Perth Wildcats vs New Zealand Breakers NBL27 Round 2 Tips & Predictions

Ryan Tucker

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Last updated: Thu 24 Sep 2026 21:33

Ryan Tucker 54 minutes ago

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Breakers tipped to end five-game skid vs Wildcats
NZ holds defensive and 3PT shooting advantage
Back New Zealand for the upset at RAC Arena

Perth Wildcats vs New Zealand Breakers

Perth Wildcats vs New Zealand Breakers NBL27 Expert Tips

The New Zealand Breakers are tipped to beat the Perth Wildcats at RAC Arena on Saturday night, ending a five-game losing streak against the Wildcats.

New Zealand's defence has been considerably better through the opening two games, allowing just 84.5 points per game compared to Perth's 98.5. The Breakers also hold an advantage from outside, shooting 36.9% from three-point range while Perth are at 33.3%.

Perth Wildcats vs New Zealand Breakers NBL27 Expert Tips
Key Stats
Perth Wildcats vs New Zealand Breakers Head to Head
Perth Wildcats Form
New Zealand Breakers Form

The Wildcats did respond to their heavy opening loss with a dramatic 98-97 win over Adelaide on Thursday, but they needed Elijah Pepper's remarkable last-second three to get there. New Zealand are 1-1 after beating Illawarra 95-81 before surrendering an 11-point lead in an 88-85 road loss to Brisbane.

Back New Zealand to snap their losing streak against Perth, with the Breakers' superior defence and three-point shooting giving them the edge at RAC Arena.

Key Stats

New Zealand have allowed 84.5 points per game compared to Perth's 98.5.
The Breakers are shooting 36.9% from three compared to Perth's 33.3%.
New Zealand held Illawarra to 81 points in their opening win.
Perth have won the past five meetings between the teams.

Perth Wildcats vs New Zealand Breakers Head to Head

Perth hold a 52-37 advantage over New Zealand across 89 meetings and have dominated this matchup recently. The Wildcats won all four clashes last season and have now beaten the Breakers five consecutive times, including a 99-91 road victory in their most recent meeting.

Date	Home Team	Score	Line	Total Points
04/01/2026	NZB	PER 99-91	PER -1.5	O 177.5
15/11/2025	PER	PER 88-75	PER -5.5	U 179.0
27/09/2025	NZB	PER 89-78	PER -5.5	U 185.0
05/01/2025	NZB	PER 96-86	PER -7.0	U 189.5
01/12/2024	PER	PER 123-112	PER -5.0	O 179.5

Perth Wildcats Form

Perth bounced back from their 100-79 opening-night loss to South East Melbourne with a dramatic 98-97 victory over Adelaide on Thursday. Pepper was the hero with 25 points and the game-winning three, while Jo Lual-Acuil Jr finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds.

The Wildcats produced a much better offensive performance but still allowed Adelaide to shoot 48.8% from the field and gave up 37 points to Bryce Cotton. Perth now face another short turnaround, playing their third home game in eight days.

New Zealand Breakers Form

New Zealand opened the season with an impressive 95-81 win over Illawarra, with Parker Jackson-Cartwright, Sam Mennenga and DJ Vasiljevic combining for 74 points. The Breakers shot 48% from the field and committed only five turnovers.

They couldn't make it two from two against Brisbane, falling 88-85 after leading by 11 during the third quarter. Jackson-Cartwright scored 26 points and Vasiljevic added 17, but Brisbane's 15 offensive rebounds proved costly as the Breakers were overrun late.

Verdict

Perth Wildcats v New Zealand Breakers

Back New Zealand to snap their losing streak against Perth, with the Breakers' superior defence and three-point shooting giving them the edge at RAC Arena.