2017 NRL Round 17 Betting Tips
The 2017 NRL season continues this weekend with every team in action in a full schedule of rugby league. We preview the key games of the round in our NRL Round 17 Preview and Betting Tips below.
Parramatta Eels vs Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs (Thursday 7.50pm AEST)
The Eels head into this one coming off a bye last week and they would have enjoyed it after a big win over the Dragons in their last start. Unfortunately for the side they will be without hooker Kaysa Pritchard for the remainder of the season after he tore his ACL. Cameron King comes in as a replacement after a two-year hiatus from the NRL to make his debut for the Eels. The pressure will be taken off his shoulders due to an experienced backline in Corey Norman, Mitchell Moses and Clint Gutherson. The latter has been dominant this season and has been by far the Eels best player. He will be in the number one jersey on the weekend after pushing Bevan French to the wing. We are predicting him to play a big role in a comfortable win for the Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs have struggled to score points in the majority of their matches this year and that was the same story last week, despite the return of Josh Reynolds. Their kicking game is awful and it prevents them from applying pressure to their opponents. They will be without their captain James Graham for a long stint and we can’t see them causing an upset in this one.
TIP: Eels at the margin (13+) – $2.70 with Sportsbet
Brisbane Broncos vs Melbourne Storm (Friday 7.50pm AEST)
The Storm will head to Brisbane for the blockbuster match against the Broncos at full strength with their origin stars named to start after a week off resting. The side will be hard to beat as they have proved to be all season. They are sitting on the top of the table and we are predicting them to put on a clinic in this one. There are matches throughout the season where the Storm run away with them, flex their muscles and make a statement to the rest of the competition and we believe this will be one of those. The Storm is flying high and despite a loss last week they would have built a lot of confidence as they almost earned a victory against the Roosters, without their stars. The side was leading 24-6 heading into the final quarter of the game but they weren’t able to hold on and eventually lost in gold point. However, the belief the side can win without their stars is there so when they do take the field they will believe they are invincible.
Meanwhile the Broncos will take to the field without two of their key players in Anthony Milford and Darius Boyd. This is an obvious blow for their attack as it forces the Broncos to change their game plan. They have experience in Benji Marshall at five-eighth and he showed he isn’t done with yet last week, however it was against a poor defensive side in the Raiders. Meanwhile Kodi Nikorima has been named to start over Ben Hunt. The Broncos will need their forward pack to step up but we are predicting the Storm to run away with this one.
TIP: Storm at the margin (13+) – $3.50 with William Hill
Newcastle Knights vs Wests Tigers (Sunday 2pm AEST)
In the battle of the wooden spoon, we are predicting the Knights to earn a tight victory on home soil. They were embarrassed in the second half last week against the Dragons as they were burned and conceded 22 consecutive points to let their 18 point lead slip. They were lacking experience and hopefully for the team they learned an important lesson last week. There were plenty of positives to come out of their first 40 minutes and we believe it will help them, especially in front of their home fans, in winning this weekend.
Meanwhile the Wests Tigers are coming off a disappointing loss last week against the Tigers. Aaron Woods backed up from origin but James Tedesco was unable to take the field due to an ankle injury. He has been named to return and is hopeful of taking the field. If he is unable to play then the Knights should win this one comfortably but if he plays he will cause a lot of havoc for the Knights defence. However, he won’t be enough to lift them in this one.
TIP: Knights at the margin (1-12) – $3.10 with William Hill
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TIPS ARE SIMPLY THE AUTHOR’s OPINION. ALWAYS GAMBLE RESPONSIBLY
