Perth Wildcats vs Cairns Taipans NBL26 Round 20 Tips - Value In Following Taipans

Ryan Tucker

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Last updated: Wed 04 Feb 2026 09:45

Ryan Tucker 04 Feb 2026

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Perth Wildcats vs Cairns Taipans expert predictions for Friday’s Round 20 NBL matchup
Tip-off is at 9:30 PM AEDT at RAC Arena
Perth aims for a top 4 finish by sweeping Cairns.
Wildcats strong on defense, Cairns boost recent scoring.
Betting odds: Taipans may cover +15.5 as underdogs.

Perth Wildcats vs Cairns Taipans

Perth Wildcats vs Cairns Taipans NBL25 Round 20 Expert Tips

Perth will take a season sweep of the Taipans as they are tipped to win at home and improve their chances of taking a top 4 spot to end the season.

Perth Wildcats vs Cairns Taipans NBL25 Round 20 Expert Tips
Head to Head
Last 5 Match Results
Offensive & Defensive Rankings
Perth Wildcats Form & Team News
Cairns Taipans Form & Team News
Perth Wildcats vs Cairns Taipans Frequently Asked Questions

The two most recent matchups between these teams were proper blowouts, 106-69 in Perth about two weeks ago and 110-78 in Cairns back in October. The first meeting was much closer at 80-77 but both teams have very different trajectories right now and are in different form.

The Wildcats are the 2nd best scoring defence in the league, allowing just 86.4 pts to opponents this season and that number even holds true over the last 3 rounds signalling a consistency that they are able to keep.

Statistically what has been troubling Perth over the last 6 games is that their opponents are able to take a lot of shots, the Wildcats are last in opponent FGA since round 16 and that is largely due to their inefficient offensive rebounding. Cairns aren’t a strong rebounding team so the expectation that this metric plays a large role in the outcome is low.

Cairns have been scoring well of late, 3 games of 90+ points and they will be mildly confident knowing they can disrupt final ladder positions if they can get points on the board or even win.

With Perth likely to rest starters if they get up and Cairns still scoring well, the value is on the Taipans to cover the large line of +15.5 as the road underdogs and go Over their Team Total of 84.5 pts. As the game gets closer more player props will appear in the market but Perth bench players like Jesse Wagstaff rebounds can be good picks!

Perth have shown to rest starters if they are up by enough points toward the end of games. They just covered 14.5 pts as the underdog against Sydney.
Perth are consistent in their scoring defence, allowing 86.4 pts per game, Cairns have scored 90+ in 3 straight games.
Jesse Wagstaff had 3 rebounds in 9 minutes in the win over Illawarra.
Cairns are the worst rebounding team in the league.

Head to Head

Last 5 Match Results

Date	Home Team	Score	Line	Total Points
22/01/2026	PER	PER 106-69	PER -11.5	U 179.0
22/10/2025	CAI	PER 110-78	PER -2.0	O 172.0
10/10/2025	CAI	PER 80-77	CAI +7.5	U 180.5
25/01/2025	PER	CAI 125-116	CAI +12.5	O 198.0
14/12/2024	CAI	PER 128-92	PER -7.5	O 195.0

Offensive & Defensive Rankings

PER Off	Rank	Stat	Rank	CNS Def
90.8	6	PPG	10	97.2
43	2	RPG	10	43
45.7%	5	FG%	8	46.9%
32.4%	7	3P%	2	31.7%
11.2	5	TOV	10	7.9

PER Def	Rank	Stat	Rank	CNS Off
86.4	1	PPG	9	83.4
41.2	4	RPG	10	37.5
43.0%	1	FG%	8	44.4%
33.1%	7	3P%	4	34.4%
10.7	6	TOV	8	13.4

Perth Wildcats Form & Team News

Perth are on a mini 2 game win streak following solid 100+ pt performances against SE Melbourne and Illawarra in Round 19. The 106-99 victory over the Hawks puts the Wildcats on level footing with Melbourne United with a 18-11 record with a 0.67 difference in points percentage.

They now have a chance to really flip the script with matchups against Cairns and Brisbane before finishing the season against Sydney and Adelaide. Perth were able to match the pace of the Hawks while keeping their FG% high and keeping turnovers to a minimum.

Their perimeter defence has taken a hit in recent weeks but against the Hawks it was solid enough to force their opponent to either take uncomfortable shots or move the ball on. That type of defence will be important in their run home and eventual finals games.

Cairns Taipans Form & Team News

Cairns have scored 90+ pts in 3 straight games for the first time since round 11 when they had a 5 game run of 90+ pts. Unfortunately the uptick in scoring hasn’t led to wins with the team taking just 1 of the most recent 3 game streak.

The 106-92 loss to Sydney on Sunday saw a more balanced box score with 5 Taipans players all scoring double digits but no one single player scoring more than 17 points. Andrew Andrews once again racked up 10 assists and there was little to fault in the offensive effort.

As has been the case though in multiple games this season, Cairns have been able to make quick starts, outscoring Sydney 34-17 in the 1st quarter but then allowing 35 in the final term as their defensive effort drops off.

Perth Wildcats vs Cairns Taipans Frequently Asked Questions

What time does Perth Wildcats vs Cairns Taipans start?

Tip-off between Perth Wildcats vs Cairns Taipans is at 9:30 PM AEDT, Friday, February 6

What channel is Perth Wildcats vs Cairns Taipans on?

You can watch Perth Wildcats vs Cairns Taipans on ESPN via Kayo and Foxtel.

Where can i livestream Perth Wildcats vs Cairns Taipans?

If you are outside of Australia, the NBL allows you to stream live on YouTube via the official NBL channel

Verdict

Perth Wildcats v Cairns Taipans

With Perth likely to rest starters if they get up and Cairns still scoring well, the value is on the Taipans to cover the large line of +15.5 as the road underdogs and go Over their Team Total of 84.5. As the game gets closer more player props will appear in the market but Perth bench players like Jesse Wagstaff rebounds can be good picks!