Two bottom 4 sides kick things off for our two-game slate on Sunday afternoon, as the Bulldogs host the Knights at Accor Stadium. Both teams will be looking to stop 3 game slides, with each team seriously close to dropping out of finals contention.
Below, we will dissect the matchup, supply our Best Bet, and suggest a Same Game Multi via Picklebet to prop up those accounts.
NRL Round 18 Preview & Betting Tips
Canterbury Bulldogs vs Newcastle Knights
Accor Stadium, Sunday 2nd July, 2:00pm (AEST)
The Bulldogs come off the bye in round 17, with their last effort a resounding 48-10 loss to the Sharks. The Bulldogs were horrible defensively, missing 52 tackles, whilst conceding 11 line-breaks. It appears the wheels have fallen off for first year coach Cameron Ciraldo, and it will be interesting to see how much rope he is given by Gus Gould in the off-season.
The Knights meanwhile are also coming off a poor loss, going down 20-12 to the severely undermanned Panthers. Despite the tight score line, the Knights were dominated from the outset, never genuinely having a chance to win this game. Adam O’Brien will be another Head Coach under pressure as this season comes to a close.
The Knights opened 2.5-point favourites at Accor Stadium, with the number sticking here all week. I have no complaints with the market, with my number sitting on Knights -2.5 also. It makes for a tough handicap, and what makes it harder is the fact both these teams are in poor form.
The total opened 43.5, the total is still 43.5. Not sure if these markets indicate the market is fixed on these teams, or if there are too many unknowns for punters to find an edge. For what it’s worth, I make a fair total for this game 43, so no value there.
I believe the best place to find value in this clash is for it to be a tight finish. With both teams in desperate need of a win, and also both horribly out of form, I don’t see either team blowing the other of the paddock. The Knights, in particular, love a tight game, with 11 of their 15 games finishing with the winning team leading by 1-12 (and 1 draw). Another stat I like here is the fact that both teams have only won 1 game all season by a margin of 13+. Whilst the price isn’t huge, I like this to stay within two converted tries.
Either team by 12 points or less
$1.65 (2.5 Units)
Same Game Multi
Popular bookmaker Picklebet have launched their Same Game Multis for both the AFL and NRL. There are plenty of markets to choose from an excellent odds on offer, so make sure to check them out!
Josh Addo-Carr (1+ try) – The Knights concede 43% of their tries down their right edge, and with Origin game 3 on the horizon, I expect JAC to get across the line here and cement his spot in the Blues squad.
Greg Marzhew (1+ try) – Marzhew has 10 tries in 11 games this season, and coming up against a Bulldogs defence that is conceding 26.6 points per game, the big man will have a great chance to add to the tally.
Knights (+7.5) – I like the Knights to get the job done in this one, and even if they don’t, I can’t see the Bulldogs winning by more than one score.
SGM Odds: $5 at Picklebet
