawks
1 at 1.93
-1
Taipans vs Hawks Under 192.5
1 at 1.90
-1
Both of these teams split their two games last
round with both winning at home and both losing on the road. The Taipans
will be without Black which does take away a fair bit of punch in their
backcourt. Limiting the effect that Hawks guard Franklin has will be a key
for them. The Hawks are tough to beat on their home floor but I give the
Taipans a decent chance with the small start as they have a distinct
advantage in the frontcourt and I believe that Coach Black will have
something up his sleeve to limit Franklin’s effectiveness. I also expect a
low scoring game. 1 unit Taipans +1.5 at 1.90 or better (TAB); 1 unit under
192.0 at 1.90 or better (TAB is 193.5 at 1.85 at time of writing).
NBL - FRIDAY 24 OCTOBER
Blaze +9.5 vs Hawks
2 at 1.80
+1.8
Blaze to bt Hawks
1 at 3.90
-1
The only team yet to register a win thus far,
the Blaze, visit Wollongong to take on the Hawks tonight. This is a familiar
venue for Coach Joyce, Frank and Joyce (the Coaches’ son who backs up Heal)
who were all heavily involved with the Hawks a few years back. The Blaze
will be without Hawkins but McGregor returns to the line-up and Vanderjagt
(who has impressed with his opportunities he has been given to date) gets
another game due to the absence of Hawkins. Campbell is rumoured to be
carrying a calf strain for the Hawks, which would make the unenviable task
of keeping up with Harvey that much harder. The Hawks have been in decent
form whilst the same cannot be said about the Blaze; however, I give Joyce’s
men a decent chance at defeating his former club here. 2 units Blaze +9.5 at
$1.90 or better; 1 unit Blaze at $3.75 or better (TAB is $4.00 at time of
writing)
NBL - WEDNESDAY 22 OCTOBER
Spirit +10.5 vs Crocs
1 at 1.90
+0.9
The first televised game (I am really going to
miss whatever it was that Fox were showing in this timeslot) of the season
sees the Crocs hosting the Spirit. The Crocs got belted by the Wildcats at
home last week and they will be keen put on a better show for their fans in
what is their 250th home game. Another slow start hurt the Spirit last week
as the Dragons beat them by 5 points in Sydney. I expect the Spirit to be
competitive here and give them a decent chance with the big start. I will
not be getting involved in the head to head betting in this milestone game
for the Crocs. 1 unit Spirit +10.5 at $1.90 or better (TAB)
Taipans vs Breakers
NO PLAY
In what would probably be the better game to
televise (any broadcast is better than no broadcast though), the Taipans
host the Breakers. The Taipans got the away victory when these two teams met
in round four. They shot an astonishing fifty free throws in this game
(that’s a little over one every minute), I will be surprised if they get
many more than 30 attempts from the line here. This is the first road game
of the season for the Breakers and whilst they will be keen to exact some
revenge that is easier said than done in this venue. I will be sitting this
one out as there is nothing in the betting for me.
NBL - FRIDAY 17 OCTOBER
36ers +4.5 vs Hawks
2 at 1.92
-2
36ers to bt Hawks
1 at 2.67
-1
36ers vs Hawks UNDER 207.5
1 at 1.90
+0.9
After getting trounced in Perth on Wednesday,
the Hawks host the 36ers (who were comfortably defeated in Melbourne last
weekend) tonight. With both teams being near the foot of the table, we
should have two teams who are hungry for a result here. Adelaide are not the
greatest road team but with Winitana returning and some anticipated changes
to the starting lineup from Coach Ninnis (to sharpen up his troops), I give
them a decent chance at opening up their road account here. I also expect a
low scoring game with the Hawks having the short turnaround and Winitana to
set the tone for the 36ers on defence. 2 units 36ers +3.5 at $1.90 or
better; 1 unit 36ers at $2.40 or better (Centrebet); 1 unit under 207.5 at
$1.90 or better (Centrebet).
Dragons -2.5 vs Spirit
2 at 1.90
+1.8
Off the back of two come from behind
victories, the Spirit ‘welcome’ Goorjian and his Dragons. Worthington is out
for the Dragons but they have more than enough depth to cover his absence. I
am expecting a let down from the Spirit as I believe their two victories
(which came on back to back nights in two different states last weekend) may
have taken its toll, physically and mentally. The Dragons will also be keen
to head into their derby against the Tigers tomorrow night with some
momentum. 2 units Dragons -2.5 at $1.90 or better (Centrebet)
Wildcats +7.5 vs Crocs
2 at 1.90
+1.8
Wildcats to bt Crocs
1 at 3.55
+2.55
The Crocs return from a 12 day hiatus as the
Wildcats come into town. Their last game was against the Wildcats, where
they ran away in the fourth quarter for a 17 point victory. This is the
Wildcats seventh game in the last seventeen days. They are likely to be
missing Crawford again, however, Weigh has stepped into his role admirably
and Kendall is a solid backup for him and Hinson. With a full week off
looming, I expect the Wildcats to be much more competitive and if they can
get their offence going early, they are decent chance at exacting some
revenge here. 2 units Wildcats +7.5 at $1.90 or better (Centrebet) 1 unit
Wildcats $3.40 or better (Centrebet is $3.55 at time of writing)
NBL - THURSDAY 16 OCTOBER
Breakers vs Blaze OVER 201.5
1 at 1.92
+0.92
After being humbled by the Taipans in front of
their home crowd last week, the Breakers will be looking to make amends as
they host the struggling Blaze. McGregor is unavailable for the Blaze but
they have a more than capable replacement in Vanderjagt. The matchup between
Heal and Bruton will be an intriguing one. They have been involved a number
of shootouts in recent years and I expect no different tonight. Bruton has a
lot more support and I expect the Breakers to attain a comfortable victory
as a result. I do give the overs a decent chance.
NBL - WEDNESDAY 15 OCTOBER
Wildcats -7.5 vs Hawks
1 at 1.91
+0.91
Game 3 in the space of two weeks between these
two teams (words just cannot describe how good the NBL are at their
scheduling). Both of the home teams came out on top (Wildcats by 13 points
and the Hawks required a buzzer beating three pointer to break the deadlock
in Wollongong last Friday). The Wildcats are on the backend of the toughest
part of their schedule. Crawford is in some doubt for this encounter. They
do have a lot of depth to cover his absence and adding Kendall (former King
who will play assuming his papers get cleared in time) only increases it. I
expect Redhage and Hinson to be too much for the Hawks and give them a
decent chance at covering the minus. 1 unit Wildcats -7.5 at $1.90 or better
(TAB)
NBL - SATURDAY 11 OCTOBER
Tigers vs 36ers over 203.5
1 at 1.85
+0.85
The Tigers lost on their home court a few days
ago and will be keen to make amends as the 36ers come into town. Barlow was
mildly concussed the other day but is expected to take his place. The 36ers
got trounced 9 days ago in New Zealand. They were missing 3 players in that
game and get two of them (their more significant players in Bruce and
Ballinger) back for this game. I expect a high scoring game from two very
potent offensive teams. 1 unit over 205.5 at $1.90 or better (TAB is 203.5
at $1.85 at time of writing)
Spirit +7.0 vs Wildcats
2 at 1.90
+1.8
Spirit to bt Wildcats
1 at 3.50
+2.5
Spirit vs Wildcats under 200.5
1 at 1.85
+0.85
Both of these teams played last night. The
Spirit prevailed by 6 points on the Gold Coast whilst the Wildcats were
edged out in Wollongong. The Spirit has the size in their frontcourt to
avoid being out-muscled here. Given that both teams are backing up (and
Perth is in the middle of a very tough part of their schedule), I like the
Spirit’s chances at home in what I believe will be a grinding type of game.
2 units Spirit +6.0 at $1.90 or better (TAB and IAS are +7.5 at $1.90 at
time of writing) 1 unit Spirit at $3.40 or better (TAB is $3.50 at time of
writing) 1 unit Under 197.5 at $1.90 or better (TAB is 200.5 at $1.85 and
Sportingbet are 199.5 at $1.90 at time of writing)
NBL - FRIDAY 10 OCTOBER
Wildcats vs Hawks
NO PLAY
Saville plays his 400th game in a Hawks
uniform tonight as the Wildcats, ‘fresh’ from their upset over the Tigers on
Wednesday, come into town. This will be the Wildcats 4th game in the last 10
days and they also have another one tomorrow night in Sydney. These two
teams met in Perth last week, with the Wildcats prevailing by 13 points. I
do wonder how much the victory over the Tigers took out of the Wildcats and
I also question whether or not the Hawks have their act together which is
why I am going to sit this one out.
Blaze vs Spirit over 192.5
1 at 1.90
-1
The only team yet to register a win this
season, the Blaze, host the Spirit (who has not played since the 27th of
September). It was not all rest and training for the Spirit during their
break. They played an exhibition game against former NBL side, the Slingers,
in Singapore. They arrived back in the country on Tuesday. A few of their
players picked up some niggles during the trip but they are all expected to
take their place. I feel this is a game where the Blaze will get their
offence working. I do still have question marks over their defence and I
expect a few points from both teams here. 1 unit over 192.5 at 1.90 or
better – TAB is 191.5 at 1.85 at time of writing.
NBL - THURSDAY 9 OCTOBER
Taipans +13.0 vs Breakers
1 at 1.93
+0.93
Over 196.5 or better (196.5)
1 at 1.85
+0.85
The Breakers have their fourth home game in a
row as the Taipans pay them a visit. The Breakers punished an under strength
Adelaide outfit last week whilst the Taipans got smashed by the Tigers at
home. The Taipans shot incredibly poor in this game (33% from the field). I
doubt that they will shoot that badly two games in a row as I expect Coach
Black to really emphasise taking better shots and give a better account of
themselves overall. In what I expect to be a high scoring game, I give the
Taipans a decent chance at the big start. Without Cattalini (done for DUI
over the weekend), I do not think that they will be able to steal the road
win. 1 unit over 199.5 at 1.90 or better (TAB is 196.5 at 1.85 at time of
writing).
NBL - WEDNESDAY 8 OCTOBER
Wildcats +12.0 vs Tigers
2 at 1.90
+1.8
Wildcats to bt Tigers
1 at 6.30
+5.3
Two teams who are expected to be right in the
mix come playoff time square off tonight. Last week, the Tigers attained a
comfortable victory in Cairns whilst the Wildcats split their home/away
double (the loss coming in Townsville). Hinson has caused the Tigers
problems in the past (against tougher point guards than what he will come up
against tonight) and I expect him along with the likes of Redhage and Knight
to keep the Wildcats competitive here. I also believe that the size and
overall depth that the Wildcats have will give them a decent shot at
stealing the road win.
NBL - SATURDAY 4 OCTOBER
Dragons -3.5 vs Hawks
1 at 1.90
+0.9
Both of these teams had a game a few days ago
with the Hawks getting trounced in Perth and the Dragons getting an easy win
on the Gold Coast. The Hawks will need Franklin (5 points at 25% shooting)
to have a much better game than he did the other day to stay competitive
here. He will have some pesky defenders matching up on him in the likes of
Gibson and Carter. With both teams having the short turnaround I fancy
Goorjian ensuring that his troops don’t let up and get another road win
here.
Crocs -1.5 vs Wildcats
2 at 1.90
+1.8
After beating the Hawks on their home court 3
days ago, the Wildcats travel from one side of the country to the other to
take on the Crocs. Whilst the Wildcats have shown signs of putting it all
together, their two wins (both at home) have come against the Blaze and the
Hawks, two teams who do not travel too well on the road. The Crocs in front
of their home fans are a different kettle of fish and I like the chances of
Williams and co getting the job done here.
NBL - THURSDAY 2 OCTOBER
Breakers vs 36ers
NO PLAY
Two of the most offensive teams in the NBL
square off in New Zealand tonight. The Breakers have a team full of great
shooters who have the ability to share the ball and find the open man. To
have a chance at stealing the road win, the 36ers will have to slow the
tempo down and get big man Schenscher involved in the offence with hopes of
minimising the Breakers ability to push the ball up the court, which will
make it harder for them to get their open looks at the basket. There is
nothing in the betting for me here as I also expect a high scoring game.
Blaze to bt Dragons
1 at 2.60
-1
Blaze +4.5 vs Dragons
2 at 1.90
-2
Shane Heal and the Blaze host his former team,
the Dragons. Heal did not depart on the greatest of terms at the back end of
last season and will be fired up for a big game. The Blaze welcomes back
Whitehead to the lineup. The score lines of their last few games have been
misleading as the Blaze have shown plenty of signs of turning the corner.
Goorjian will get the Dragons fired up after their poor showing against
Townsville last week but I believe the Blaze are still value at home here.
NBL - WEDNESDAY 1 OCTOBER
Perth -10.5 vs Wollongong
1 at 1.95
+0.95
The Hawks return from an 11 day hiatus (you
have to love the NBL scheduling) to resume their season in one of the
toughest venues in Australia to play in, Perth. Meanwhile, the Wildcats
notched up their first win of the season, cruising past the Blaze by 14
points at home last Friday. Hinson is starting to look more and more
comfortable in his new surrounds, his ability to find the open man off his
dribble penetration will become more and more valuable as this season
progresses. I give the Wildcats a decent chance at covering the big start as
they seem to be finding their feet and the Hawks could very well come out
flat after such a long layoff against what is a much deeper side in the
Wildcats.
+1.8
-2
PREMIER
LEAGUE 09
