Franklin Bulls vs Wellington Saints Prediction, Tips & Odds – Jul. 20, 2023
Franklin Bulls vs Wellington Saints Prediction 20.07.2023. The playoffs are finally upon us in the NZ NBL. On Thursday it is time for the preliminary finals or the quarter-finals with the winners getting a chance to book their ticket for the semi-finals.
The preliminary final that caught our eye is the mouthwatering clash between the fourth-placed Franklin Bulls, who will welcome the fifth-placed Wellington Saints at the Trusts Arena. The Bulls narrowly missed out on a top 2 finish in the regular season and will be hoping to take down the reinvigorated and ever-dangerous Wellington Saints, who finished their campaign with a surprising win over the top seed Auckland Tuatara.
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Franklin Bulls vs Wellington Saints Odds
Franklin Bulls vs Wellington Saints Moneyline: 2.344/1.595
Asian Handicap (+3.5/-3.5): 1.88/1.88
Total Over/Under (187.5): 1.88/1.88
Odds via 22Bet Sportsbook.
Franklin Bulls Team News
The Franklin Bulls have definitely been the most pleasant suprise of this year´s edition of the league. Despite finishing the season with a couple of hiccups, they still managed to occupy the fourth place and finish with an impressive 12-6 W-L record narrowly missing out on a top 2 finish.
They could have booked a direct semi-final berth with a win in the last round against the Canterbury Rams, but fell just short and are now forced to play this very demanding preliminary final tie against the Wellington Saints.
The defense of the Franklin Bulls has been a stark contrast compared to the guests, as the team from Pukekohe has only allowed 85 ppg and had two guards nominated for the Defensive Player of the Year. Both Rickey McGill and Jamaal Brantley failed to win the prize but prove how much grit and determination the Bulls have on the defensive end, which might be crucial in today´s matchup against one of the worst defenses in the league.
The @CanterburyRams charge home in the fourth quarter to beat the @franklinbullsnz 103-89 💪@original_tev10 recorded 25 PTS with four 3-pointers for the Rams 🔥
— Sal’s NBL (@nznbl) July 14, 2023
Max Darling: 22 PTS, 7-10 FG
Troy Baxter Jr.: 22 PTS, 7-12 FG
Dan Fotu totalled 22 PTS on 8-of-9 shooting from the… pic.twitter.com/AsNqUlBSsa
Wellington Saints Team News
We got a clear picture of how unpredictable and unstable the Wellington Saints have been this year, when they surprisingly took down the first-placed Auckland Tuatara away from home in the final round of the regular season.
Following a 3-game losing streak, the Wellington Saints actually finished the season with two straight and much-needed wins over the Tuatara and the Jets. At first it appeared their late-season American import reinforcement Elijah Thomas was not a good fit since they dropped the first three games with him on board, but he has finally managed to adjust and find some chemistry producing big and crucial numbers in the final two wins.
With seven players on the roster averaging double figures, scoring has not been an issue for the Saints. However, defense has as their team allowed almost 96 ppg mostly looking to outscore opponents with their most versatile frontcourt in the league.
The stage is set! 🤩🏆
— Sal’s NBL (@nznbl) July 16, 2023
➡️Thursday: Rams (3) vs. Hawks (6) at 6:30pm
➡️Thursday: Bulls (4) vs. Saints (5) at 8:30pm
➡️Friday: Tuatara (1) vs. Lowest Seed Winner at 7pm
➡️Saturday: Nuggets (2) vs. Highest Seed Winner at 7pm
➡️Sunday: Grand Final at 6pm
🎟️Tickets here:… pic.twitter.com/d7kYmXb9C0
Franklin Bulls vs Wellington Saints Prediction
The Saints have been poor defensively and defense wins championships, which could be the difference-maker in today´s contest. The Bulls have managed to beat Wellington twice this season, but without the impact of Elijah Thomas on the floor for the Saints.
He could provide the necessary spark to finally take down the Bulls, who will also be without a very important role player Matthew Freeman. The public favoures the away team in this game and we agree, but we would avoid predicting the winner and opted for the Total Under.
Tip-off Time: Thursday, 20.07.2023. 08:30 PM Local Time NZST(GMT+12)/ Thursday, 20.07.2023., 10:30 CET
Prediction: Total Under 187.5
Odds(when tipped): 1.88
Sportsbook: 22bet
