Game 1 of the State of Origin Series will be played next week and that means Round 13 is a shortened round with just 4 matches. So we are back with a full betting preview of all the Round 13 matchups below.
NRL Round 13 Betting Tips
Manly Sea Eagles vs North Queensland Cowboys (Thursday, May 31 7:50pm AEST)
NRL football in Round 13 begins with the Sea Eagles playing the Cowboys at Brookvale Oval on Thursday. Both sides actually lost by a point last week so this should be a close matchup. The Sea Eagles collapsed against the Raiders and the Cowboys just couldn’t get past the Storm at home. This match will see Thurston playing during Origin for the first time in a while and Cherry-Evans will be looking to outplay him. But the loss of the Trbojevic brothers is a big blow to the home side. They are ranked 4th in the NRL for points scored, however they will likely struggle without their Origin stars. The Cowboys also have Scott (suspended), Morgan, Cooper and Hess out for this clash. So with alot of talented players out, this should be a tight but low scoring game. Cowboys’ games have gone 8-4 against the under in 2018 and the Sea Eagles have scored 12 points in back to back games at Brookvale. So I like the unders to start the round.
Total points UNDER 39.5
$1.88
South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Cronulla Sharks (Friday, Jun 1 7:50pm AEST)
Round 13 continues with the Rabbitohs hosting the Sharks at ANZ Stadium on Friday. This should have been an absolute blockbuster but Origin has impacted this matchup. The Rabbitohs are worse off with Inglis, Cook and Crichton out. The Sharks forward pack is looking really strong with Graham, Lewis, Gallen and Fifita ready to take on the Burgess brothers. Last time out, the Rabbitohs comfortably beat the Warriors at Mt Smart Stadium by a score of 30-10 for their 4th straight win. The Sharks recorded an easy 48-10 win against the Knights at McDonald Jones Stadium. Moylan had his best game in Sharks colours and that should continue against the Rabbitohs. The Cronulla side is 3-1 against Souths and they’re 3-0 in overall games at ANZ. Their lineup looks really strong on paper and they’re a good safe bet to win this matchup.
Parramatta Eels vs Newcastle Knights (Saturday, Jun 2 7:30pm AEST)
The only Saturday night game of the round is the disappointing Eels playing the out of form Knights at ANZ Stadium. Last week, the Knights were no match for the Sharks at home in a 38 point defeat. Which made it 4 straight losses. Meanwhile, the Eels are 2-10 on the season and will need to show something. They lost to the Broncos last week by 8 points and sit last on the ladder. Both sides haven’t been affected by Origin but that probably says alot about how they are playing. The Eels have dropped Corey Norman and moving Gutherson to the halves last week didn’t change their woeful attack. They’re ranking last in the NRL for points scored. They will face the Knights last ranked defence but the Eels just haven’t been near their best in attack all season. So in the end, this should be a low scoring game between two struggling sides. The under has gone 10-5 at ANZ this year and the Eels are 11-3 against the under at this venue in night games since last season. Against the Knights, they have a 7-3 record against the under total since 2010 as well.
Total points UNDER 39.5
$1.88
Sydney Roosters vs Wests Tigers (Sunday, Jun 3 4:10pm AEST)
Round 13 concludes with the Roosters up against the Tigers at Allianz Stadium. Both sides have a 7-5 record and sit just inside the top eight. So this is a key 2 points for each side. In terms of lineups, the Roosters have a number of key players out. Which includes: Tedesco, Mitchell, Cordner and Napa. But they’ll still have an unchanged lineup in the halves with Cooper Cronk the key against Brooks and Benji. The Tigers don’t send a player to Origin which will help them in their attempt to beat them once again. They caused a massive boil-over in a Round 1 10-8 victory over Sydney. Last round, the Roosters did finally show some good signs in an attacking second half against the Titans. However, the Tigers D will be a challenge and they can start slowing in first halves. So the Tigers should be able to contain the Roosters with their strong defence. Also at this venue, the Roosters are scoring just 12.5 points per game in 2018 and have a 1-3 record. So I do like the unders again, especially after a 10-8 scoreline in the last meeting. The Tigers are ranked 4th last in the NRL for points scored and haven’t scored over 20 points in their last 4 games. Also, both sides rank inside the top 3 for points allowed.
Total points UNDER 39.5
$1.90
