Round 7 of the NRL season gets underway this Thursday and we are back with a full betting preview of all the key matchups of the weekend including the big Thursday night clash between the Bulldogs and Roosters below.
NRL Round 7 Preview & Betting Tips
Canterbury Bulldogs vs Sydney Roosters (Thursday, Apr 19 7:50pm AEST)
The rivalry between the Bulldogs and the Roosters continues this Thursday night at ANZ Stadium. In Round 2, the Roosters comfortably beat the Bulldogs 30-12. However, the Bulldogs are coming off a confidence building win over the Cowboys this time. So they should be confident of getting close this time around. The Roosters were poor against the Rabbitohs last week and have a 3-3 record in 2018. They’re proving to be a hard side to predict in season 2018. But after beating the Bulldogs by 18 points, they should return to form with a close win. The extra rest also helps them after playing on Thursday last week and the Bulldogs are returning from North QLD.
TIP: Roosters 1-12 - $3.20 at Sportsbet
New Zealand Warriors vs St George Dragons (Friday, Apr 20 6:00pm AEST)
Friday night football at Mt Smart Stadium will be played between the 5-1 Warriors and the 6-0 Dragons. Both sides have been great to watch in 2018 as they rank 1st and 2nd for points scored. But of the two sides, the Dragons are looking more consistent. They thrashed the Sharks last week 40-20 and just beat the in-form Rabbitohs 16-12. Meanwhile, the Warriors were well beaten by the Broncos at home 27-18 last week. In the head to head, the Dragons also have the wood over the Warriors with 10 wins in the last 11 clashes. They’ve covered the line in 5 of 6 matches this season and after the Warriors poor loss against the Broncos, I’m taking the Dragons to start 7-0.
TIP: Dragons WIN - $1.80 at Ladbrokes
Brisbane Broncos vs Melbourne Storm (Friday, Apr 20 7:50pm AEST)
Round 7 continues as the Broncos play the Storm at Suncorp Stadium. Both sides are looking for win number 4 in this match so the stakes are high. The Broncos comfortably beat the Warriors last week 27-18 and only just lost against the Knights previously 15-10. Last time out, the Storm thrashed the Knights 40-14. They went 3-0 against the Broncos last season, which included a 30-0 win in the finals. Brisbane are a poor attacking team as they score just 16 points per match. Meanwhile, the Storm are scoring 21 ppg and only allow 13 points in defence. They’re coming off a huge win over the Knights, a team the Broncos lost against a few weeks back. So I’m backing the Storm to win this and cover the line.
TIP: Storm -4 - $1.98 at CrownBet
South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Canberra Raiders (Saturday, Apr 21 3:00pm AEST)
Round 7 moves to the Central Coast as the Rabbitohs play the Raiders. The Rabbitohs are looking the better side with a 3-3 record so far this season. They comfortably defeated the Roosters last week by 12 points and only just lost against the Dragons previously by 4 points. Last match, the Raiders thrashed the Eels 18-2 and also thrashed the Bulldogs back in Round 5 by 16 points. So this is matchup could go either way. Both sides average around the same points scored per game and come into this clash with confidence. In the end, the either team bet seems like the best value. It’s also at a neutral venue, which should keep this one close.
TIP: Either Team Under 8.5 Points - $2.20 at CrownBet
Wests Tigers vs Newcastle Knights (Saturday, Apr 21 5:30pm AEST)
This matchup sees the dominant 5-1 Tigers hosting the average 3-3 Knights at Scully Park, Tamworth on Saturday night. Looking at the two sides, the Tigers have been more consistent and should be confident in this clash. Last round, the Tigers crushed the Sea Eagles 38-12 and survived against the Storm back in Round 5 11-10. The Knights were smashed by the Storm last round 40-14 and just beat the Broncos back in Round 5. They are allowing 27.3 points per match and that doesn’t bode well against the in-form Tigers. The Tigers have only allowed 11 points per match in 2018. To top it off, the Tigers have beaten the line against the Knights in the last two meetings. So I can’t see the Knights getting near them.
TIP: Tigers -4.5 - $1.92 at CrownBet
North Queensland Cowboys vs Gold Coast Titans (Saturday, Apr 21 7:30pm AEST)
This matchup will see the Cowboys hosting the Titans at 1300Smiles Stadium on Saturday night. The Titans are slightly looking the better side after 3 wins this season. But the Titans were smashed by the Panthers last week by 23 points. Meanwhile, the Cowboys were crushed at home by the Bulldogs last week by 17 points. They’ve been one of the most disappointing teams in 2018. However, the Titans are a team they like playing as they’ve won the last 5 meetings. They’ve also won the last 5 at home against them and haven’t lost since 2012. So I like that trend and I’m hoping the Cowboys will finally show some form and beat the Titans. Gold Coast has also been travelling alot lately, which showed in a second half collapse last week.
TIP: Cowboys 1-12 - $3.15 at CrownBet
Parramatta Eels vs Manly Sea Eagles (Sunday, Apr 22 2:00pm AEST)
Sunday afternoon football at ANZ Stadium will be played between the Eels and the Sea Eagles. Looking at the last meeting, this could be another thrashing against the Eels. The Sea Eagles absolutely dominated them in a 54-0 victory, which was also on Sunday afternoon. The Eels are 0-4 in the day time this season and it’s not looking good in Round 7 for them. They have scored just 8 total points in their last 2 matches and rank last in the NRL for points scored by a mile. They’re already 0-6 against the line this season so the Sea Eagles should rebound with a big win.
TIP: Sea Eagles 13+ - $3.30 at Sportsbet
Cronulla Sharks vs Penrith Panthers (Sunday, Apr 22 4:10pm AEST)
Round 7 ends at Southern Cross Group Stadium as the Sharks host the Panthers on Sunday afternoon. Last time out, the Panthers thrashed the Titans 35-12. Whereas, the Sharks got smashed by the Dragons 40-20. In their last 2 losses, they’ve been outscored 68-30. So the Panthers attack, which averages 23.3 points per match, should be the difference in this clash. The Sharks average just 14.7 points per match and just don’t look overly threatening near the try-line. So in the end, the Panthers are loving day-time footy in 2018 (3-0) and have a 4-2 record against the line. Former Shark James Maloney will have something to prove against his old side as well.
TIP: Panthers -5.5 - $1.92 at Ladbrokes
