Round 1 of the NRL season is finally here and Before You Bet has you covered with a tip for every match. The action kicks off Thursday night with a great matchup between the Dragons and Broncos and continues throughout the weekend! You can also see our NRL 2018 Season Preview & Betting Tips, which features all of our future bets for the season!
2018 NRL Round 1 Betting Tips
St George Dragons vs Brisbane Broncos (Thursday, Mar 8 7:50pm AEDT)
The NRL season kicks off with the Dragons hosting the Broncos in Kogarah. The odds are tight so this will hopefully be a close one to start 2018. For the Dragons, Ben Hunt will lineup against his former side and his combination with Widdop will be interesting to watch. They also added James Graham in the offseason. For Brisbane, they have a young halves combination with Milford and Nikorima. They won all three trial matches and should be confident of a Round 1 upset. They are 12-2 against the Dragons but the under total is the safe bet. In the last two meetings when the Dragons are the home side, the total averages just 21 total points.
TIP: Total points UNDER 40.5 - $1.87 at William Hill
Newcastle Knights vs Manly Sea Eagles (Friday, Mar 9 6:00pm AEDT)
Friday night football starts in Newcastle with the Knights hosting the Sea Eagles. The Knights have finished with the wooden spoon in 3 straight seasons but the addition of Mitchell Pearce will help them in 2018. While for the Sea Eagles, they lost Blake Green in the offseason and the pressure will be on Cherry Evans. But he should be well supported by the likes of the Trbojevic’s and a range of young talent. In the head to head, Manly have dominated this matchup with a 10-2 record since 2010. They’ve also won the last 7 meetings against the Knights. So that’s hard to back against.
TIP: Sea Eagles to win - $1.90 at Sportsbet
North Queensland Cowboys vs Cronulla Sharks (Friday, Mar 9 7:50pm AEDT)
The Cowboys kick off their season with a tough matchup against the Sharks. The two sides met in the finals last season and the Cowboys upset them 15-14. They’ll be even more confident with JT in the lineup this time-around. They added Jordan McLean in the offseason and he bolsters an already strong pack. But the Sharks have a strong defence and they went 10-2 on the road last season. They’ve added Matt Moylan in the offseason and Valentine Holmes will be a player to watch this season. So I can see them covering the line in a close contest between two finals sides from last season.
TIP: Sharks +5.5 - $1.95 at William Hill
Wests Tigers vs Sydney Roosters (Saturday, Mar 10 4:30pm AEDT)
The Roosters are 14-1 against the Tigers and this matchup has extra spice now. As a result of former Tiger James Tedesco moving to the Roosters in the offseason. They also added Cooper Cronk and this side looks great on paper. So the Roosters will likely have too much offensive power and the 10.5 point line is achievable. They’re 5-0 against the line in day matches against the Tigers.
TIP: Roosters -10.5 - $1.90 at Sportsbet
South Sydney Rabbitohs vs New Zealand Warriors (Saturday, Mar 10 7:00pm AEDT)
The Optus Stadium doubleheader kicks off with the Rabbitohs and Warriors. With Greg Inglis back, the Rabbitohs are expecting a better showing in 2018. They’ve also won 6 matches in a row against the Warriors. South Sydney recruited Dane Gagai and they have a strong pack with the Burgess boys. This a long trip first up for the Warriors and they went just 1-11 on the road last season. They are tipped to struggle in 2018 and it’s hard to see them upsetting the Rabbitohs.
TIP: Rabbitohs -4.5 - $1.90 at William Hill
Canterbury Bulldogs vs Melbourne Storm (Saturday, Mar 10 9:00pm AEDT)
Melbourne start their Premiership defence in Perth against the Bulldogs. Despite losing Cronk, this side is still very strong with a number of playmakers. Cameron Smith is the main key and he’ll look to control this match in the middle of the field. That should open up space for the likes of Addo-Carr and Vunivalu. The Bulldogs looked solid in the trials and they’ll likely play alot of close matches in 2018. They played in a 12-6 loss against the Storm in Round 1 last season. They’re also 6-1 against the Storm since 2013. So they should be able to cover the 8.5 underdog line.
TIP: Bulldogs +8.5 - $1.90 at Sportsbet
Penrith Panthers vs Parramatta Eels (Sunday, Mar 11 4:10pm AEDT)
Sunday NRL action starts with the rivalry between the Panthers and Eels. In the last 5 meetings, the margin has finished in the 1-6 range so this should be another close one. The Panthers lost Moylan and Cartwright in the offseason but added James Maloney. While for the Eels, Jarryd Hayne is back. Both sides made the finals last season so I can see a close one in Penrith. The value is at CrownBet with the either team to win by under 8.5 points.
TIP: Either Team Under 8.5 Points - $2.10 at CrownBet
Gold Coast Titans vs Canberra Raiders (Sunday, Mar 11 6:30pm AEDT)
Round 1 ends with an interesting matchup on the Gold Coast. Both sides are tipped to finish in the bottom eight so the four points is critical. Last season, the Titans went 4-8 at home so the Raiders will be confident. They’ve also thrashed the Titans in the last two meetings at this venue. In 2017, they won 42-16 and in 2016 they won 30-22. The Raiders will likely have enough points in them once again to cover the line on the road. Since 2014, they’re 32-15-2 against the line as an away team. The Titans averaged 26 points against last season and their home record isn’t great.
TIP: Raiders -2.5 - $1.90 at Sportsbet
