Two teams that looked tremendous in Round 1 kick things off in the NRL on Sunday afternoon, with the two Vegas winners going head-to-head at 4 Pines Park, with the Sea Eagles hosting the Roosters. This should be a cracking game of footy.
Below, we will dissect the matchup, supply our Best Bet, and suggest a Same Game Multi. Be sure to head over to our NRL Tips regularly, as we preview every single game all season long, for free!
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- Guide to Betting on the NRL
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- Factors to Consider When Betting on the NRL
NRL Round 2 Preview & Betting Tips
Manly Sea Eagles vs Sydney Roosters
4 Pines Park, Sunday 17th March, 4:05pm (AEDT)
Last Week
The Sea Eagles kicked off their 2024 season with a cracking come-from-behind win over the Rabbitohs in round 1, with a dominant second half showing where they scored 4-straight tries to get over the Bunnies 36-24. Their attack was crisp, and they won despite giving away more penalties and making more errors, as they looked great in the redzone with the new look spine. Luke Brooks was great on debut, and the Sea Eagles will be a force to be reckoned with if he continues this upwards trajectory, and Tom Trbojevic stays fit.
As for the Roosters, they put on one of the more impressive displays in round 1, dominating the runners up from last year, beating the Broncos 20-10. James Tedesco looked back to his elusive best, running for 212 metres and busting 8 tackles. It was the Roosters defence though that would have pleased Head Coach Trent Robinson the most, as the Broncos’ dangerous attack never seemed to bother them throughout the contest. It will be another test this week, against the high-flying Sea Eagles, and one that should tell us a lot about both teams.
Match Preview
These teams met twice last year, with the Sea Eagles sneaking home 18-16 in round 18, with the Roosters repaying the favour at home five weeks later at the SCG, running out 26-16 winners. With Tom Trbojevic missing both games, I’m not taking a great deal from these results, however the Roosters have shown recently they aren’t daunted by the trip across the Spit Bridge, winning three of their last four at 4 Pines. For reference, the Sea Eagles closed 5.5-point favourites in round 18 last season, whilst the Roosters were 4.5-point favourites at home in round 23.
The market opened with the Roosters a small favourite, with money favouring the Roosters slightly throughout the week. You can find the Roosters in between a 1.5 and 2.5-point favourite, depending on where you bet, and I’d have to agree with the market. I’d slightly have to lean towards the Roosters, as I believe they are the better team and you can basically get them to win the game (-1.5) at $1.90, however I do like the look of the Sea Eagles this season, and I’ll steer clear of the line for now.
As for the total, it opened 42.5, which I thought was a little high. It has moved down slightly to 41.5 at most books, and I still like the under. The Roosters showed last week that they are going to base their game around suffocating defence, and as good as the Sea Eagles looked with the ball, I don’t think they’re going to be able to just run around this Roosters defence. There is a high chance of rain, and rain tends to have a very adverse effect on totals at 4 Pines Park. Not a huge play, as it is still two incredibly good attacking football teams, but I’ll take the under here in what should be a cracking game on Sunday afternoon.
Under 41.5 points
$1.90 (1 Unit)
Same Game Multi
Roosters (1-12) – As above, I like the Roosters in this game, and I really like it to be tight. I don’t believe either of these teams are going to roll over and die, and a tight back and forth should ensue.
Dom Young (1+ try) – Young makes his club debut for the Roosters, and he should be on the right side where the Sea Eagles struggled defensively last season. Expect Young to get at least one this week.
Under 48.5 points – See above.
SGM Odds: $6.79 at Neds
