Thursday Night NBL Action, and we have Melbourne United hosting the Sydney Kings at John Cain Arena.
These two sides met in Round 1 of NBL22, and it was the Sydney Kings that came out on top with a 79-74 victory.
Both sides receive a boost from injury for this clash, with Melbourne United welcoming back star shooting guard Chris Goulding for some much-needed scoring.
The Kings welcome back Dejan Vasiljevic after rupturing his Achilles tendon last season, but are without star import Jalen Adams who won’t play in Round 3.
It is shaping up as another close encounter, and here are some NBL Tips and Predictions for Thursday Nights Round 3 NBL clash between Melbourne United and the Sydney Kings.
Be sure to check back before each NBL22 Match for NBL Previews, NBL Head to Head Predictions, NBL Tips, NBL Picks and NBL Predictions for each match of NBL Season 22.
A Star Rating is used to show the confidence level of each Head to Head NBL Match Prediction.
⭐ = A Tough Match to Pick
⭐⭐ = A Decent Chance
⭐⭐⭐ = Should Get the Win
Melbourne United vs Sydney Kings
Venue – John Cain Arena
Tip Off – 7.30pm Eastern Standard Time
Season Record
| Team | Win/Loss | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne | 0-2 | 0-1 | 0-1 |
| Sydney | 1-1 | 1-1 | 0-0 |
Season Team Statistics
| Team | PPG | Opp PPG | Rebs | Assists | Tu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne | 80.0 | 86.5 | 43.5 | 14.0 | 15.0 |
| Sydney | 81.5 | 83.0 | 49.5 | 18.5 | 19.0 |
Shooting Statistics
| Team | FG % | 3PT % | FT % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne | 37.7% | 32.7% | 82.1% |
| Sydney | 43.2% | 30.6% | 68.6% |
Player Stat Leaders
| Team | Points | Rebs | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne | J.Acuil 14.5 | B.Newley 8.0 | M.Dellavedova 5.5 |
| Sydney | J. Adams 15.0 | X.Cooks 9.5 | X.Cooks 5.5 |
Last 3 Head to Head Matches
| Date | Matchup | Score | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5th Dec 21 | Sydney vs Melbourne | 79-74 | (Sydney by 5 Points) |
| 29th May 21 | Sydney vs Melbourne | 100-98 | (Sydney by 2 Points) |
| 2nd May 21 | Melbourne vs Sydney | 103-78 | (Melbourne by 25 Points) |
Prediction
The home side has won 11 out of the last 12 matches between these two sides, and that trend might continue with Melbourne United welcoming back some much-needed scoring power from Chris Goulding.
Sydney is again without their star import Jalen Adams and did turn the ball over 18 times in their loss to the Illawarra Hawks.
Melbourne United might not be as stacked as last season in terms of talent, but Matthew Dellavedova looked promising the previous round, and they won’t want to start their season with three straight losses.
Melbourne will be tough to beat at home and will be hungry for the Win.