Sydney Kings vs Cairns Taipans Verdict
Sydney Kings can make a fast start to the new NBL season and take the points at home. The -8.5 line is tricky to judge on the opening weekend, so opt for -3.5 in the first half to be covered.
- McVeigh finished Cairns' preseason with 33 points on 12/18 shooting, including 6/11 from three.
- Craig averaged 12.4 points and 6.4 rebounds after joining Sydney during NBL26.
- Davis averaged 25.1 points and 7.1 assists in NBL26 but missed Sydney's Blitz campaign.
- Cairns finished preseason with a 129-98 win over Brisbane, scoring 67 first-half points.
Head to Head
Cairns have covered the handicap in four of the last five meetings despite Sydney winning four of those games.
Sydney Kings Form
Sydney enter NBL27 as defending champions with much of their title-winning core intact, including Xavier Cooks, Matthew Dellavedova and Torrey Craig.
Andrew Carr adds another frontcourt option, while Kendric Davis returns after producing 25.1 points and 7.1 assists per game last season.
Davis' delayed arrival is the biggest question heading into Round 1 after passport issues kept him out of the Blitz.
In his absence, Sydney still showed plenty offensively during preseason, including a 95-74 win over New Zealand, before finishing their preparations with a 98-98 draw against Tasmania.
Craig should again have an important two-way role after becoming increasingly influential during last season's championship run.
He has also been involved throughout preseason, scoring 14 points against New Zealand and 15 against Tasmania, giving Sydney another established scoring option while Davis works his way back into the group.
Cairns Taipans Form
Cairns have added considerably more offensive talent around Jack McVeigh for NBL27, with Keanu Pinder returning to the NBL alongside Jaylon Brown, Reyne Smith and Malique Lewis. That group gives the Taipans considerably more scoring depth and size than they had for much of last season.
Their final preseason performance offered a glimpse of that potential as Cairns beat Brisbane 129-98, putting up 67 points in the first half. McVeigh scored 33, Pinder added 21, Brown had 20 and Lewis contributed 17, giving Cairns four players with at least 17 points.
McVeigh remains the centrepiece after averaging 21.2 points per game in NBL26, but Pinder's presence should take some pressure away from him around the basket.
McVeigh's perimeter shooting remains particularly important to the offence, highlighted by his 6/11 three-point shooting against Brisbane in the final warm-up.