We almost picked a perfect round in Round 14 but just missed out on one tip! We'll be looking to go one better this weeked as we preview all of the Round 15 NRL action and give our betting tips below.
NRL Round 15 Betting Tips
Parramatta Eels vs South Sydney Rabbitohs (Thursday, Jun 14 7:50pm AEST)
NRL football in Round 15 begins with the Eels playing the Rabbitohs at ANZ Stadium. The Rabbitohs should be fairly confident of victory as they sit 3rd on the ladder, compared to the 16th placed Eels. Souths are ridding a 6 game winning streak and the Eels have struggled for consistency all season. The Rabbitohs also have their Origin players back in action. But the Eels should be at least confident of keeping this one close.
The Eels secured a win over the Cowboys last week and the return of Hayne provided a spark (2 tries). They have won the last 3 against the Rabbitohs and haven’t lost by 10+ in the last 6 meetings. So I don’t mind the +10 underdog line on offer.
North Queensland Cowboys vs New Zealand Warriors (Friday, Jun 15 6:00pm AEST)
Round 15 continues with the Cowboys hosting the Warriors at 1300Smiles Stadium on Friday. The Warriors have been more consistent in 2018 and will be favoured to beat the Cowboys, even though it’s in North QLD. The away side is 3-2 in their last 5 games and they recorded a comfortably victory in Round 14 as they beat the Sea Eagles by 20 points. For the Cowboys, they have a 1-4 win-loss record in their last 5 matches. Last week, they couldn't get past the struggling Eels in a 6 point loss. They have struggled at home in 2018 with a 2-5 record. However, the last 2 losses have been by 1 point against the Storm and Rabbitohs, two top eight teams.
The under is 6-1 at this venue and should salute once again. They met this season in NZ and the two teams combined for just 34 points. The Cowboys haven’t looked great in attack at home and the travel factor should slow the Warriors ball movement in the latter stages.
Sydney Roosters vs Penrith Panthers (Friday, Jun 15 7:50pm AEST)
On Friday night, the Roosters and Panthers meet at Allianz Stadium. Both sides are sitting in the top eight so this should be one of the games of the round. Last week, the Panthers stormed home against the Raiders to win via a field goal. The Roosters held on against the Knights by a score of 18-16. So this should be another close encounter with both sides in winning form.
In the betting, they can’t really be split either and this one could go either way. As a result, I like the either team under 8.5 points at CrownBet. The Roosters last 2 at Allianz have finished by a 2 point margin. Also, the last meeting at this venue was a 4 point margin. Overall, the last time they met was March, 2017 and the Roosters got over the line by 2 points. So the margin is trending for a close finish.
Either Team Under 8.5 points
$2.10
Canterbury Bulldogs vs Gold Coast Titans (Saturday, Jun 16 3:00pm AEST)
Saturday afternoon footy sees the Bulldogs playing the Titans at Belmore Sports Ground. Both sides will be desperate for a win as they sit near the bottom of the ladder. Last match, the Titans recorded an unlucky defeat to the Rabbitohs by a margin of 2 points. For the Bulldogs, they also lost a tight one to the Dragons by 2 points.
In the betting, I’m liking the unders trend at Belmore. It’s 5-1 since 2015 and the average total points is 30.7. Both sides average under 20 points per game in 2018 and they both struggle to score points in day games.
St George Dragons vs Manly Sea Eagles (Saturday, Jun 16 5:30pm AEST)
WIN Stadium plays host to the Dragons and the Sea Eagles in NRL footy on Saturday. The Dragons sit 1st on the ladder and the Sea Eagles are placed 13th. In terms of points scored, the Dragons rank 1st in the NRL and they’re also 7-0 as the home team in 2018. Looking at the Sea Eagles, they have a 2-3 win-loss record in their last 5 matches. They were poor against the Warriors last week and it won’t get any easier against the Dragons.
The 2 meetings in 2017 went to the Dragons by 13+ and they should enjoy facing a struggling Manly side coming off 3 straight defeats. At WIN Stadium in 2018, the Dragons average 35 points per game in their 2 wins. So I don’t see them giving up the lead at all in this one.
Cronulla Sharks vs Brisbane Broncos (Saturday, Jun 16 7:30pm AEST)
Saturday night ends with the Sharks up against the Broncos at Shark Park. The Sharks sit 5th on the ladder and the Broncos are placed 9th. Cronulla returned to the winners’ list with a comeback win over the Tigers 24-16. The Broncos were no match for the Storm in the end at AAMI Park. The Sharks are loving their time at Shark Park with 4 straight wins and they’ve scored 20+ in all 4 victories. The Broncos are also playing well in attack with 16+ points in their last 7 games.
I’m liking the value for each team to score 13+ points. It’s 5-2 in games at Shark Park this season and 4-0 in the Sharks home winning streak. Between these two sides at Shark Park, it’s 2-0 since 2016.
Either Team To Score 13+
$1.90
Newcastle Knights vs Melbourne Storm (Sunday, Jun 17 2:00pm AEST)
Melbourne will look for another win over the Knights as they head to Newcastle. In the last 3 meetings, the Storm have scored 40 or more points and have won all by 13+. In Round 14, they beat the Broncos by 16 points and have a stronger team this week. Billy Slater is back at fullback and Will Chambers/Curtis Scott return to the centres. They rank 4th in the NRL for points scored (22.85) and the Knights are allowing teams to score 26 points on average. So it’s not looking good for the Knights D.
In the end, the overs should salute with the Storm scoring most of the points. The last day game at this venue saw 58 total points and the Storm won 44-12 here last season.
Wests Tigers vs Canberra Raiders (Sunday, Jun 17 4:10pm AEST)
Round 15 concludes with a key battle as the Tigers host the Raiders at Campbelltown Stadium. In regards to ladder position, the Tigers and the Raiders are sitting just outside the top 8. The story of the season for both sides has been close losses. The Tigers have lost their last 2 by 8 or less. Meanwhile, the Raiders last 2 games have been decided by a field goal. They have a dominant record against the Tigers with a huge average of 52 points per game in their last 3 wins over them. But they do have a 1-3 record against them at Campbelltown Stadium.
The last meeting was decided by a field goal and that seems to be the trend in 2018 for games involving Raiders. So I think this will be another close game with the top 8 on their minds.
Either Team Under 8.5 points
$2.00
