lasseters.com.au – Cairns Taipans vs New Zealand Breakers
Category: NRL bets online
www.lasseters.com.au – Where and When: Wednesday 12 November, Cairns Convention Centre, 7.30pm (AEST)
Past Three Head-to-Head
Cairns Taipans 101-92 New Zealand Breakers, Round 6 2008.
New Zealand Breakers 111-122 Cairns Taipans, Round 4 2008.
Cairns Taipans 78-100 New Zealand Breakers, Quarter finals 2008.
Season Series
Taipans 2-0
Current Standings
Taipans 6-5 (fourth), Breakers 8-3 (second)
The Cairns Taipans started a hectic November schedule in perfect fashion, winning a thrilling contest against the Adelaide 36ers by one point last Saturday night while the Breakers consolidated their place in the top two with a hard-fought two point win over the Melbourne Tigers.
Despite occupying second place on the NBL ladder the Breakers will go into this match as underdogs given the fact that the Taipans have won the previous two matches between these two sides this season.
It was an 11-point margin in favour of the Taipans in round four and then nine points in the rematch in round six.
Veteran point-guard Darnell Mee was the chief destroyer in round four with 26 points.
Mee has managed a meagre four points in his past two matches and the Taipans will need him to lift and be more productive on the offensive end while the likes of Martin Cattalini, Ian Crosswhite and Dave Thomas will also need to be solid contributors to offset the absence of guard Stephen Black.
The Breakers are one of the form teams of the competition having won four of their past five and will head to the Snakepit with plenty of confidence considering they won there during last year’s finals series.
The battle in the backcourt shapes as being the key in determining the outcome of this match.
Kirk Penney is in stellar form and was instrumental in his side’s win over the Tigers with a game-high 25 points while CJ Bruton has run the show superbly since joining the club from the Brisbane Bullets.
New Zealand appears to have the edge in terms of class and scoring power in the backcourt with Mee down on form and confidence and Black sidelined indefinitely with a back injury.
In what shapes as being a close contest New Zealand’s more potent backcourt should get it over the line.
This punter recommends putting money on a Breakers’ win by 1-10, offering a healthy $3.00.