NBL27 Season Preview, Predictions & Championship Odds
The NBL27 season sets up as one of the most competitive yet, with Adelaide 36ers emerging as the top pick for the championship after almost clinching it last season. They bring roster continuity, added defensive talent with Bul Kuol, and the guidance of proven coach Trevor Gleeson. While Melbourne United’s depth and Sydney’s pedigree remain formidable, Adelaide’s blend of stability and crucial upgrades gives them the edge. Bryce Cotton, already an MVP favorite, is predicted to stay at the top. Expect a thrilling season driven by elite guards and intense team rivalries.
- Adelaide 36ers tipped as NBL27 champions after strong off-season moves.
- Bryce Cotton picked to win another MVP; elite guard play is key.
- Melbourne United, Sydney Kings, and Tasmania JackJumpers are main challengers.
NBL27 Season Preview - Is This Adelaide's Year?
NBL27 arrives with more genuine contenders than clear favourites.
- NBL27 Season Preview - Is This Adelaide's Year?
- NBL27 Championship Odds
- The Championship Favourites
- Melbourne United are the other obvious heavyweight.
- Sydney, Tasmania and the Chasing Pack
- The Teams That Could Surprise
- NBL27 MVP Race
- Prediction: Bryce Cotton
- Kendrick Davis
- Cole Anthony
- The Smokies
- Who Wins NBL27?
Sydney enter as defending champions, Adelaide return almost the same group that came within a play of taking the title from them, Melbourne United have built one of the most fascinating rosters in recent NBL history and Tasmania finally look capable of challenging again if their health holds.
Then there is the individual talent.
Bryce Cotton is chasing history after winning another MVP, Kendrick Davis enters his third NBL season with an even bigger role in Sydney and 26-year-old Cole Anthony arrives at Melbourne United after 350 NBA games.
It sets up a season where the battle between the league's elite guards could ultimately decide both the MVP and the championship.
NBL27 Championship Odds
| Team | NBL27 Championship Odds |
|---|---|
| Melbourne United | $3.20 |
| Adelaide 36ers | $5.50 |
| Tasmania JackJumpers | $6.00 |
| Sydney Kings | $6.50 |
| South East Melbourne Phoenix | $10.00 |
| Perth Wildcats | $13.00 |
| Illawarra Hawks | $14.00 |
| Cairns Taipans | $19.00 |
| Brisbane Bullets | $23.00 |
| New Zealand Breakers | $23.00 |
Odds Correct as of 24-08-26 Neds
The Championship Favourites
Adelaide have perhaps the simplest case.
They were one layup away from becoming champions and have retained virtually the entire core while adding one of the league's best perimeter defenders in Bul Kuol. More importantly, Trevor Gleeson takes over a roster featuring Bryce Cotton, Isaac Humphries, Zylan Cheatham, Flynn Cameron and John Jenkins.
Gleeson's reunion with Cotton is significant, but Adelaide's ceiling may depend just as heavily on Cheatham becoming more aggressive offensively. The expectation is also that this will be a different Adelaide team despite the familiar personnel, with Gleeson introducing a new system and demanding much more defensively.
Melbourne United are the other obvious heavyweight.
Cole Anthony is the headline addition, but the roster goes considerably deeper. Luke Travers returns looking improved, Chris Golding remains one of the league's premier shooters, Sam Wardenburg provides frontcourt quality and Joe Ingles gives new coach Jacob Chance a player capable of filling almost any role.
The challenge is finding the right balance. Anthony could be the most talented individual player in the competition, but Melbourne may actually be better if he does not need to dominate every possession. Their strength is the number of different ways they can hurt teams.
United's versatility may be their greatest weapon. Ingles can cover multiple positions and Travers gives them another flexible two-way piece, creating the type of roster that can shorten its rotation without becoming predictable.
Sydney, Tasmania and the Chasing Pack
The Sydney Kings have the championship, but defending it may require an even bigger season from Kendrick Davis.
Jaylin Galloway, Bul Kuol and other important pieces have moved on, leaving Davis with more responsibility alongside an ageing Matthew Dellavedova. That could hurt Sydney's depth while simultaneously strengthening Davis' MVP case.
The defending champions still have enough quality to contend, but the road back looks more difficult than it did 12 months ago.
Tasmania might be the most dangerous team outside Adelaide and Melbourne.
Taran Armstrong returns to Australia with the keys to Scott Roth's team, joining a group featuring Will Magnay, Josh Bannan, David Johnson, Nick Marshall, Dakota Mathias and eventually Bryce Hamilton. The roster was described as championship calibre before the biggest caveat was immediately added: health.
If Magnay and the rest of the core remain available, the JackJumpers have the depth and physical identity to make another serious run. Armstrong is the X-factor. Tasmania are asking him to control a team built to contend immediately, and how quickly his style fits with Roth's structure could determine their ceiling.
Perth remain difficult to assess until their point guard situation is completely settled. Christian Doolittle should again be among the league's best players and the Wildcats have talent around him, but the final backcourt piece could dramatically alter their championship outlook.
The Teams That Could Surprise
Brisbane are the biggest unknown, but perhaps the most interesting.
Will Weaver has constructed a roster that will play differently from many of its rivals. Rather than relying on another high-usage scoring guard, Brisbane have built around a bigger, pass-first point guard alongside Tyrell Harrison, Nate Hinton, Jaylen Williams and highly rated youngster Max McKinnon.
The expectation is that their new point guard could be among the league leaders in assists, while McKinnon is being asked to step straight into a significant role.
Chemistry could take time, but the talent is good enough for Brisbane to push into the postseason. The source discussion went as far as identifying them as a legitimate finals possibility if the pieces come together.
New Zealand are harder to trust.
Parker Jackson-Cartwright remains an elite guard and Sam Mennenga has the potential to take another major step, but defensive depth is the concern. Gordon Herbert is an enormous coaching addition, yet the Breakers need to find reliable answers against a league overflowing with elite point guards.
Cairns are another side worth watching, particularly because of 17-year-old Luke Paul. Jack McVeigh, Keanu Pinder and the pieces surrounding him give the young guard a strong environment to develop, but asking the Taipans to immediately join the championship group would be a much bigger leap.
NBL27 MVP Race
Bryce Cotton
Prediction: Bryce Cotton
The easiest MVP prediction is still Bryce Cotton until somebody beats him.
Cotton enters as the reigning winner and has the chance to draw level with Andrew Gaze on seven MVP awards. Adelaide should again win plenty of games and Cotton remains one of the fiercest competitors in the league.
The only concern is that Trevor Gleeson may manage his minutes more carefully and Adelaide now have enough weapons to reduce the amount Cotton needs to carry them.
Kendrick Davis
This feels like the season where everything aligns for Davis.
His first two NBL campaigns have established him among the competition's elite, but the changed Sydney roster should put the ball in his hands even more often. He averaged fewer minutes than Bryce Cotton last season, and increasing that workload from roughly 28 minutes towards the mid-30s could produce another jump statistically.
Sydney still need him to win games. Davis wants the award. And unlike Melbourne, there should be no question about whose team this is.
Cole Anthony
Anthony is the wildcard.
A 26-year-old former NBA first-round pick with 350 games at that level clearly has the talent to dominate the NBL. Whether he produces an MVP season depends more on role than ability.
Melbourne need him to create, distribute and utilise the talent around him rather than simply chase 30 points every night. That creates the unusual possibility that Anthony could be the league's best player without being its most valuable statistically.
The Smokies
Kristian Doolittle should again feature prominently for Perth, while Nathan Sobey remains capable of forcing himself into the conversation.
Luke Travers could become Melbourne's most important all-round player even with Anthony alongside him, and Sam Mennenga has openly set himself the target of reaching MVP level after showing stretches of dominant basketball last season.
Taran Armstrong is another intriguing outsider if Tasmania emerge as a top team, while Brisbane's new point guard could become a genuine surprise candidate if his European production translates immediately.
Who Wins NBL27?
Adelaide are the pick.
Melbourne may have the deepest roster and Sydney have the championship pedigree, but the 36ers combine continuity with exactly the changes they needed.
Bul Kuol gives them the perimeter defender they lacked, Gleeson gives the team a championship-proven coach and Cotton remains capable of deciding any game or series.
Most importantly, they know exactly how close they came.
Melbourne United are the biggest obstacle. If Anthony accepts the role the roster requires and Travers makes the jump expected of him, United could have too many weapons for anyone to handle.
But after falling one play short last season, Adelaide are our NBL27 championship prediction, with Bryce Cotton taking another NBL MVP.
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