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Sydney Kings vs Adelaide 36ers NBL26 Round 18 Tips - KD steps it up against the 36ers

jeremy-darke
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Last updated: Sat 24 Jan 2026 09:53

In a thrilling NBL25 Round 18 matchup, the Sydney Kings are predicted to secure their third win against the Adelaide 36ers this season, maintaining close competition with the top teams. Despite overcoming injury challenges, Sydney is on a four-game winning streak, boosted by stellar performances from Kendric Davis and the return of Torrey Craig. Meanwhile, Adelaide, coming off a clutch overtime victory, faces defensive struggles. The prediction highlights Davis scoring 25+ points and Bryce Cotton under 25.5 points, with the game surpassing a total of 178.5 points.

Jeremy Darke 24 Jan 2026
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  • Sydney Kings vs Adelaide 36ers expert predictions for Sunday’s Round 18 NBL matchup
  • Tip-off is at 2:30 PM AEDT at Qudos Bank Arena
  • Kendric Davis expected to score 25+ points; Bryce Cotton under 25.5.
  • Game total projected to exceed 178.5 points as Kings secure victory.
Sydney Kings vs Adelaide 36ers NBL26 Round 18 Tips

Sydney Kings vs Adelaide 36ers NBL25 Round 18 Expert Tips


Sydney will take their third win of the season against Adelaide and stay in touch with the top two in the competition, beating the 36ers at home in Qudos Arena on Sunday afternoon.

The Kings are on a run of 4 straight victories while you could say that Adelaide are in a slight dip over their last 3 matches, needing overtime and a Bryce Cotton miracle to break NZ to end a two-game losing streak.

There are some clear but quite unlikely trends in the matches this season between the Kings vs 36ers with the most miraculous that despite two of three matches going over 180 points Bryce Cotton has failed to fire, scoring no more than 25 points and a low of 7 points in his three games against Brian Goorjian’s defensive scheme. 

On the other side it is Kendric Davis who has stepped up when going up against the benchmark player in the competition Cotton. KD has averaged 25 points per game and is also coming off a 40-point haul against Tassie on Thursday.

I'm doing the unthinkable and taking Cotton under 25 points and Davies to hit the 25-point spot with this game still going over the 178.5 game total. 

  • Sydney have won 4 consecutive matches
  • 2 of 3 matches this season between Sydney and Adelaide have gone over the 178.5 game total
  • Kendric Davis averages 25 points vs Adelaide this season.
  • Bryce Cotton has scored under 25.5 points in all 3 matches against Sydney this season

Head to Head 


Last 5 Match Results
DateHome TeamScoreLineTotal Points
02/01/2026ADEADE 85-79ADE -2.5U 180.5
17/12/2025SYDSYD 97-93SYD +2.5O 186.5
11/10/2025ADESYD 103-79SYD +4.5U 185.5
13/02/2025SYDADE 95-88ADE -4.0U 191.5
24/01/2025SYDADE 105-96ADE +4.0O 190.0


Offensive & Defensive Rankings
SYD OffRankStatRankADE Def
95.72PPG487
42.24RPG140.4
47.2%1FG%644.7%
34.5%33P%130.9%
9.21TOV610.8

SYD DefRankStatRankADE Off
86.12PPG492.5
42.37RPG641.7
43.5%2FG%246.2%
32.3%33P%136.1%
12.93TOV310.3


Sydney Kings Form & Team News


The Kings are rolling despite their injury woes currently on a 4-game win streak after downing Tassie 105-94 on Thursday night. 

The JackJumpers have their own injury troubles and were always there for the taking but there were some true positives to take out of the comfortable victory but maybe none more than the return of Torrey Craig to the NBL with the big body filling the shoes of Xavier Cooks with 12 points and 4 rebounds along with a couple of blocks and steals in his season debut.

Then you have Kendric Davies who was scintillating with 4 points, hitting 6 threes along with 8 assists as he pushes his stake for the MVP in the league.

Adelaide 36ers Form & Team News


It wasn’t pretty but the 36ers got the job done against the Breakers in overtime, on the back of a clutch Bryce Cotton three. The 112-110 victory keeps them in command at the top of the ladder, however, Adelaide have been vulnerable coming into the match on the back of two consecutive losses and a better performance was expected against New Zealand. 

The 36er’s defence has given up an average of 100.5 points in regulation in their last 2 matches after being the best defensive team in the competition to start the year. Adelaide looked almost unbeatable until a couple of weeks ago where some cracks have begun to appear. 

New recruit John Jenkins saw 33 mins in the match against the Breakers, going 6-11 from three and finishing with a 60.0 FG% in his second match in the NBL.

Sydney Kings vs Adelaide 36ers Frequently Asked Questions

What time does Sydney Kings vs Adelaide 36ers start?

Tip-off between Sydney Kings vs Adelaide 36ers is at 2:30 PM AEDT, Sunday, January 25

What channel is Sydney Kings vs Adelaide 36ers on?

You can watch Sydney Kings vs Adelaide 36ers on ESPN via Kayo and Foxtel.

Verdict

Kendric Davis will score 25+ but Bryce Cotton will score less than 25.5 points with the game total going over 178.5 in a match that Sydney walks away as the winners.
Best Bet1: Sydney -1.5 Handicap/Line $1.95 at Elitebet - 3 Units
Best Bet2: Over 178.5 Game Total $1.91 at picklebet - 2 Units
Best Bet3: Kendric Davis 25+ Points $2.10 at betr - 1 Unit
Best Bet4: B.Cotton Under 25.5 Player Points $1.91 at dabble - 2 Units
Sydney -1.5
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Betting Slip | 25 Jan 2026

Sydney Kings v Adelaide 36ers