Adelaide 36ers vs SEM Phoenix NBL betting preview – 23/2/2021

Adelaide 36ers vs South East Melbourne Phoenix NBL betting preview

The first round of the NBL Cup will finish with a massive clash between the Adelaide 36ers and South East Melbourne Phoenix at John Cain Arena this Tuesday.

This will be the third time these teams have clashed this season. The 36ers won the first clash in a double-overtime thriller, while the Phoenix were too classy in the second.

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SEM will start as a slight favourite after two consecutive wins, but you can expect a strong contest from a 36ers side looking to snap a two-match losing streak.

South East Melbourne’s recent form has lifted the team into the top three on the NBL ladder, while Adelaide has dropped down to sixth with its 5-5 record.

There have already been plenty of upsets in Melbourne’s round-robin competition, and we could see another one this Tuesday if the 36ers are switched on.

Adelaide 36ers vs South East Melbourne Phoenix NBL betting predictions

Averaging 18 points per game in 2021, Mitch Creek has only broken the 20-point mark on three occasions, but his season-high 30 came against the 36ers back in round one. Creek is clearly the most consistent scorer for the Phoenix and will be a threat again for this clash, as his best teammate, Keifer Sykes, is playing great basketball and spreading the floor well on offence.

The 36ers have a bad habit of fading away late, which was made apparent when they scored just 26 points in the second half against the Sydney Kings last time out. Not only are the 36ers failing to run out matches, the first halves of their earlier clashes with SEM were both higher scoring, as these teams like to burst out of the gate.

Following their excellent form against the Brisbane Bullets, SEM Phoenix should overpower Adelaide this Tuesday. The younger 36ers players are starting to fatigue as the short turnaround between matches takes its toll, which will be evident as they back up from their loss to the Kings on Sunday night.

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