NBL Playoffs Round 1 Expert Tips & Predictions

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The NBL semifinals tip off on Thursday and Friday, and we have NBL tips for every game

There is plenty of value with NBL betting odds for Melbourne vs Illawarra and Perth vs Tasmania, who start their finals campaigns with Round 1.

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NBL Playoffs Round 1 Tips

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Thursday 7^th March

7.30pm Melbourne United vs Illawarra Hawks @ John Cain Arena

Melbourne United has been waiting for the Illawarra Hawks for over a week, and they should be well-rested by now.

After dominating the regular season with 20 wins from 28 games, United is clearly back to its best after a few down years. They are the favourites to win the NBL title, but first they need to get past the Hawks in Game 1 of the best-of-three series.

Illawarra got into the semifinals by beating the New Zealand Breakers on Monday night. It was a tense battle, and putting the Breakers into foul trouble was the winning of the game.

Justin Robinson was terrific, dropping all 14 free throws, and that helped the Hawks prevail in front of a home crowd.

However, beating United at John Cain Arena is another test. United hasn’t lost to the Hawks this season, and we can’t see that changing in Game 1 of the playoffs.

United has the best roster in the NBL, and that should count for plenty on Thursday night.

The sportsbook has United at $1.28 to win outright and –7.5 with points spread markets. Look for Melbourne to apply early pressure and score a comfortable victory.

Bet: Melbourne United –7.5 @ $1.90

United by 10

Friday 8^th March

9:30pm Perth Wildcats vs Tasmania JackJumpers @ RAC Arena

Much like Melbourne, Perth has been waiting for the JackJumpers to arrive following the seeding game.

The Wildcats have MVP Bryce Cotton at their disposal, and he’s good enough to change the game in the blink of an eye.

He is having another amazing season, and that’s why the Wildcats are favoured to win the opening game of their playoff campaign. However, they’re not as short as we thought they would be.

Bookmakers have the Wildcats at $1.67 and the JackJumpers at $2.20. We expected odds of around $1.50 for the Wildcats, so the visitors are being respected.

Tasmania has done well considering it’s in its second year in the NBL. The JackJumpers got into the semifinals via a win over the Hawks in the seeding round, and they played well in that game.

There is enough talent on the JackJumpers roster to give the Wildcats a scare. They have Will Magnay and Jack McVeigh, who have played well throughout the year.

This series could come down to which team is playing at home. With the Wildcats getting home court advantage in the opener, we give them the edge.

We’re happy with the current odds and the –2.5 line is also worth taking. They should win by at least three points, and there is always a big advantage to playing in Perth in front of a sold-out crowd at RAC Arena.

Betting tip: Perth Wildcats –2.5 @ $1.90

Wildcats by 5