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Illawarra Hawks vs Brisbane Bullets NBL25 Tips - Hawks expected to dominate the paint on their way to victory

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Last updated: 19 Jan 2025
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Ryan Tucker 19 Jan 2025
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  • Illawarra Hawks vs Brisbane Bullets expert predictions for Monday’s Round 17 NBL matchup
  • Tip-off is at 7:30 PM AEDT at WIN Entertainment Centre
  • Illawarra expected to sweep series against Brisbane.
  • Hawks excel in Points in the Paint; Brisbane struggles defensively.
  • Key players: Sam Froling, Trey Kell III, anticipate high scores.
Expired
Sam Froling
Sam Froling of the Hawks dunks. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

Illawarra Hawks vs Brisbane Bullets NBL25 Tips


Illawarra will sweep the season series with the Bullets by winning this game by a comfortable margin. 
  • Illawarra Hawks vs Brisbane Bullets NBL25 Tips
  • Head to Head 
  • 2024/25 Match Results
  • 2023/24 Season Series
  • Offensive & Defensive Rankings
  • Illawarra Hawks Form & Team News
  • Brisbane Bullets Form & Team News
  • Illawarra Hawks vs Brisbane Bullets Frequently Asked Questions

It’s the third time this season these teams will meet with Illawarra taking dominant wins in both prior matchups. The Hawks are the best scoring team in the league this season and have shown this by scoring 100+ points in 11 of their last 13 games. In both games against the Bullets they have reached triple digits with Points in the Paint the overwhelming statistic.

Brisbane allowed 56 points in the paint to the Hawks in their game in September then followed that up in December by allowing 62 points in the paint to their opponent. The Bullets are dead last in the league in this statistic and most recently allowed Cairns to score 48 pts under the rim despite them being the worst team to do so this season.

My expectation is that Sam Froling and Trey Kell III from the starters as well as Lachie Olbrich and Will Hickey from the bench unit will attack this weakness of Brisbane leading to a high scoring game from the Hawks.

Take Illawarra to cover the line and go Over their Team Total. Sam Froling points Over as well as either Hickey or Olbrich Over once those odds are released.

  • Illawarra won both games against Brisbane earlier this season by 12 and 18 points respectively.
  • Brisbane are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games.
  • The Bullets give up the most points in the paint of any team in the NBL at 46.1 per game.
  • Sam Froling leads the league in Points in the Paint averaging 12.8 of his 14.7 season average under the rim. 

Head to Head 


2024/25 Match Results


Sep 27th 24: Illawarra 113-101 Brisbane
Dec 27th 24: Brisbane 84-102 Illawarra

2023/24 Season Series


Brisbane Bullets won 2-1

Offensive & Defensive Rankings


ILL OffRankStatRankBRI Def
100.71PPG996.9
43.71RPG237.9
48.3%1FG%1049.3%
35.8%43P%937.7%
101TOV611.8

ILL DefRankStatRankBRI Off
92.56PPG692.9
404RPG640.7
44.8%2FG%646.3%
34.8%33P%138.0%
12.25TOV1013.4

Illawarra Hawks Form & Team News


Illawarra regained their composure following the loss to Adelaide last Monday, to beat down on Melbourne United on Saturday, winning 117-95.

The Hawks led at every break, dictating terms on their home court against the second placed United. The extra pressure and energy from Illawarra was the difference taking 19 offensive boards and 25 second chance points.

On the defensive end they managed to hold Chris Goulding to just 14 points in the contest, all in the first half. Wani Swaka Lo Buluk was as effective as ever hassling the Melbourne offence at key times of the game. 

Trey Kell III top scored with 23pts while Lachie Olbrich added 18pts off the bench as the Hawks continue to be on the best teams with bench points per game.

Brisbane Bullets Form & Team News


The Bullets sit 2.5 games out of the top 6 and whilst they mathematically still have a chance to make it to finals it seems an insurmountable task.

Their most recent hit out against the last placed Cairns Taipans ended in a 111-80 loss with the Taipans scoring 48 points in the paint against the undersized Bullets defence. Casey Prather continues to do Casey Prather things, scoring 22 pts to lead his team in scoring while also collecting 10 rebounds.  

Brisbane also allowed their opponent to make 16 of 29 shots from deep in the game, a rate which dwarfs the season average of 37.6% the Bullets have allowed their opponents. 

The injury list on the NBL website has not been updated but 3 Bullets players are listed as out for the season while Deng Adel, Rocco Zikarsky and Tyrell Harrison are all missing timelines to return.

Illawarra Hawks vs Brisbane Bullets Frequently Asked Questions

What time does Illawarra Hawks vs Brisbane Bullets start?

Tip-off between Illawarra Hawks vs Brisbane Bullets is at 7:30 PM AEDT, Monday 20th January

What channel is Illawarra Hawks vs Brisbane Bullets on?

You can watch Illawarra Hawks vs Brisbane Bullets on ESPN via Kayo and Foxtel.

Verdict

Take Illawarra to cover the line and go Over their Team Total. Sam Froling points Over as well as either Hickey or Olbrich Over once those odds are released.
Best Bet1: Illawarra -13.5 Line $1.90 at picklebet - 1 Unit
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Betting Slip | 20 Jan 2025

Illawarra Hawks v Brisbane Bullets