An unusual start to NRL Super Saturday this week, with the Tigers heading out to Tamworth for their yearly fixture. The Knights are their opponents and with similar fortunes experienced to date, each team has plenty to play for. With just 2 competition points separating them, an exciting afternoon of NRL action is ahead. Before You Bet will assist with a comprehensive match preview to hopefully add to your enjoyment and find you a winner or two.
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
2024 NRL Round 10 Preview & Betting Tips
Wests Tigers vs Newcastle Knights
Match Preview
Scully Park – Saturday 11th May – 3pm (AEST)
The Tigers started strongly against the Bulldogs but failed to build on the winning position they had created for themselves. Leading 14-6 at HT, the Tigers were looking like the better side. Unfortunately, they were not able to go on with their efforts in the second half with both their execution and mentality letting them down. The fact that they had 2 players sent to the sinbin with 6 minutes remaining highlights how poorly they finished the match. They were poor too in their execution; they averaged just 7.8m per carry and couldn’t generate the necessary momentum required to build pressure on their opponents. The same can be said of their defence which missed 32 tackles.
The Knights had no such issues in their gritty 14-8 victory over the Warriors at home. Expected to be a tight contest, the Knights prevailed in testing conditions. They overcame an inferior share of possession (46%) with a high completion rate (81%). They averaged just 7.5m per carry, but still had more line breaks (3 vs 1). The result was built on strong defence; they missed just 25 tackles in the match. They are proving to be a determined team and will rely upon similar performances to get them victories while key players are absent from their line-up.
Match Prediction
This is a tricky game to assess from the outset. The trip to Tamworth usually is a challenging one for the Tigers; they have just a 25% winning record here in 4 attempts compared to the Knights 50% (1 win in 2 matches). The Tigers have also only defeated the Knights twice in their past 8 encounters, with the average margin of victory in their past 5 meetings sitting at 12.4 points.
The loss of key attacking weapons on both sides should mean that this game is a low scoring contest. Each team has struggled this year (Tigers 14ppg vs Knights 16ppg) and rely heavily upon their defence keeping things tight. This hasn’t worked as well for the Tigers, who concede 22ppg in defence compared with the Knights 19ppg. The loss of Sezer at halfback will only compound the Tigers attack issues but they are not without a spark in other areas of the field. They will need to rely upon their young players to take control of this match.
The Knights have shown that they can overcome opponents by dragging them into a gritty, arm-wrestle style of a match. This game should be no different should they wish to win. Despite the recent history suggesting a victory by 2 or more converted tries, it should be far closer than this when the fulltime whistle sounds.
Expect an improved effort from the Tigers this week both in their defence and discipline. They can ill afford offering the Knights momentum if they want to be a chance of winning this match. Use the fact that this game is likely going to be a close one, to your advantage and invest on either team winning by less that 8 points.
Either Team by 8.5 Points or Less
$2.15 (2 Units)
