Round 18 of the NRL season continues with plenty to play for all sides in action. So we are back with a full betting preview of all the Round 18 matchups below.
NRL Round 18 Betting Tips
Penrith Panthers vs Cronulla Sharks (Friday, Jul 13 6:00pm AEST)
The Panthers and Sharks face off at Panthers Stadium on Friday. Both sides are sitting in the top eight and will be aiming for a top 4 finish. Last time out, the Panthers had a huge win as they defeated the Warriors at Panthers Stadium by a score of 36-4. Which was impressive without most of their stars. On the other hand, the Sharks are coming off the bye. In the head to head, they have won 4 straight against Penrith. However, this should be a close matchup. In Round 7, the Sharks won by 4 points but will face a tough ask against the Panthers 1st ranked defence in home games. The betting odds say this will be a tight affair as well, which should see the either team bet salute.
Either team by 10 points or less
$1.72
Newcastle Knights vs Parramatta Eels (Friday, Jul 13 7:50pm AEST)
Friday night footy continues with the Knights hosting the Eels at McDonald Jones Stadium. The home side will be boosted by the return of Mitchell Pearce. They’ve won just 1 of their last 8 but he should be able to help them in the latter half of the season. The Eels also have a 1-7 record in their last 8 and sit at the bottom of the ladder. The last meeting was in Round 13 which saw the Knights easy winners in a 30-4 scoreline. Despite that result, the Eels will start as the favourite. But I can see a low scoring affair with the unders getting up. The last 3 meetings have fallen under 40.5 points and both sides are struggling to put points on the board.
Total points UNDER 40.5
$1.90
Canterbury Bulldogs vs South Sydney Rabbitohs (Saturday, Jul 14 3:00pm AEST)
In this matchup, the Bulldogs and Rabbitohs face off at ANZ Stadium on Saturday. The Rabbitohs are flying high at the top of the ladder and have won 8 straight. Last week, the Bulldogs suffered a terrible collapse against the Raiders at Belmore in a 4 point loss. So it’s hard to see their defence stacking up against Souths. The Rabbitohs rank 1st in the NRL for points scored and should take advantage. But I do see the Bulldogs scoring enough points in the both teams to score 13+ market. It’s 2-0 when these two sides met. Recently, the Rabbitohs are 4-0 against it and the Bulldogs are 2-0. So I like the trend.
Both teams to score 13+
$1.90
Manly Sea Eagles vs Melbourne Storm (Saturday, Jul 14 5:30pm AEST)
On Saturday night, the Sea Eagles and Storm meet at Brookvale Oval. This has turned into a modern day rivalry and should be another entertaining clash. However, Melbourne is looking dangerous at the moment and I can’t see the Manly defence slowing them down. They’ve won 5 straight and absolutely thrashed the Dragons 52-30 last week. They also love playing at Brookvale with 30+ points scored in their last 2 games here. So I’m liking the overs in this contest as the Storm should score most of the 41.5 points themselves. The total has reached 56 in two straight meetings between the two sides at this venue.
Total points OVER 41.5
$1.90
Canberra Raiders vs North Queensland Cowboys (Saturday, Jul 14 7:30pm AEST)
Round 18 continues with the Raiders hosting the Cowboys at GIO Stadium on Saturday. Canberra pulled off a miracle last week against the Bulldogs and kept their finals hopes alive in the process. Meanwhile, it’s been a tough season for the 14th placed Cowboys. They’re coming off another 1 point loss to the Rabbitohs, which has been the story of the season. So in this matchup, I can see a close encounter. The Cowboys are pushing good sides lately and the Raiders defence is not the best in the league. The home side also loves a second half collapse. Their last 2 games have been a 4 point margin and their last 2 at home have ended via a field goal.
Either team under 12.5
$1.68
Brisbane Broncos vs New Zealand Warriors (Sunday, Jul 15 2:00pm AEST)
On Sunday afternoon, the Broncos and Warriors meet at Suncorp Stadium. Looking at last week, the Broncos will be confident of winning this. The Warriors put up one of the worst performances of the season against a Panthers side missing Origin stars. They went down 36-4 and it arguably could of been worse. On the other side, the Broncos thrashed the Titans 34-0. So I can’t see Brisbane dropping this one. They’re 5-1 at Suncorp against the Warriors since 2011.
Brisbane Broncos to win
$1.68
St George Dragons vs Wests Tigers (Sunday, Jul 15 4:10pm AEST)
NRL football continues with the Dragons playing the Tigers at Jubilee Oval in this clash. The Dragons will look to rebound after a 52-30 loss in Melbourne. Looking at their 9-0 home record in 2018, it’s a high chance. Especially against the Tigers as they’ve lost 4 straight and 2 of their last 10. They’re not scoring enough points to trouble the Dragons like the Storm did last week. Their record at this venue is poor as well with 3 straight losses since 2010. So I can’t see the Dragons letting the lead slip in this one.
Gold Coast Titans vs Sydney Roosters (Sunday, Jul 15 6:30pm AEST)
On Sunday night, the Titans and Roosters meet at CBus Super Stadium. Gold Coast will look to bounce back after a poor effort against Brisbane in a 34-0 thrashing. They had scored 30+ in their 2 previous games so I do think they can have more success against the Roosters. The away side is coming off the bye and should have enjoyed the extra rest. In the head to head, the Roosters are 3-0 but the Titans have scored 13+ in all 3 losses. So I can see the both teams scoring 13 points bet getting up. It’s 2-1 in the last 3 at Robina and 4-2 in the Roosters last 6 overall games.
Both teams to score 13+
$1.75
