- 1 Perth Wildcats vs South East Melbourne Phoenix: revenge is on the table
- 2 Perth Wildcats Analysis
- 3 South East Melbourne Phoenix Analysis
- 4 Free NBL Prediction: Perth Wildcats vs South East Melbourne Phoenix
- 5 About our free predictions
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes
- 8 Your responsibility
- 9 Responsible gambling
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About visuals
Perth Wildcats vs South East Melbourne Phoenix: revenge is on the table 
The Perth Wildcats host the South East Melbourne Phoenix at RAC Arena on Friday 2 October, with tip-off at 13h30 Paris time.
It closes out Round 3 of the NBL27 regular season and it is a rematch of the league’s opening night.
Phoenix stunned Perth 100-79 in that season opener, and the Wildcats have not forgotten it.
Perth have since won two of their next three, while Phoenix have dropped their last two in increasingly ugly fashion.
Momentum has swung hard toward the home side since that first meeting, and this game is Perth’s chance to settle the score on their own floor.
Perth currently sit fourth on the ladder at 2-1, level on percentage with Adelaide, while Phoenix have slipped to eighth at 1-2 after their fast start.
Both sides go into this one having played their most recent game just five days earlier, so fatigue should not be a deciding factor either way.
The bigger question is which version of each team shows up, the one from opening night or the one from the last two rounds.
Perth Wildcats Analysis 
Perth’s season opened badly, a 100-79 home loss to this same Phoenix side in which Kristian Doolittle scored 25 points but finished a team-worst minus-30.
The Wildcats have looked like a different team since, most recently surviving Adelaide 98-97 on Elijah Pepper’s buzzer-beating three-pointer at the death.
Pepper finished that win with 25 points, Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. added 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Anthony Dell’Orso chipped in 20 points, six assists and three steals.
All of that has come without new import point guard Brandon Knight, who arrived in Perth with ten years of NBA experience but has yet to make his NBL debut.
Perth are effectively winning “by committee” in his absence, and reports out of the club have Knight targeting a debut within the next ten days, meaning this game could come just before or just after he finally suits up.
The opening-night loss to Phoenix exposed real turnover trouble, 16 giveaways against just 12 for the visitors, and Perth made only 10 of 31 attempts from three that night.
Since then the Wildcats have tightened up defensively, holding Adelaide’s Bryce Cotton to a huge scoring night but still finding enough stops elsewhere to survive by a single point.
Dell’Orso’s three steals in that win point to a defense that is starting to generate extra possessions, something that was missing entirely in the round one defeat.
Home comfort matters here too, and RAC Arena has already produced one signature finish this season with Pepper’s buzzer-beater against the 36ers.
Try it for $0.99.
South East Melbourne Phoenix Analysis 
Phoenix opened NBL27 in style, with Dash Daniels posting a 24-point, 12-rebound double-double on debut and Tanner Krebs adding 25 points as they blew Perth out in the fourth quarter.
Since then the wheels have come off, a 96-91 home loss to Tasmania followed by an 86-61 blowout defeat to Melbourne United that included one of the worst shooting nights in recent memory.
Phoenix made just 4 of 41 three-point attempts against United, a 9.8 percent clip, and managed only four points in the entire fourth quarter of that game.
Coach Josh King opened his press conference afterward with an apology to the fans, conceding the performance was far below standard even though he felt the looks were there.
Skylar Mays and Akech Aliir each scored 10 points in that loss, while Nathan Sobey, who missed the season opener with back tightness, shot just 3 of 13 from the field in his return to form.
Daniel Foster is back available too after clearing a low-grade groin injury that kept him out of the preseason Blitz and pre-season games, giving King a fuller rotation than he had on opening night.
Angus Glover, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, has been a high-volume three-point shooter all preseason and remains a swing factor if Phoenix are going to snap out of their slump from deep.
The concern for Phoenix is that their two losses have come by a combined 30 points, a much rougher stretch than the margin in their opening win over Perth suggested was coming.
Whatever adjustments King makes, rediscovering rhythm from three-point range is the single biggest fix Phoenix need before they can threaten Perth on the road.
Probable lineup Perth Wildcats: Not announced at time of publication.
Probable lineup South East Melbourne Phoenix: Not announced at time of publication.
Free NBL Prediction: Perth Wildcats vs South East Melbourne Phoenix
Our prediction: Perth Wildcats win
Phoenix have gone from the league’s most impressive opening-night performance to back-to-back losses that included a historically bad shooting display, and confidence from beyond the arc will be fragile walking into a hostile RAC Arena.
Perth, meanwhile, have found a way to win a nail-biter without their best offseason addition, which suggests real depth even as Brandon Knight waits in the wings to add even more firepower.
A motivated home team fresh off a buzzer-beater and a rested week should have too much for a Phoenix side still searching for its shooting touch.
Watch the three-point battle closely: Perth were poor from deep in round one too, but they have steadily cleaned that up while Phoenix have gone in the opposite direction.
Rebounding could also tilt this one, since Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. has been dominant on the glass and Phoenix have shown they can be out-worked inside when their outside shot is not falling.
Add in the extra motivation of an opening-night defeat still fresh in the memory, and Perth look the far more reliable side to trust at home.
in your pocket.
Real-time notifications & alerts
_________
About our free predictions
- What we publish on MathOdds are analyses, nothing more. We share a view, a reading of the moment, but never a guarantee. Sport remains what it is: unpredictable. A red card, an injury, a last-minute basket — and the script changes completely.
- Let’s be clear: there is no such thing as a risk-free bet. Even when it looks “obvious”, nothing ever is. And yes, that means you can lose. It’s even inevitable at some point.
- The smartest approach is to stay reasonable. Bet small, set a budget and stick to it. Never use money you need to live on. And above all: don’t chase your losses — that rarely ends well.
- A bet should remain a game, not a job or a source of income. If it starts taking up too much space in your daily life, causes stress or frustration, take a break. And if needed, talk to a support organisation — that’s what they’re there for.
- Ultimately, responsibility lies with you. Reading our content means accepting that risk exists and will never disappear, no matter how good the analysis.
- Essential reminder: gambling is prohibited for minors and must comply with the laws of your country. Need help? Visit begambleaware.org.
No commitment from us
Our predictions carry no contractual value. They have no legal standing. In short: you cannot rely on them to claim anything if a bet doesn’t come through.
Information changes
A prediction is always based on what we know at the time of writing. But between publication and tip-off, a lineup can change (like Perth Wildcats’s, for example), a player picks up an injury — and the analysis can quickly be outdated. We cannot be held responsible for that.
Your responsibility
Before placing a bet, simply check that gambling is legal in your country. If it isn’t, that’s your responsibility, not ours.
Responsible gambling
We can’t say it enough: gamble responsibly. If you’re struggling to stay in control, don’t wait to seek help.
Legal age
MathOdds content is intended for adults only. By browsing here, you confirm you meet the legal age requirement for gambling in your jurisdiction.
About visuals
The images and logos of Perth Wildcats and South East Melbourne Phoenix on MathOdds are used solely to illustrate our articles. They do not imply any official affiliation with the NBL or Basketball Australia, and we claim no rights over them. Those rights belong to their original owners. If any visual raises a concern, contact us and it will be removed without delay.
Leave a Reply