Adelaide 36ers vs Melbourne United NBL betting preview – 25/2/21

Adelaide 36ers vs Melbourne United NBL betting preview

Can the Adelaide 36ers steal back-to-back underdog victories this Thursday when they tackle the powerful Melbourne United at John Cain Arena in round seven of the NBL 2020/21 season?

The campaign kicked off with a clash between these teams in which the full-strength United roster obliterated the new-look 36ers, but the situation has changed drastically since.

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Chris Goulding has led by example this season with his accurate shooting and vast experience, but the United captain will miss this clash with a calf strain that could see him sidelined until mid-March.

Goulding was a key component for United when they beat the 36ers earlier in the season, scoring an equal team-high 16 points that included five shots from beyond the arc.

Without their most gifted scorer, United went down for the first time this season against the Perth Wildcats, and they will need to be at their best to beat the in-form 36ers.

Adelaide 36ers vs Melbourne United NBL betting tips

Isaac Humphries to score 20+ points

Up-and-coming Adelaide centre Isaac Humphries is turning into the most important player on the 36ers roster, as his skills on both ends of the floor are improving by the day. Humphries played his worst game of the season on opening night against United, where he only registered 11 minutes, but his game is completely different now and he should use his big body to score frequently on the smaller Jock Landale.

Over 171.5 total points

Both sides either score heavily or play tight defence in almost all of their matches, with very few outcomes falling in between, and we think this will be one of their high-scoring games. United are gradually adjusting to offence without Goulding, while the 36ers are coming off a 99-point game against SEM Phoenix on Tuesday.

Adelaide 36ers +5.5

The main reason the 36ers lost on opening night was because Goulding got on top of them early and United ran out the match better. But now that the Melbourne skipper is not playing and the 36ers’ young players have had a taste of the elite level, we can see Adelaide pushing until the final buzzer. There could be another big upset on the cards if the Sixers play four consistent quarters.

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