2016 NRL Round 20 Betting Tips
The 2016 season is well and truly heading towards the pointy end as we continue to offer NRL betting tips including a look at our best picks for this weekend’s Round 20.
North Queensland Cowboys Vs Canterbury Bulldogs (Thursday, 21 July)
The reigning premiers are recharged and reloaded this week as they welcome back a staggering seven players to the starting line up. Gavin Cooper, James Tamou, Justin O’Neill, Matthew Scott and Johnathan Thurston all return from Origin duties, while Michael Morgan returns from a knee injury. Meanwhile, Kyle Feldt has been suspended for shoulder charging Jarrod Croker, so Javid Bowen will shift to the wing.
The Bulldogs are also welcoming back their Origin representatives Joshua Jackson and David Klemmer, while Aisle Fine has been omitted and Craig Garvey has been added to an extended bench.
Both these sides are coming off the bye. They are well rested and will be ready to fire. The bulldogs are currently on a mini streak, coming in to this one with 4 straight wins. Unfortunately heading to Townsville will see the end of that. The Cowboys have played 8 home games this season and haven’t lost yet. 1300Smile Stadium is one of the toughest journeys in the NRL and we don’t expect the Bulldogs to overcome it.
Tip: NQL Cowboys -7.5 – $2.00 at Ladbrokes with NRL line promotion
Brisbane Broncos Vs Penrith Panthers (Friday, 22 July)
After his first career suspension, Corey Parker is back this week for the Broncos. Tom Opacic has been named in the centres and Jordan Kahu has been omitted.
Last week the Broncos over powered the Rabbitohs 30-10. Corey Oates was the shining star for the Broncos with 259 metres gained, 2 line breaks and he topped it off with 2 tries. Oates wasn’t flying solo with James Roberts also notching up 196 metres and a try. The Broncos are currently sitting in 6th position on the ladder despite losing 5 of their last 7.
The Panthers remain unchanged from their victory against the Eels last weekend. In the tight contest, the Panthers trailed until the halfway point of the second half and after 3 quick tries in the second half, Penrith took a 4-point lead which they were able to defend, eventually winning 22-18.
Back in Round 3, the Panthers managed to squeeze a one-point victory over the Broncos with a last-minute field goal from Te Mare Martin. The Broncos certainly wont have forgotten this and just like Townsville, Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane isn’t called the ‘cauldron’ for no reason. Teams tend to struggle when they travel to Brisbane and the Panthers are no exception. In the 10 games the Panthers have played at Suncorp, they have only managed to win 3, the last coming back in Round 15, 2010. Based on history we are going with the Broncos in this one.
Tip: Brisbane Broncos 1-12 – $3.20 at CrownBet
Melbourne Storm Vs Sydney Roosters (Saturday, 23 July)
If it aint broke don’t fix it – zero changes for the Storm heading in to Round 20. Sitting in 2nd position Melbourne Storm are dominating the league this season. They have won 4 of the last 5 and they certainly know how to win. However, they have tended to be less aggressive against the lesser teams this season. Last week alone they only managed to defeat the Knights by 4 points despite being 18-point favourites. The exception to this is of course their Round 11 thrashing of the Roosters where they scored 46 points while keeping the Roosters scoreless.
Cameron Munster returned last week with 106 metres, 9 tackles and a line break resulting in a try assist. Munster has elevated his game yet again as he relishes his opportunity with Billy Slater out again this season. Looking across the league the average metres gained by a fullback is around 75. Muster averages a massive 166 per game.
The Roosters are 0-5 and sitting in 15th position on the ladder. Its not as if they haven’t had their opportunities, losing by 2 points against the Warriors and 4 points against the Bulldogs and the Eels. Against the Sharks last week, no-one in their right mind could have reasonably expected the Rooster to win. We were certainly surprised to see how competitive they were. They got off to a quick start before eventually going down 32-20. Kane Evans has been named on an extended bench. Storm don’t tend to play back-to-back bad games. Expect Melbourne to come out hard and fast at home.
Tip: Melbourne Storm 13+ – $2.00 at CrownBet
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Vs Newcastle Knights (Sunday, 24 July)
Last season, the Sharks won 14 games and finished the regular season in 6th position. This week the Sharks will be playing for a club-record 15 straight victories. The Sharks weren’t at there best last week, but with the inclusion of Andrew Fifita they will lift in defence and will be back at their best.
The Knights are treading water this season. With the Wooden spoon all but sewn up they will just want the pain to be over. Last week against a less than stellar Storm, they were competitive but still unable to get the result. This week they will see an improvement with the return of Dane Gagai from Origin duties. Pauli Pauli has been named in the second row, while David Bhana, Jacob Saifiti and Mickey Paea have been named on an extended bench with Daniel Saifiti, Jake Mamo, Robbie Rochow and Sione Mata’utia all being omitted.
The Sharks will win this one easily. Looking at the odds, the line is big, but we don’t mind the look of the Sharks to cover.
Tip: Cronulla Sharks at the line (-24.5) – $1.92 at CrownBet
South Sydney Rabbitohs Vs Manly Sea Eagles (Monday, 25 July 7:00PM AEST)
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are on a streak as well, its just the other way way around with an attempt to end a six-game losing streak. They lost last week to the Broncos 30-10 and it’s clear with both Greg Inglis and Adam Reynolds on the sidelines, they lack attacking power.
This week they will see some improvement with Adam Reynolds and Bryson Goodwin both being named, while Ed Murphy has been omitted. Talent wise, the Bunnies have every right to win. This season, however, they have struggled to string sets together and had a bad run of injuries.
Manly aren’t that much better as they are sitting in 12th position. The Sea Eagles, meanwhile, are coming off the back of 2 wins with the first against the Dragons 36-6 and then last weekend against the warriors 15-14. Manly’s halfback Daley Cherry-Evans, ended the match with a golden point field goal in the 85th minute. Nate Myles has been named returning from Origin, while Brayden Williame will line up in the centres.
The Sea Eagles are the favourites in this one, but for us the inclusion of Adam Reynolds and Bryson Goodwin for the Rabbitohs makes this one just about as close as it can be. Monday night football should be tight.
Tip: Either Team Under 6.5 – $2.76 at Sportsbet
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