Taipans vs Hawks Prediction and Tips: NBL25 Round 18

Round 18 In NBL25 starts on Thursday evening with a fight between the bottom teams Cairns Taipans and leadership Illawarra Hawks. Funnily enough, it was the Taipans who won their last battle. So what can we expect on Thursday? We bring you our thoughts and best bet for the game below!

We’ll also be offering previews and expert betting tips for every game of the NBL25 season, so be sure to check us out NBL tips page regularly to stay up to date with all our content.

NBL25 Round 18 Preview and Betting Tips

Cairns Taipans v Illawarra Hawks

Thursday, 7:30pm AEDT (January 23), Cairns Convention Centre

The Cairns Taipans face the Illawarra Hawks in what is proving to be a real imbalance. The Taipans are at the bottom of the leaderboard at 5-19, while the Hawks are at the top with a record of 17-8. Still, Cairns can approach this game with some confidence – they caused their biggest shock of the season earlier this month when they beat the Hawks 108-105 in Wollongong. This win showed they can compete with the best, but with the Hawks in top form and on a two-game winning streak, it feels like a tall order for the home side.

The Taipans had a tough last game, losing by 24 to the 36ers, but they have two wins in their last five games, which is special. Taran Armstrong has been in great form but there is a big question mark over whether he will play with a sore back and the signs are not good. Tanner Groves has been solid, while Rob Edwards has had his ups and downs – he’s dropped 25+ points in three of his last five but can also stay calm. Sam Waardenburg, who is having his best season, is currently in a bit of a slump, scoring just nine points in his last two games. The Taipans will need everything they can to pull off another surprise.

On the other hand, the Hawks are on a roll. They have won four of their last five, and their last two games have been overwhelming victories – beating the Bullets by 34 and United by 22. Sam Froling has been dominant of late, while Trey Kell has been steady but not scoring many in recent games achieved. Losing Darius Days to a hamstring injury is a minor setback, but the Hawks have plenty of weapons and should be fine with it. They beat the Taipans by 27 points in September and will want to ensure there is no repeat of the shock defeat from earlier in the month.

To be honest, it’s hard to imagine that the Taipans can still perform a miracle here. The Hawks are in great form and will be looking to prove a point after their unexpected defeat to Cairns last time out. If Armstrong doesn’t play, things will be even more difficult for the Taipans. The Hawks should be too strong and will likely pick up their third win in a row.

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