NBL26 Round 15

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Illawarra Hawks vs Cairns Taipans NBL26 Round 15 Tips - Hawks tipped to get the WIN at Home

Ryan Tucker

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Fact Checked by Jeremy Darke

Last updated: Fri 02 Jan 2026 11:15

Ryan Tucker 02 Jan 2026

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Illawarra Hawks vs Cairns Taipans expert predictions for Saturday’s Round 15 NBL matchup
Tip-off is at 5:30 PM AEDT at WIN Entertainment Centre
Illawarra tipped for victory at home against Cairns.
Sam Froling expected to impact with 10+ rebounds.
Both teams have high turnover rates, but Illawarra's pace favors them.

Illawarra Hawks vs Cairns Taipans NBL26 Round 15 Tips

Illawarra Hawks vs Cairns Taipans NBL25 Round 15 Expert Tips

Illawarra and Cairns have split the season series so far 1-1 with each team winning on the road. The Hawks are tipped to flip the script by winning this one as the favourite at home.

Illawarra Hawks vs Cairns Taipans NBL25 Round 15 Expert Tips
Head to Head
Last 5 Match Results
Offensive & Defensive Rankings
Illawarra Hawks Form & Team News
Cairns Taipans Form & Team News
Illawarra Hawks vs Cairns Taipans Frequently Asked Questions

The most recent matchup was at WIN Entertainment centre on 6th December where Cairns won 93-76 despite not having Jack McVeigh or Sam Waardenburg on the court and playing only 8 players.

The Hawks shot just 38% from the field and 22.7% from deep in that game in comparison to the Taipans 43.7% from the field and 41.9% from the perimeter. Cairns have won 3 in a row at the WEC and Jack McVeigh is the highest average scorer in the league since Round 9.

But Illawarra just put away the JackJumpers and with Sam Froling back on the floor, are a more dynamic scoring outfit under the rim. Cairns allow the 2nd highest FG% to opponents this season and while both teams have high turnover rates, the pace of the Hawks should ensure they have more opportunity at the scoring end.

Take Illawarra to win and cover at home, their Team Total to go Over 94.5 pts and Sam Froling to take 10+ rebounds.

Illawarra’s average winning margin is 11.4 pts and are the team with the highest pace this season.
Cairns’ average losing margin this season is 20.4 pts and they are the 9th ranked defensive team in the league.
Sam Froling has had 10+ rebounds in both of his games since returning from injury.
Cairns are 9th in offensive rebounding and 10th in defensive rebounding.

Head to Head

Last 5 Match Results

Date	Home Team	Score	Line	Total Points
06/12/2025	ILL	CAI 93-76	CAI +13.5	U 185.5
07/11/2025	CAI	ILL 107-90	ILL -7.0	O 182.0
23/01/2025	CAI	CAI 100-94	CAI +13.5	U 198.5
03/01/2025	ILL	CAI 108-105	CAI +19.0	O 193.5
19/10/2024	CAI	ILL 87-75	ILL -7.0	U 185.5

Offensive & Defensive Rankings

ILL Off	Rank	Stat	Rank	CNS Def
88.5	5	PPG	9	95.6
45.1	1	RPG	10	44
45.4%	3	FG%	9	46.1%
31.2%	8	3P%	3	30.3%
14.7	9	TOV	10	7.9

ILL Def	Rank	Stat	Rank	CNS Off
96.8	10	PPG	10	81.6
42.9	8	RPG	10	38.5
43.8%	4	FG%	9	43.3%
34.2%	9	3P%	4	32.8%
10.2	9	TOV	8	13.1

Illawarra Hawks Form & Team News

Illawarra snapped a 3 game losing streak on New Years Eve with a 92-90 win over the visiting Tasmania JackJumpers.

As has been the storyline all season long for the Hawks, they shot 50% from the field and 41.7% from distance leading to the victory. The Illawarra bench also outscored their opponent 37-27, reminding fans of how dominant their second unit was last season.

The Hawks currently rank 5th in scoring with 88.5 pts per game but are 10th in scoring defence, allowing opponents 96.8 pts per game.

Cairns Taipans Form & Team News

Cairns slumped to their 3 straight defeat and 5-16 record on New Years Eve, getting outplayed by the South East Melbourne Phoenix 111-96.

The Taipans actually won the first quarter 28-21 but then were outscored 63-44 in the 2nd half, allowing their opponent to shoot 64% from 2pt range during the match. Cairns rank 2nd last in the league in opponent FG%.

Cairns were lead in scoring by Jack McVeigh with 26 pts while Sam Waardenburg added 22 pts, 6 boards and 3 assists. But turnovers hampered them, McVeigh having 5 to just 2 assists and Andrew Andrews committing 6 to his 9 assists.

Illawarra Hawks vs Cairns Taipans Frequently Asked Questions

What time does Illawarra Hawks vs Cairns Taipans start?

Tip-off between Illawarra Hawks vs Cairns Taipans is at 5:30 PM AEDT, Saturday, January 3

What channel is Illawarra Hawks vs Cairns Taipans on?

You can watch Illawarra Hawks vs Cairns Taipans on ESPN via Kayo and Foxtel.

Verdict

Illawarra Hawks v Cairns Taipans

Take Illawarra to win and cover at home, their Team Total to go Over 94.5 pts and Sam Froling to take 10+ rebounds.

Illawarra -6.5

Line

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Hawks over 94.5

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Sam Froling 10+

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