Hawks v Wildcats NBL betting tips & odds – Saturday, December 31

New Years eve NBL action tips off in Wollongong with the Hawks hosting the Perth Wildcats from the WIN Entertainment Centre.

The Wildcats had won four in a row before a surprising loss to the Brisbane Bullets in Brisbane, while the Hawks are looking to snap a five game losing streak.

Perth have slipped out of the ‘play-in tournament’ bracket on the NBL ladder and a win on Saturday would see them elevated above the loser of the Taipans v 36ers match that will close out New Years Eve.

Illawarra continue to dwell at the bottom of the NBL ladder and are a long way from featuring in any NBL post-season action.

The Wildcats have won four of their last five matches against the Hawks, including a win on the road in Wollongong. The two most recent losses for the Wildcats have only been against the Bullets, which suggests they are simply an ‘Achilles heel’ of the Wildcats. Wins over the Taipans and Breakers in recent weeks gives the Wildcats much better form than the Hawks could possibly have and are almost a certainty to win this match by 11+ points paying $2.30.

Of the last five matches between these two sides, there have certainly been some low scoring affairs.

However, when these two sides have met and the Hawks have hosted, the results have been much higher scoring which suggests the Wildcats enjoy the road trip. Look for this trend to continue as Saturday’s match exceeds the 173.5 total match points paying $1.85.

Bryce Cotton now leads the NBL in scoring at just under 24 points and is the star of the Wildcats outfit. Cotton is supported in the back court by Corey Webster and often on the perimeter by Brady Manek. This trio can score from any time around the perimeter and that threat leaves opposition sides open to penetration from passing lanes to score at the basket. Look for these three players to get hot and make the Wildcats the team with the highest scoring quarter of the match paying $1.48.

Key matchup: Sam Froling v Bryce Cotton

The battle on the court between Bryce Cotton and Hawks captain Sam Froling will be the focal point of this match. Cotton is the most elite scorer in the NBL who can put the ball in the basket from anywhere on the court as well as being able to put the ball in his teammates hands to score too. Froling will be leading this Hawks side as he normally does, but has a huge gap to bridge to keep Cotton in order to make his Hawks a winning side.

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