Friday night NRL continues with an intriguing battle, as the Broncos head to Accor Stadium to take on the resurgent Rabbitohs. Just a couple of weeks ago, this matchup would have been looked upon as a one-sided thrashing, but the Bunnies have shown enough over the past fortnight to make this a fascinating game of football. We bring you our full betting preview for the clash below!
Also, if you’re new to sports betting or betting on the NRL, check out the following articles to help build your knowledge:
- Guide to Betting on the NRL
- Where to Bet on the NRL
- Factors to Consider When Betting on the NRL
NRL Round 15 Preview & Betting Tips
South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Brisbane Broncos
Accor Stadium, Friday 15th June, 8:00pm (AEST)
Last Week
The Bunnies managed their second win in a row last week, obliterating the Titans 46-12 at Cbus Super Stadium. That’s 88 points in attack over their past two games, and with Cody Walker and Latrell Mitchell seemingly back to their very best, the Rabbitohs are going to pose a threat to plenty of teams in the second half of the season. Last week, the Rabbitohs ran for over 2000 metres, created 8 line-breaks, whilst offloading 15 times and completing at 86%. Latrell was at his scheming best, setting up three tries, scoring one himself, whilst creating five offloads and breaking four tackles.
As for the Broncos, they went down meekly to the Sharks last week at home, losing 22-12 despite leading 12-4 at halftime. The Broncos allowed the Sharks to run for over 2100 metres, offload the ball 14 times, whilst missing 39 tackles and making 12 errors. With no Reynolds or Walsh, their attack seemed pedestrian, and they will need more from their big name forwards this week if they are going to get the better of the Bunnies.
Match Preview
The Broncos and Rabbitohs have already met once this season back in round 2, with the Broncos getting the win 28-18 at home. The Broncos closed 7.5-point favourites, whilst the total closed 42.5. The quality of the game was as you would expect early in the season, with both teams completing at under 70%. However, the Broncos were the better side, save for a five-minute period at the start of the second half, and well and truly deserved the win and cover.
As for this week, the Broncos opened 5.5-point favourites prior to last weekend’s matches, before re-opening as 4.5-point favourites on Monday. I’d be surprised if this got to the other side of 4, with a heavily juiced Rabbitohs +4.5 likely the closing number here.
Even after upgrading the Rabbitohs heavily, I still give the Broncos a slight edge here, making them a 5-point favourite. Given this, there isn’t a great deal of value in the line here. However, these teams appear to be on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to form, and a Rabbitohs ML bet is something I’m strongly considering this weekend.
The total opened 49.5 and has been bet up slightly to 50.5. I make a fair total 52.5, so agree with the move, and would lean towards the over for this one. However, there is talk of heavy rain in Sydney on Friday, so will keep the powder dry until much closer to kick-off.
I think this game will be tight, and a look at either team by margins is a decent bet, but I’ll take the much higher odds-on offer here and take the Rabbitohs to get the chocolates here. Their form is hot, and with Latrell pushing for an Origin spot, I can see the Rabbitohs getting it done.
Rabbitohs to Win
$2.50 (1 Unit)
Same Game Multi
Either team to win (1-12) – As above, I expect a tight game here, with both teams desperate for victory.
L Mitchell (1+ try) – Latrell can’t stop scoring, and with a Blues jersey on the line, expect Latrell to get over it.
D Mariner (1+ try) – Mariner will be attacking the weak left edge of the Bunnies, and with 10 tries in 11 games this season, he’s as good a chance as anyone on this Broncos team.
SGM Odds: $6.44 at Neds