After opening the NBL season with two losses in their first three games, the Sydney Kings delivered a resounding display of their quality in a dominant win at Adelaide on Saturday. Can they sweep a brief road swing with a win in Tasmania? The JackJumpers vs. Kings matchup opens Round 5, with interested U.S. viewers able to catch the action bright and early at 4:30 a.m. ET on the NBL’s YouTube channel.
The Kings (2-2) went into Saturday’s matchup with the 36ers at 1-2 after allowing 107 points in a 14-point home loss to Melbourne United.
But in Kendric Davis’s grudge match against his former team, he and Sydney showed up and showed out at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, shutting down Bryce Cotton and the high-flying 36ers in a dominant 103-79 win. Sydney set the tone by scoring the first six points and never trailed, with Davis (22 points) and Kouat Noi (29 points) leading the way.
The Kings did what the JackJumpers could not do and shut down Bryce Cotton, the NBL’s preeminent scorer. After scoring 29 points and dishing out nine assists against the JackJumpers two days prior, Cotton was held to just seven points and three assists vs. Sydney.
Tasmania (3-2) returns to action for the first time since last Thursday’s 98-89 loss in Adelaide. They are at home for just the second time this season. After starting the season with a home loss to Melbourne United, Tasmania won three straight games on the road before the loss to Adelaide.
Can Sydney show that the trouncing of the 36ers was a sign of things to come and not a one-off? Read on for our JackJumpers vs. Kings prediction and picks. Also, get the best betting odds from top online sportsbooks such as BetOnline.
Tasmania JackJumpers vs. Sydney Kings Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Over/Under |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tasmania JackJumpers | +2.5 (-102) | +120 | Over 179 (-105) |
| Sydney Kings | -2.5 (-118) | -140 | Under 179 (-115) |
JackJumpers vs. Kings Prediction and Picks
Prediction: Kings to win
As impressive as Sydney’s win in Adelaide was, you have to be careful about reading too much into it.
The 36ers certainly aren’t pretenders just because they had one bad game, and while the Kings certainly are contenders even with a so-so start, don’t expect them to start destroying everyone all of a sudden.
Part of how Saturday’s game played out can be attributed to the matchup, and part of it can be attributed to the circumstances. Adelaide potentially got sucked too much into the hype and emotion of Davis’s return, and this was not the first, second, or third time that Cotton has not been his best self against Sydney.
That said, it was a timely reminder of what the Kings can be if they are on their game on both ends of the court. They didn’t light it up from outside, making 8 of 23 from three, but they made 58.8% of their two-point shots and shot 51.4% from the field overall while holding the 36ers to 42.9% from the field.
It was quite the turnaround from last Wednesday’s loss to Melbourne United, who shot 46.9% from three and 50.7% from the field overall in a 107-93 win.
If the Kings can hit the 90-point mark for the fourth consecutive game, the outcome will likely be a good one for the visitors.
Dating back to last season, Tasmania is 4-8 when allowing 90+ points, with losses in five straight such instances.
Also, while Sydney showed against Adelaide that head-to-head history doesn’t always mean much, the Kings do have quite the advantage vs. the JackJumpers. All time, Sydney is currently riding a four-game win streak and is 11-4 all time against Tasmania, and they are 7-1 when scoring 90+ points against the JackJumpers.
JackJumpers vs. Kings Picks
1) Kings ML (-140 at BetOnline) vs. JackJumpers
With most small spreads, I would just roll with the spread. But I’m taking an extra swig of juice here and going with the moneyline. Thus far this season, four of Tasmania’s five games have been decided by five or fewer points. The nine-point loss to Adelaide was a two-possession game with two and a half minutes left.
Sometimes the safe play doesn’t have as much value as another play but is the better option, and I feel that is the case here.
2) Kendric Davis Over 23.5 Points (-115 at Lucky Rebel)
Davis has scored 24 or more points just once thus far with his new team, when he had 28 points in a 22-point win over the New Zealand Breakers on October 4.
But after shooting 56.3% (9 of 16) from the field against the 36ers, I expect Davis to lead the way for the Kings vs. the JackJumpers with another strong performance.
The last time he was in Hobart, Davis had a season-high 39 points and tied a season high with five threes in a 104-103 overtime loss on January 10. In his other game against the JackJumpers last season, he had 23 points and six assists, though he made only 1 of 6 from three.
Speaking of his outside shot, Davis is only 4 of 17 (23.5%) from deep thus far this season, but while popping it from the perimeter is not the best part of his game, he is enough of a threat from there to know that it is only a matter of time before he has a hot shooting performance or two.
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