- 1 Brisbane Bullets vs Illawarra Hawks : the Bullets can make it back-to-back wins in front of their own fans
- 2 Brisbane Bullets: form and team news
- 3 Illawarra Hawks: form and team news
- 4 NBL Prediction Brisbane Bullets vs Illawarra Hawks
- 5 First, a word on our free picks
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes
- 8 Your responsibility
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the images…
Brisbane Bullets vs Illawarra Hawks : the Bullets can make it back-to-back wins in front of their own fans 
Round two of NBL27 is coming thick and fast. On Friday, 25 September at 11:30, the Brisbane Bullets host the Illawarra Hawks at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.
The two sides arrive with very different moods after an opening round that told us plenty.
Key talking points:
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The NZ Breakers angle: Both clubs were measured against the same yardstick. Last Tuesday, Brisbane dug deep to edge the Breakers 88-85, while Illawarra were blown away by those same New Zealanders in Auckland, 95-81.
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Brisbane want to back it up: Off the back of their opening win, the Bullets have a chance to lock in a second straight home victory and build some proper momentum.
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Illawarra under pressure: The Hawks need to tighten up at the back after shipping 95 points. They need a response from the first whistle or they risk letting the doubts creep in early.
That cross-check already gives us a decent read on the game. On paper, the Hawks have the deeper roster, but on the floor it was Brisbane who looked the more organised side.
The schedule also matters. Brisbane are into a second game in four days, while Illawarra then have to head to Sydney for the New South Wales derby on Sunday.
This is the first meeting between the two clubs this season. For the Hawks, a second straight loss would crank up the heat fast, while Brisbane can open up with two wins from two in front of their home crowd.
Brisbane Bullets: form and team news 
The Bullets were heavily rebuilt over the off-season. Will Weaver now leads a group packed with fresh faces, with the clear aim of wiping away last year’s injury-hit mess.
Their first proper test came back well. Against the Breakers, in the unusual setting of the outdoor Pat Rafter Arena, Brisbane came through 88-85 in a tight contest.
The main man was Arnas Velicka. The Lithuanian point guard, a new import for the club, handed out 14 assists on debut and controlled the tempo from start to finish.
Pre-season had left a few doubts hanging around. At the NBL Blitz, Brisbane beat Tasmania 112-91, then lost 113-105 to South East Melbourne before being smashed 129-98 by Cairns.
Even in that heavy loss, a few players stood out. Nate Hinton scored 24, Tyrell Harrison had 18, and Jaylin Williams finished with 17 points and six assists, which shows the offence has some real options.
The weak spot is still wing depth. Taine Murray and Sam McDaniel are both out, which means Weaver has to lean harder on his starters.
One more thing to note: this will be Brisbane’s first home game of the season at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. The local crowd, buoyed by that opening win, should be loud behind a side desperate for results.
Recovery, though, could become an issue. With only three days between games and a thin rotation, tired legs may start to show if this is close late on.
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Illawarra Hawks: form and team news 
The Hawks have one of the most ambitious rosters in the league. The club has naturalised loyal servant Tyler Harvey, which in practice lets them field four imports to keep pace with Adelaide and Melbourne.
But their opener was a disaster. In Auckland, Illawarra were outplayed 95-81 by a Breakers side that controlled the game almost from start to finish.
The biggest problem was at the back. Sam Mennenga scored 27, Parker Jackson-Cartwright added 23 points and 13 assists, and DJ Vasiljevic buried six threes on his way to 24.
New Zealand shot 48 percent from the field and turned it over only five times. The Hawks never really got a grip on the game or forced mistakes.
There’s been movement off the court too. Darius Days, one of their imports, has been released, and Dan Grida is expected to miss this trip.
The fixture list does them no favours. Illawarra have Brisbane away, then the Sydney derby on Sunday against a Kings side that has had a full week to rest.
Still, the individual talent is there. This team was built to chase the title and will eventually click; the question is whether that starts on Friday.
The four-import plan has not paid off yet. With Days gone and Grida unavailable, Illawarra’s rotation is slimmer than it looked in the off-season, which takes a bit of shine off their depth advantage over Brisbane.
A second defeat in a row, before a tough derby in Sydney, would start to raise awkward questions about the project. That urgency can cut both ways, though, and it may make the Hawks dangerous.
Probable Brisbane Bullets lineup: Not announced at time of publication
Probable Illawarra Hawks lineup: Not announced at time of publication
NBL Prediction Brisbane Bullets vs Illawarra Hawks
Our pick: Brisbane Bullets to win, including overtime.
The Hawks have more talent on paper, but the court told a different story first time out. Brisbane beat the Breakers where Illawarra fell by 14, and Velicka has already shown he can run a team at this level.
Home-court advantage, the Hawks’ trimmed rotation after Days left and Grida’s absence, plus the defensive mess they served up in Auckland, all tilt this towards Brisbane. The one concern is the Bullets’ wing depth, but the home side still gets the nod.
The tactical battle should come down to the two point guards. If Velicka dictates the pace again like he did against the Breakers, Illawarra could be left dealing with the same defensive headaches they had in Auckland.
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