Through the first few weeks of the 2025-26 NBL season, things could not be going much more swimmingly for the Adelaide 36ers, who are thriving with splash signing Bryce Cotton. Can he and Adelaide keep it going with a win vs. the Sydney Kings? For those in the U.S. who want to follow the action from the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, it will tip off at 5:00 a.m. ET and can be seen live on the NBL’s YouTube channel.
On Thursday, the 36ers continued their perfect start with a 98-89 victory over the visiting Tasmania JackJumpers.
After leading by a dozen points late in the first half, Adelaide’s lead was trimmed to 73-72 late in the third quarter. But a timely triple by DJ Vasiljevic in the dying seconds of the third pushed the lead back out to four and kickstarted a 12-2 run that all but sealed the deal.
Now, for the first time since the 2000-01 season, the 36ers are 3-0 to start a season. A win vs. Sydney will see Adelaide start 4-0 for the first time since that campaign, when they won their first five games.
That was during a period in which the 36ers won three championships in five seasons between 1998 and 2002. They have not won a title since then and appeared in a Grand Final series since 2018, but this is an encouraging early start.
A win over the Kings would be another indication of their credentials as a contender, even if Sydney is 1-2 at this early juncture of the season.
Will Cotton come up big again to take his new team to 4-0? Read on for our Adelaide vs. Sydney prediction and picks and get the best 36ers vs. Kings odds from top online sportsbooks such as BetOnline.
Adelaide 36ers vs. Sydney Kings Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Over/Under |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide 36ers | -3.5 (-118) | -170 | Over 182.5 (-110) |
| Sydney Kings | +3.5 (-102) | +149 | Under 182.5 (-110) |
Adelaide 36ers vs. Sydney Kings Prediction and Picks
Prediction: Adelaide 36ers to win
Against Tasmania, it was once again the Bryce Cotton show. After scoring 38 and 29 points in his first two games for the 36ers, Cotton scored 29 points against the JackJumpers, making 6 of 12 shots from the field, including 3 of 5 from three, and all but one of his 15 foul shots.
He also found his teammates frequently once again, dishing out a season-high nine assists.
But as was the case in the wins over the Brisbane Bullets and Cairns Taipans, the whole gang got involved against Tasmania. Isaac Humphries scored 24 points, Vasiljevic (13) and Flynn Cameron (12) reached double figures, and Zylan Cheatham (eight points, nine rebounds, three assists) filled up the stat sheet once again.
This team effort spells good news for the long term for Adelaide, and it also spells good news for this showdown vs. Sydney.
Losing twice in three games is not necessarily something to raise alarm bells about. But the Kings just gave up 107 points Wednesday in a 14-point home loss to Melbourne United, who shot 46.9% from three (15 of 32) and 50.7% from the field for the game and hit the 50-point mark in each half.
Through their first three games, the 36ers are shooting 51.5% from the field. They may not maintain that, but when they have someone who can burn you from anywhere on the floor, draw shooting fouls regularly (and shoots free throws at a high percentage), and can set up high-percentage opportunities for his teammates, the opposition is going to have a matchup problem most nights.
Combine that with Adelaide moving in the same direction and playing as a confident unit, and you have a recipe for a victory vs. Sydney and a 4-0 start.
Adelaide 36ers vs. Sydney Kings Picks
1) Bryce Cotton Over 36.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-125 at Lucky Rebel)
In his first three games with the 36ers, Cotton has had 48 PRA (39 points, six assists, and three rebounds vs. the Bullets), 38 PRA (28 points, seven assists, and three rebounds vs. the Taipans), and 40 PRA (29 points, nine assists, and two rebounds vs. the JackJumpers).
Look for him to have another high number as he leads Adelaide vs. Sydney. He took only a dozen shots from the field against Tasmania after taking 23 vs. Brisbane and 18 vs. Cairns, but going to the line time and time again ensured that he hit the over on his points prop (over 28.5) and on his PRA even with zero points in the final six minutes against the JackJumpers.
While his scoring exploits are certainly something to take note of, the most noteworthy thing about his start is his 22 assists through three games. The last time he had six or more assists in three straight games was the 2020/21 season. That season, he had 6+ assists in the first eight games on the way to averaging 5.6 APG, a high for his NBL career. With how much he has the ball in his hands for the 36ers, that number may get eclipsed this season.
2) Adelaide 36ers -3.5 vs. Sydney Kings (-118 at BetOnline)
Since 2018, the 36ers have not had a winning season. In that span, the Kings have two championships and six winning seasons and topped the regular season standings twice.
But in recent seasons, Adelaide has had the upper hand head-to-head vs. Sydney, and it has been by a rather significant margin, at that.
Entering the first matchup between the two teams this season, the 36ers have won nine of their last dozen games against the Kings. Last season, Adelaide went 4-1 vs. Sydney, including a 95-88 win in the play-in qualifier.
In this stretch, the closest margin of victory for the 36ers is four, in a 92-88 win in Sydney on October 21, 2022.
This number is -4.5 at other books, so if you can grab it at -3.5, you have a potential steal on your hands.
3) Kendric Davis Over 4.5 Assists (+115 at Bovada)
Davis debuted in the NBL last season for the 36ers, and he had quite the campaign, averaging 25.6 PPG, 8.0 APG, and 4.0 RPG while shooting 37.5% from three and 48.7% overall from the field in 27 regular season games.
After finishing runner-up behind Cotton for NBL MVP honors, Davis rejected the chance to remain in Adelaide, instead signing with Sydney. In response, the 36ers inked Cotton to the richest contract in league history.
It wasn’t exactly an amicable departure, either, with now-former 36er Montrezl Harrell referring to Davis as a “bitter ex” after his comments about his time in Adelaide and his eventual departure.
Davis will make his return to the Adelaide Entertainment Centre tonight, and it should be quite the interesting atmosphere for the former SMU and Memphis star, given how messy his departure and the aftermath have been.
Will he let his game do the talking this time? Davis has shot well in only one of three games for the Kings thus far, so I’m hesitant to take the over on his points prop even with all that surrounds this Adelaide vs. Sydney matchup.
However, I like the value with the over on his assists prop. He has had just two, four, and four assists in his first three games, as veteran point guard Matthew Dellavedova, another new signing, is the primary distributor for the Kings.
But when distribution was such a key part of his game with the 36ers, five assists is a very reachable target, especially when he will want to put on a show in his old stomping grounds.
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