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    NBL betting worth a punt in the coming season

    NBL Basketball RSS / Editor / 12 May 2008 / Leave a comment " class="free-bet-btn" rel="external">Bet Now

    The rise in popularity of the National Basketball League has seen a big market develop for NBL betting.

    Once considered a minor competition by international standards, the NBL is now seen as a viable career option for some of the world's top players.

    Since its inaugural season in 1979, the NBL has steadily improved stadiums and added more teams, and now attracts millions of TV viewers and spectators.

    In 2007/2008 more than 750,000 fans attended stadiums in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore to watch the league's 13 teams compete for the title and enjoying an NBL bet became the norm.

    Last season, when it came to NBL odds, few teams were better fancied than the Sydney Kings.

    The Kings have won the title four times in the last eight years. It was easy to see why last season as they dominated the regular season matches, winning 27 of their 30 games rewarding those with NBL bets.

    Wins in the semi-finals and three victories in the five-match grand final series against the Melbourne Tigers saw their NBL odds tumble as they secured the title.

    But whether they even get the chance to repeat that feat depends on finances. Former captain Jason Smith took the club to the Industrial Relations Commission, and unless the Kings pay up they may be stripped of their franchise.

    Although the New Zealand Breakers only finished mid-table last year, they could attract strong interest within NBL betting to finish in the top four in the coming season.

    The Kiwi team has signed Australia's premier point guard CJ Bruton and New Zealand national player Dillon Boucher from the Brisbane Bullets.

    The two players helped the Bullets to a third place finish last season, Bruton averaging 18.8 points and 4.5 assists per game. Bruton is a former NBA player with the Portland Trailblazers and is sure to add variety to the Breakers' attack with his ability to score from distance.

    The departure of Bruton and Boucher will hurt the Bullets' chances of repeating their 2006/2007 season title win, but the Brisbane side should again attract their share of NBL bets.

    They won 20 of their 30 regular season matches last season and were second only to the Kings when it came to winning at home. The Bullets scored more points than any other NBL side during the regular season and it was only a shaky defence that stopped them from making the final.