Illawarra Hawks vs NZ Breakers NBL betting tips – Round 18

The Illawarra Hawks can jump into the top three teams in the NBL 2020-21 standings with a win this Saturday with a win over the New Zealand Breakers at WIN Entertainment Centre.

Last season’s clashes between the Hawks and Breakers were be headlined by LaMelo Ball and RJ Hampton, who are now playing very good basketball in the NBA.

Tai Webster now leads the Breakers in points and assists, while Tyler Harvey and Justinian Jessup are the best scorers for the Hawks. Jessup will eventually join Ball and Hampton in the NBA, as he is currently contracted with the Golden State Warriors.

The Hawks have won their last two matches to leapfrog the Sydney Kings into fourth position on the NBL ladder, placing them inside the finals cutoff with just four rounds of the regular season remaining.

The New Zealand Breakers are currently second-last in the standings after losing three straight matches, sitting just ahead of the Cairns Taipans with no chance to impact the playoffs.

This will be the third clash of the 2021 NBL season between the Hawks and Breakers, but it will be the first battle on Illawarra’s home court. With two wins under their belt against New Zealand already, this is the Hawks’ match to lose.

Illawarra Hawks vs New Zealand Breakers betting tips

Illawarra Hawks to win by 11+ points

Coming off a critical win over the Adelaide 36ers, the Hawks should put the Breakers to the sword this Saturday. Tyler Harvey packed on 29 points in the round 16 victory over New Zealand, and he should thrive again in front of his home fans in Wollongong.

Under 166.5 total points

All seven of the Hawks’ most recent outings have gone under this Saturday’s total points line, while their last clash with the Breakers did not even break the 145-point mark. Ladbrokes is offering great value for the unders, as most other bookmakers have line at around 160.5 points.