Friday night NBL action continues with the Brisbane Bullets hosting the Illawarra Hawks on September 25th as both teams look to build some early momentum in NBL27.
The Bullets come into the matchup full of confidence after an impressive 88-85 win over the New Zealand Breakers on Tuesday, giving new coach Will Weaver his first win in charge. Brisbane showed plenty of composure to hold on in a close finish and will be hoping they can carry that momentum into their next game.
The Illawarra Hawks, meanwhile, will be looking to bounce back after an 95-81 loss to the New Zealand Breakers. The Hawks have plenty of talent and will be keen to respond, making this an interesting matchup between a Brisbane side gaining confidence and an Illawarra team looking to get back on track.
Brisbane Bullets vs Illawarra Hawks Prediction, Friday September 25th 2026.
Brisbane Bullets vs Illawarra Hawks
Venue – Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Tip Off – 7.30pm EST
Season Record
| Team | W-L | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brisbane | 1-0 | 1-0 | 0-0 |
| Illawarra | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-1 |
Season Scoring
| Team | PPG | Opp PPG | Game Total Ave |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brisbane | 88 | 85 | 173 |
| Illawarra | 81 | 95 | 176 |
Prediction
Another difficult game to predict this early in the season, with still very little to read into. The Bullets are coming off a win over the New Zealand Breakers, while the Hawks will be looking to bounce back after their loss to the same opponent.
Both teams have different coaches and somewhat different rosters this season, but the Illawarra Hawks have won their last seven games against the Bullets. Bounce-back spots can also be important in basketball, and Illawarra should come into this one determined to respond.
Milton Doyle rarely has two poor games in a row and will be looking to bring his A-game after a disappointing performance against the Breakers.
This is a tough matchup to split this early in the season, but maybe lean with the offensive firepower of the Hawks to get the job done.