Round 4 of the NRL season gets underway this Thursday and we are back with a full betting preview of all the matchups below.
North Queensland Cowboys vs Penrith Panthers (Thursday, Mar 29 7:50pm AEDT)
Round 4 kicks off in North Queensland as the Cowboys host the Panthers. So far in 2018, both sides haven’t looked overly impressive. For the Cowboys, they’ve lost two straight against the Storm and Broncos after a first up win against the Sharks. The loss against the Storm was a bit inflated as the Storm scored 2 late tries. So they should enjoy a home match against the Panthers. Penrith is 2-1 this season but they have started slowly in all three matches. They’ll also be without Nathan Clearly and that really hurts their already struggling attack. However, I don’t see a blowout and the line of 10 points is high for the Cowboys. They do have a 5-0 record against the Panthers at home and won by 2 points in the last meeting. So the 1-12 margin is great value.
TIP: Cowboys 1-12 - $3.30 at CrownBet
South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Canterbury Bulldogs (Friday, Mar 30 4:10pm AEDT)
The traditional Easter clash between the Rabbitohs and Bulldogs kicks off the Friday NRL action. Both sides can’t really be split in the betting as they both come off victories. For Souths, they were the better side last week as they trashed the previously in-form Sea Eagles. While for the Bulldogs, they upset the Panthers 20-18 at ANZ. They also won the last Easter matchup 24-9 in 2017. However, Souths won the last meeting 28-14. In the last 5 meetings, a team has won this matchup by 13+ so this is rarely a close matchup. So after last week, I like the form of the Rabbitohs.
TIP: Rabbitohs WIN - $1.81 at Sportsbet
Cronulla Sharks vs Melbourne Storm (Friday, Mar 30 7:50pm AEDT)
Friday night should be another classic encounter between the Sharks and Storm. Since they met in the 2016 Grand Final, no side has scored over 20 points in this matchup. So the UNDER total has been a great bet. Despite scoring 30 points last week, the Storm scored 2 late tries and will likely struggle against the Sharks strong defence. They kept the Eels to just 4 points last week and held the Dragons to 20 points at this venue previously. They’re already 3-0 against the under this season and they should be able to keep the Storm’s attack quiet at Shark Park.
TIP: UNDER 38 points - $1.90 at Sportsbet
Sydney Roosters vs New Zealand Warriors (Saturday, Mar 31 5:30pm AEDT)
This is an interesting clash with the 2nd placed Warriors against 3rd in the Roosters. Looking at the Warriors, they were so lucky to beat the Raiders last week and will definitely need to improve against Sydney. The Roosters have scored 30 or more points in their last two victories. But another positive sign has been the defence. They haven’t allowed over 12 points this season and average 10 points allowed per match. So that should be the difference in a 10+ win for Sydney.
TIP: Roosters -9.5 - $1.92 at CrownBet
Manly Sea Eagles vs Canberra Raiders (Saturday, Mar 31 7:30pm AEDT)
Last season, the Sea Eagles and Raiders played each other twice and both matches ended in golden point. So hopefully it’s close again. Last week, Manly scored just 6 points in a 34-6 loss which came after a 54-0 win at this venue previously. So it’s hard to know which Manly side will turn up. The Raiders are 0-3 this season but have lost all three by 2 or less points. So based on the previous meetings between the sides, the tribet is a good bet.
TIP: Either Team Under 8.5 Points - $2.20 at CrownBet
St George Dragons vs Newcastle Knights (Sunday, Apr 1 4:10pm AEDT)
The Dragons have arguably been the most impressive side so far this season. They’ve smashed the Broncos and Titans while just beating the Sharks at Shark Park. They own the best attack in the NRL and that will be the main factor against the Knights. Newcastle allowed 38 points against the Roosters last week and they’ll likely struggle to contain the Dragons. St George is 3-0 ATS this season and that should continue against the Knights.
TIP: Dragons -8.5 - $1.92 at Ladbrokes
Brisbane Broncos vs Gold Coast Titans (Sunday, Apr 1 6:30pm AEDT)
Sunday NRL action finishes with the QLD derby between the Broncos and Titans at Suncorp. The Broncos are 7-0 against the Titans and have an 11-0 record against them at Suncorp. So the Broncos obviously have the wood over the Titans. However, the last clash at Suncorp was a 24-22 scoreline so hopefully the Titans can keep it close. They were incredibly poor against the Dragons last week as they lost 54-8, which included 46 unanswered points. But the Broncos don’t have the same attack and this should be closer. Brisbane won 24-20 at Suncorp against the Cowboys in Round 2. So the 1-12 margin is nice value.
TIP: Broncos 1-12 - $3.30 at CrownBet
Wests Tigers vs Parramatta Eels (Monday, Apr 2 4:00pm AEDT)
Round 4 concludes with the Tigers up against the Eels at ANZ on Monday afternoon. For the Tigers, they have been impressive with a 2-1 record and own the best defence in the NRL. They haven’t allowed over 10 points and that should continue against the Eels. Parramatta has scored a woeful total of 18 points in their three losses. So the Tigers are good value for another upset but the bet of the week has to be the UNDER total in this matchup. The Eels average just 6 points per match and the Tigers average 9. This season, the Tigers are 3-0 against the under and the Eels are 2-1. The last meeting between the two sides was also low scoring with the Eels winning 17-16.
TIP: UNDER 38 points - $1.90 at Sportsbet
