South East Melbourne Phoenix vs. Illawarra Hawks Prediction, Tips & Odds – Dec. 08, 2022 09:30 CET
The second game on Thursday´s NBL schedule is a very interesting clash between the South East Melbourne Phoenix and the Illawarra Hawks.
We found the best odds for this game at the popular Bet365 sportsbook. You will get an attractive Welcome Bonus for all newly registered customers if you register today. Check our article if you wonder how to claim this Bet365 Welcome Bonus.
South East Melbourne Phoenix Team News
Phoenix´s poor results at the start of the season came as no surprise with all the injuries plaguing their squad. It was only a matter of time before they started winning thanks to their roster depth, which recently received a new boost with the addition of their third import player Gary Browne.
Despite their rise of form, the Melbourne Phoenix are still unstable defensively and suffer a shock blowout loss from time to time, but overall they are starting to look like title contenders. For today´s game they will finally have a full squad available since the end of October as their talisman and special Asian import player, Qi Zhou, will return and will give them the extra edge on the boards with his vital off the bench role.
Illawarra Hawks Team News
The Illawarra Hawks took advantage of United´s roster woes on Monday to finally snap their embarrassing 9-game losing streak and rekindle their hopes of making the playoffs. Captain Sam Froling led all scorers with a career night of 29 points, but the main x-factor was Illawarra´s new import signing Michael Frazier,who had an impressive all-around game with 16 points, 7 boards and 5 dimes.
Today, the Hawks are looking for their first back-to-back wins of the season and also their third win overall. Since the Aussie NBL is a very tight league with not a lot of difference in class, Illawarra can still make the playoffs with plenty of games left on their schedule.
South East Melbourne Phoenix vs. Illawarra Hawks Prediction
The Hawks are on the rise after their terrific display against United, but we can´t back them against a full squad Phoenix in Melbourne. Both teams will be more or less complete with a full import quota, so in our opinion the most optimal option is the Total Over.
The Phoenix have the capability to score a 100+ points in three quarters if their threes start falling, while Illawarra have finally woken up and looked very sound offensively against United.
Kick-off time: Thursday, 08.12.2022 09:30 CET
Prediction: Alternative Game Total – Over 171.0
Odds: 1.85
Sportsbook: bet365
