In the current NBL regular season, teams have played an uneven number of matches, leading to a unique standings table. On October 17, the Brisbane Bullets will go head-to-head against the New Zealand Breakers, and the experts at Sportsmacro have prepared an in-depth analysis of this upcoming matchup.
Brisbane Bullets
Brisbane’s season has started off poorly, with the team suffering three consecutive defeats that have left them among the lower-ranked sides in the standings. However, they recently secured their first win, narrowly defeating fellow strugglers South East Melbourne Phoenix 87-85 in a tightly contested match that came down to the final seconds.
Last season, the Bullets missed the top six and a playoff spot due to tiebreaker rules. With their rocky start this season, the threat of missing the playoffs again looms large. Nevertheless, the team still has time to turn things around.
New Zealand Breakers
The Breakers’ season has been somewhat ambiguous. While other teams have already played up to six games, New Zealand has only played two, winning both. Instead of focusing solely on the regular season, the team participated in exhibition games, traveling to the United States to face three NBA teams. As expected, they lost all those matchups: Utah Jazz (87-116), Philadelphia 76ers (84-139), and Oklahoma City Thunder (89-117).
Related News
Now, the Breakers are preparing for a packed schedule to catch up with the rest of the league in terms of games played. It remains uncertain how well they will perform, given their unconventional preseason in the U.S.
Key Facts about the match
- The Bullets have played just one home game this season, which they lost.
- This matchup will mark New Zealand’s first away game of the season.
- The betting odds for the upcoming match are as follows: Brisbane Bullets (1.67) and New Zealand Breakers (2.07).
Key player
A key player to watch for the Breakers is Matt Mooney, a guard who has been impressive in the team’s official games thus far.
Head-to-Head (H2H)
The two teams have already faced each other once this season. In that game, the Breakers built a commanding 26-point lead, but Brisbane mounted a strong comeback, ultimately leading to a narrow 91-87 victory for New Zealand.
Brisbane Bullets vs New Zealand Breakers Prediction
On paper, there’s no clear favorite in this matchup, making it one of those games where any outcome is possible. Brisbane has a slight edge due to home-court advantage, but New Zealand has had a stronger start to the season. Betting on the Breakers to win appears to be a reasonable option.
