Jason Collins
Dailysports's expert
Sydney Kings
Adelaide 36ers
On February 13, the NBL playoffs will feature a showdown between the Sydney Kings and Adelaide 36ers. Here’s our betting prediction for this matchup.
Sydney Kings
The Kings finished fifth in the regular season with a 16-13 record, narrowly missing out on fourth place due to tiebreakers. However, they ended the campaign on a disappointing note, losing three consecutive games. Their last outing was a 75-95 road defeat to league leaders Illawarra Hawks.
Sydney’s late-season slump could partly be attributed to their focus on preparing for the playoffs, as their top-six spot was never in serious jeopardy. Now, a victory in this elimination game is crucial for their hopes of advancing to the semifinals.
Adelaide 36ers
Expectations were high for Adelaide this season, especially after the arrival of Montrezl Harrell, a player with solid NBA credentials. He has lived up to the hype individually, averaging over 20 points and 9 rebounds per game.
However, as a team, the 36ers were underwhelming, finishing with a 13-16 record and scraping into the playoffs in sixth place, edging Tasmania JackJumpers via tiebreakers. Like Sydney, Adelaide ended the regular season on a three-game losing streak, most recently falling 104-112 on the road to Perth Wildcats.
Match facts
- Sydney won 7 of their 14 home games this season.
- Adelaide won just 4 of their 14 road games in the regular season.
- Betting odds: Sydney – 2.27 | Adelaide – 1.63.
Key player
Kendric Davis could be the difference-maker for Adelaide. He is averaging over 25 points and 8 assists per game, making him a key factor in the 36ers' offense.
Head-to-head
These teams faced each other four times in the regular season. Sydney won the first encounter, but Adelaide responded by winning the next three meetings in a row.
Prediction
Despite playing at home and finishing higher in the standings, Sydney enters this game as a slight underdog. This is largely due to Adelaide’s psychological edge, having dominated the head-to-head matchups this season. I’ll trust the bookmakers on this one and back Adelaide for a straight win, though I expect a close battle.
