Brisbane Bullets vs Illawarra Hawks Predictions & Betting Tips - Harrison to Stay Hot

Jeremy Darke

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Last updated: Wed 23 Sep 2026 09:07

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Jeremy Darke 28 minutes ago

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Brisbane Bullets favored at -2.5 after comeback win over New Zealand.
Tyrell Harrison tipped for 20+ points; Arnas Velička strong in support.
William Hickey's rebounding (7+) is a highlight for Illawarra.
Brisbane Bullets vs Illawarra Hawks at Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Friday, September 25, tip-off at 7:30pm AEST

Brisbane Bullets vs Illawarra Hawks Predictions

Brisbane Bullets vs Illawarra Hawks Prediction & Betting Tips – NBL 2026-27

Tyrell Harrison 20+ points is the player prop I like most when Brisbane host Illawarra on Friday night, with Brisbane -2.5 and William Hickey 7+ rebounds completing the card.

Brisbane Bullets vs Illawarra Hawks Prediction & Betting Tips – NBL 2026-27
Key Stats and Betting Trends
Brisbane Bullets vs Illawarra Hawks Head to Head
Brisbane Bullets Form
Illawarra Hawks Form

Brisbane opened their season with an 88-85 win over New Zealand, and while it wasn't exactly smooth sailing, there was plenty to like once they got going. The Bullets came from 11 points down in the second half, with Arnas Velička immediately looking at home running the offence.

That's particularly good news for Harrison. The Brisbane big man finished with 22 points on 10-of-13 shooting, and Velička dished out 14 assists. If those two keep connecting like that, Harrison's 20+ line at 1.95 looks very playable.

Illawarra have had five days to stew over a 95-81 loss to the same Breakers team. The Hawks should be better than they showed in Auckland, but with their frontcourt already undergoing some renovations, Brisbane getting only 2.5 points to cover at home is enough for me.

Key Stats and Betting Trends

Brisbane beat New Zealand 88-85 after trailing by 11 points during the second half.
Tyrell Harrison scored 22 points on 10-of-13 shooting in Brisbane's opener.
William Hickey produced 18 points, nine rebounds and five assists against New Zealand.
Illawarra scored only 81 points in their season opener, losing by 14 to the Breakers.

Brisbane Bullets vs Illawarra Hawks Head to Head

Date	Home Team	Score	Line	Total Points
26/01/2026	BRI	ILL 113-75	ILL -12.5	O 183.5
11/12/2025	ILL	ILL 100-85	ILL -7.0	U 188.5
11/10/2025	ILL	ILL 116-89	ILL -3.5	O 184.0
20/01/2025	ILL	ILL 121-87	ILL -18.0	O 199.5
27/12/2024	BRI	ILL 102-84	ILL -6.0	U 207.5

Brisbane Bullets Form

Brisbane started NBL27 with an 88-85 win over New Zealand on Tuesday. They had to work for it after falling 11 behind during the second half, but finished strongly and held the Breakers to 85 points after New Zealand had scored 95 against Illawarra two days earlier.

Velička couldn't have done much more in his first regular-season appearance, finishing with 23 points and 14 assists. Harrison was the major beneficiary inside, scoring 22 points, while Nate Hinton added plenty around the box score.

The obvious concern is the turnaround. Brisbane have only two full days between games while Illawarra haven't played since Sunday. That makes the Bullets' second-half performance against New Zealand encouraging, but it also gives me more reason to take the full-game line rather than Brisbane in the first quarter or first half.

Illawarra Hawks Form

Correct. That was my mistake. Illawarra are not the defending NBL champions. I carried an incorrect description into the form section.

Hickey was one of the brighter spots with 18 points, nine rebounds and five assists. That nine-rebound performance is what brings his 7+ market into play here. He's a guard, but rebounding has always been part of what makes Hickey such an awkward matchup, and the Hawks are happy to give him serious minutes.

There's already movement in the frontcourt too. Illawarra are reportedly preparing to part ways with Darius Days after he played fewer than seven minutes in Round 1, with another import centre being considered to support Sam Froling. It's hardly ideal timing before facing a Harrison-Velička combination that clicked immediately for Brisbane.

Verdict

Brisbane Bullets v Illawarra Hawks

Take Brisbane -2.5 with Tyrell Harrison pick up at least 20 points. Dave Hickey will be one of the best for Illawarra with 7+ assists.

Brisbane -2.5

Handicap/Line

$1.91 - 3 Units

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Tyrell Harrison

20+ Points

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William Hickey

7+ Assists

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