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Tasmania JackJumpers vs Illawarra Hawks NBL26 Round 18 Tips - Hawks’ Pace to Set Tempo
The upcoming NBL25 match between Tasmania JackJumpers and Illawarra Hawks promises excitement as both teams are tied at 1-1 in the current season. Illawarra, having won 2 of their last 3 games in Tasmania, are predicted to secure another victory as the JackJumpers struggle with key injuries to their defense. The Hawks' offense has maintained high performance in previous encounters, and with Tasmania's missing players, Illawarra is likely to win and cover the -4.5 line, with the Game Total exceeding 175.5. Expect standout performances from Sam Froling with at least 8 rebounds and 14 points.
- Tasmania JackJumpers vs Illawarra Hawks expert predictions for Saturday’s Round 18 NBL matchup
- Tip-off is at 8:00 PM AEDT at MyState Bank Arena
- Illawarra Hawks expected to win against injury-hit Tasmania JackJumpers.
- Tasmania's defense weakened by key player injuries, unable to slow Illawarra.
- Expect high-scoring game with Illawarra's fast pace and Tasmania struggling to match.
Tasmania JackJumpers vs Illawarra Hawks
Tasmania JackJumpers vs Illawarra Hawks NBL25 Round 18 Expert Tips
The Illawarra Hawks have won 2 of their last 3 games in Tasmania and will notch another win on Saturday night with the JackJumpers under injury turmoil and having struggled to slow down the Hawks in their 2 previous encounters.
- Tasmania JackJumpers vs Illawarra Hawks NBL25 Round 18 Expert Tips
- Head to Head
- Last 5 Match Results
- Offensive & Defensive Rankings
- Tasmania JackJumpers Form & Team News
- Illawarra Hawks Form & Team News
- Tasmania JackJumpers vs Illawarra Hawks Frequently Asked Questions
This is the third meeting of the season for these two teams with the 4th scheduled for the final round of the year. The ledger stands at 1-1 with Tassie taking the first matchup in September 91-86 and Illawarra returning serve on New Years Eve 92-90. Both games were played in Wollongong.
Tasmania could have been more successful in slowing the scoring pace of the high flying Hawks in their two previous matchups. Their defence has dramatically altered other opposition scoring and field goal attempts but Illawarra still managed to roughly reach their averages in both scoring and attempts in both matchups.
The differences between winning and losing was simply field goal percentage. In the JackJumpers victory, they held the Hawks to 27.3% shooting from deep while in the return game Illawarra shot 41.7% from 3pt range. Now Tasmania will need to try and go with the Hawks without Will Magnay and Majok Deng, two central figures of their interior defence.
Javale McGee and Sam Froling will no doubt look to exploit the weekend defence at the rim and are already the number 1 ranked offensive rebounding team in the league. McGee has a combined 48 pts and 19 rebounds against Tasmania this season but has seen a reduced role since Froling's return from injury, ruling him out of our betting sights.
Take Illawarra to win and to cover the -4.5 line as the road favourite with the Game Total going Over 175.5. Sam Froling will collect at least 8 boards and 14 pts against a weakened interior.
- Tasmania were unable to slow down Illawarra’s offence when they were healthy earlier this season, they now have to contend with the 2nd fastest pace and top offensive rebounding team without two key bigs.
- 3 straight matchups between these teams have gone Over this total. If Illawarra push the pace, Tasmania won’t have any other option than to match them.
- Sam Froling has had two quiet games but averages 6.9 rebounds against Tasmania over his career taking 10 and 7 in his last 2 outings against them.
- Sam Froling averages 14.1 pts per game against the JackJumpers and has scored over this number in 4 straight matchups.
Head to Head
Last 5 Match Results
| Date | Home Team | Score | Line | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31/12/2025 | ILL | ILL 92-90 | Push | O 180.0 |
| 27/09/2025 | ILL | TAS 91-86 | TAS +4.0 | O 176.0 |
| 30/01/2025 | TAS | ILL 102-78 | ILL -9.0 | U 188.0 |
| 07/01/2025 | ILL | ILL 89-84 | TAS +8.0 | U 194.0 |
| 12/10/2024 | ILL | ILL 109-76 | ILL -5.5 | O 176.0 |
Offensive & Defensive Rankings
| TAS Off | Rank | Stat | Rank | ILL Def |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85.6 | 8 | PPG | 10 | 96.9 |
| 41.9 | 5 | RPG | 8 | 42.5 |
| 45.0% | 6 | FG% | 3 | 43.8% |
| 32.6% | 7 | 3P% | 8 | 33.5% |
| 11 | 4 | TOV | 9 | 10.1 |
| TAS Def | Rank | Stat | Rank | ILL Off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85.4 | 1 | PPG | 7 | 90.2 |
| 40.6 | 2 | RPG | 1 | 45.1 |
| 44.1% | 4 | FG% | 3 | 46.0% |
| 32.6% | 5 | 3P% | 5 | 33.3% |
| 10.7 | 7 | TOV | 9 | 14.3 |
Tasmania JackJumpers Form & Team News
Tasmania had an uphill battle in their Thursday night matchup against the Kings. Already missing Will Magnay, Majok Deng left the court with concussion after only 53 seconds of play. Sydney raced out to a 26-14 first quarter lead and even though Tassie were able to keep the next two quarters close, even winning the 4th, the damage was already done.
The 105-94 loss takes their season record to 12-15, still 2 games ahead of the New Zealand Breakers in 7th spot and with 6 games remaining for both teams.
Despite the large score to their opposition, Tasmania remain the highest ranked scoring defence in the NBL as well as the number 1 offensive rebounding and number 2 defensive rebounding team in the league. With their bigs rotation now decimated, those rankings are likely to fall.
Illawarra Hawks Form & Team News
Illawarra’s most recent outing was a 92-87 loss at the hands of the Perth Wildcats at Hoops Fest last Friday. Justin Tatum has been adjusting his starting line up to provide more spark off the bench and ensure their defensive strategy can be enacted for all 4 quarters.
But the Hawks are still the 7th ranked scoring defence over the past 5 games and the 10th ranked defence on the season. In fact, the majority of their defensive metrics are bottom 3 on the season.
With Illawarra playing at the 2nd highest pace, the team should be scoring more than their 7th ranked 90.2 pts per game, but their high turnover rate means they are giving up empty possessions to opponents.
Tasmania JackJumpers vs Illawarra Hawks Frequently Asked Questions
What time does Tasmania JackJumpers vs Illawarra Hawks start?
Tip-off between Tasmania JackJumpers vs Illawarra Hawks is at 8:00 PM AEDT, Saturday, January 24
What channel is Tasmania JackJumpers vs Illawarra Hawks on?
You can watch Tasmania JackJumpers vs Illawarra Hawks on ESPN via Kayo and Foxtel.
Verdict
Take Illawarra to win and to cover the -4.5 line as the road favourite with the Game Total going Over 175.5. Sam Froling will collect at least 8 boards and 14 pts against a weakened interior.
Illawarra -4.5
Line
$1.90 - 2 Units
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Over 175.5
Game Total
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S Froling 8+
Rebounds
$2.00 - 2 Units
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S Froling 14+
Points
$1.87 - 1 Unit
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