Round 2 of the NRL season gets underway this Thursday and after a thrilling opening round we are back with a full betting preview of all the Round 2 matchups below.
2018 NRL Round 2 Betting Tips
Cronulla Sharks vs St George Dragons (Thursday, Mar 15 7:50pm AEDT)
Round 2 kicks off with the Southern derby between the Sharks and Dragons. This matchup has extra spice with former Dragon Josh Dugan now at the Sharks. The Sharks played in a tough Round 1 loss against the Cowboys as they fell short 20-14. While for the Dragons, they trashed a dismal Broncos side 34-12. Ben Hunt looked great in the red and white. While his combination with Gareth Widdop is the key. This meeting is generally tough to pick with both sides winning against each other last season. Both matches finished in the 1-6 range so the either team to win by under 8.5 points is good value.
TIP: Either Team Under 8.5 Points - $2 at CrownBet
Sydney Roosters vs Canterbury Bulldogs (Friday, Mar 16 6:00pm AEDT)
Friday night football starts with the rivalry between the Roosters and Bulldogs. Both sides suffered losses in Round 1 so they’ll be desperate not to start 0-2. For the Roosters, they struggled in attack with new faces, Cronk and Tedesco. They went down 10-8 to the Tigers as a result. For the Bulldogs, they held with the Storm for a while but in the end their class won out in a 36-18 scoreline. But this should be a closer contest. The Dogs lost both matches against Sydney last season but they were both under 6 points. So the line of 9.5 points is achievable.
TIP: Bulldogs +9.5 - $1.91 at Ladbrokes
Brisbane Broncos vs North Queensland Cowboys (Friday, Mar 16 7:50pm AEDT)
The Round 2 rivalry matchups continue as the Broncos host the Cowboys. In the last two meetings at Suncorp, the result has been decided by a field-goal so hopefully this is another classic. However, the Broncos were very poor against the Dragons in a 34-12 loss to start 2018. They struggled in attack and the loss of Ben Hunt is going to hurt them. While for the Cowboys, they beat the Sharks by 6 points at home and will be a tough team to beat this season. That was without Morgan and Coote. Their forward pack is much improved this season and that will be the major difference against the Broncos.
TIP: Cowboys -4.5 - $1.91 at Ladbrokes
New Zealand Warriors vs Gold Coast Titans (Saturday, Mar 17 3:00pm AEDT)
Saturday NRL action starts in New Zealand with a very interesting clash. The Warriors and Titans both won in Round 1 so a 2-0 start will be on the line. No-one really saw the Warriors breaking a 10 game losing streak in Perth but they outclassed the Rabbitohs 32-20. The new additions played well, including Blake Green and Tohu Harris. While for the Titans, they recovered from an 18-0 deficit to score a 30-28 home victory. But the Warriors seem to have their measure lately with five straight wins and a 13-4 record since 2010. However, the over total is a good value bet in this contest. Both sides combined for 62 points last week and the last meeting in NZ saw 50 total points scored.
TIP: OVER 45.5 points - $1.90 at Sportsbet
Penrith Panthers vs South Sydney Rabbitohs (Saturday, Mar 17 5:30pm AEDT)
The Panthers are back at home in Round 2 and will face South Sydney. Penrith scored 24 unanswered points against the Eels last week in a 24-14 victory. The Rabbitohs lost in Perth 32-20 and will need to improve defensively. They did beat the Panthers twice last season so this is a danger game for Penrith. Souths are also 4-1-1 ATS in Penrith and 3-2 straight up. So this is one could go either way. The Panthers were poor starters last week and the Rabbitohs did score first against NZ. So hopefully they can keep it close and may cause an upset.
TIP: Either Team Under 12.5 Points - $1.82 at CrownBet
Melbourne Storm vs Wests Tigers (Saturday, Mar 17 7:30pm AEDT)
Melbourne kicked off their title defence in fine style with a 36-18 win over the Bulldogs. Cameron Munster starred at fullback and Josh Addo-Carr bagged a double. Although, the Tigers will be confident of another upset after beating the Roosters 10-8. The strong showing in defence will be the key against the Storm. They have lost three in a row against the Storm but the line of 15.5 points is fairly high. They’ve lost all of those three matches by under 10 points and they showed against the Roosters that they’ll be a tough side to beat. I can see the Storm winning but not in a blowout.
TIP: Tigers +15.5 - $1.92 at CrownBet
Manly Sea Eagles vs Parramatta Eels (Sunday, Mar 18 4:10pm AEDT)
Sunday’s NRL action starts at Brookvale Oval with the Sea Eagles against the Eels. Both sides are 0-1 and will be fighting for their first victory. The Sea Eagles got knocked off in golden point and the Eels lost 24-14 after leading 14-0. In the head to head, the Eels have dominated this matchup with 6 straight wins over Manly. But the under total should salute here. The last meeting at this venue was a 20-12 victory for the Eels. Both sides struggled in attack last week and that will keep this close. The Eels also have a 5-1 record against the under as an away side in day matches and 4-1 at Brookvale. Manly is 20-11 against the under in March since 2011.
TIP: UNDER 40.5 points - $1.90 at Sportsbet
Canberra Raiders vs Newcastle Knights (Sunday, Mar 18 6:30pm AEDT)
The last match of the round is probably the hardest to pick. The Knights won in golden point in Round 1 but weren’t overly impressive. The Raiders led 18-0 against the Titans but collapsed in the end to lose 30-28. In the history between the two sides, the over total points has a great record. The over total is 8-2 since 2013 and the Raiders are 6-1 against the over after a loss. The last meeting at this venue was a 46-28 win for the Raiders and I can see a similar high scoring result.
TIP: OVER 44.5 points - $1.90 at Sportsbet
