Tasmania Jackjumpers - Melbourne United
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Why is Melbourne United still favored by the books on the road against the Tasmania JackJumpers today? Both squads are sitting at 1-1 after their first two games of the season. Sure, United rolls out two big-name American imports in Cole Anthony and Josh Oduro, who are averaging a monster 24.0 and 17.5 PPG respectively. On top of that, both rosters are deep, with each team boasting 5 players averaging double digits (10+ PPG). There is no doubt that Melbourne has the edge when it comes to raw veteran experience, but the raw numbers scream total equality here.
But if you think today’s matchup is going to follow the usual script, you better think again. The storyline for this game is being rewritten as we speak, and it’s heading in a completely different direction than what the mainstream media is telling you.
First off, the JackJumpers are an absolute beast on their home floor, and they're starving for another W. They already proved what they’re made of by grinding out a gritty 96-91 home win against South East Melbourne in their season opener.
But here is where things get wild just days and hours before tip-off.
Melbourne United just got hit with a massive injury blow, losing one of their top offensive weapons, Chris Goulding, who was already chipping in with 12.0 PPG this season.
Meanwhile, the Tasmania JackJumpers didn't sit around. They immediately hit the free-agent market and grabbed two absolute certified buckets from NBL1—Kody Stattmann (the NBL1 North MVP averaging 24.7 PPG) and Biwali Bayles (the top scorer in the NBL1 South conference putting up 25.4 PPG).
This completely flips the script and turns the game upside down. All of a sudden, the hosts look way deeper, more balanced, and honestly, just flat-out better than a short-handed Melbourne squad.
To make things worse for the visitors, the game is going down at the legendary MyState Bank Arena in Hobart, Tasmania. The fan base there is notorious for creating a hostile, deafening environment.
Tasmania's head coach, Scott Roth, sounded hyped before the game: "We added Stattmann and Bayles to the mix, and these guys are going to bring crazy energy. Playing at home, we have to bring aggressive pressure from the jump."
On the flip side, Melbourne's head coach, Dean Vickerman, admitted they are in a tough spot: "Without Goulding, we’re going to have to re-evaluate our shooting options. We know the crowd in Hobart is going to bring crazy pressure."
Cole Anthony is going to try to put United on his back and carry them solo, but the JackJumpers' defense is going to completely suffocate him. The hosts have the better roster right now, they are playing with a chip on their shoulder, and they have the home-court advantage. Tasmania is going to take this game on pure grit and depth, while Melbourne will be heading home empty-handed.
Lock in the Tasmania JackJumpers on the moneyline and get ready for the biggest upset of the day!
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