Jason Collins
Dailysports's expert
Illawarra Hawks
Melbourne United
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The battle for the NBL championship has reached its climax, with the fifth decisive game of the playoff finals taking place on March 23. Here is my exclusive prediction for the Illawarra Hawks vs Melbourne United match.
Illawarra Hawks
This season has been going well for the Hawks, as the team managed to win the regular season with a record of 20 wins in 29 games. In the playoffs, Illawarra started from the semifinals, where they defeated South East Melbourne 2:1 in the series.
The last game of the season remains, with the Hawks having the advantage of their home court, but in the previous two meetings, this did not help the team to win. In the last match, the team had no room for error, and despite playing away, they secured a road victory with a score of 80:71, with the intrigue lasting until the final quarter.
Melbourne United
This season, the club set the goal of competing for the title, and now the players are one step away from achieving it. Melbourne performed well in the regular season, finishing second with a record of 19 wins in 29 games, trailing the first place by just one win.
The club had the opportunity to claim the championship in the fourth game, leading the series 2:1 and playing on their home court, but the opponent showed more desire to win. The factor of playing away should not greatly concern the players, as they have won here before.
Match Facts
- Including the regular season, Illawarra won 12 out of 18 home games.
- Melbourne secured 12 victories in 17 away encounters.
- The odds for the upcoming battle are as follows: Home win – 1.34, Away win – 3.2.
H2H
The score in the final series is 2:2, with teams consistently defeating each other away from home, making it unclear what to expect in the last match and whether this trend will continue.
Prediction
There is no clear favorite in this decisive battle, with bookmakers giving a slight edge to the hosts, though any outcome is possible. Considering the stakes and level of responsibility, I do not expect spectacular basketball, as both teams will play for the result. I predict a total of less than 179 points.
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