2017 NRL Round 18 Betting Tips
The 2017 NRL season continues this weekend with four matches being played due to the final origin match next Wednesday night. We take a look at all four matches in our NRL Round 18 Preview and Betting Tips below.
Sydney Roosters vs South Sydney Rabbitohs (Friday 7.50pm AEST)
To kick things off for NRL Round 18, the Bunnies will be looking for back-to-back victories against their biggest rivals the Chookies. The Rabbitohs will be full of confidence too, coming off a huge victory over the Penrith Panthers last week. The side was brilliant in attack while they shut down the Panthers attacks with ease. Alex Johnston grabbed five tries in a starring performance but it was the forward pack who muscled up and laid the platform for the outside backs to take advantage of.
The Roosters will take to the field after a humiliating defeat last week against the Sharks. It proves they still have a lot to do if they want to contest for the premiership this year. To make matters worse for the side, we are backing them to drop competiiton points this weekend when they take to the field without their superstars. The Roosters have depth but they won’t be able to overcome a red hot Rabbitohs outfit with the Bunnies clearing the line in this one.
TIP: Rabbitohs at the line (-3.5) – $1.90 at Sportsbet
Penrith Panthers vs Manly Sea Eagles (Saturday 5.30pm AEST)
The Sea Eagles would have been quietly happy after Daly Cherry-Evans missed selection for Queensland in the origin decider next week. The Sea Eagles halfback will now take to the field this weekend for an important match as they look to keep their spot in the top four. The side has improved drastically since last season with their forward pack laying the platform for their outside backs. Blake Green has taken a lot of pressure off Cherry-Evans’ shoulders and it has helped both of them perform well. They are 6-0 on the road this season so playing at Penrith shouldn’t impact them too much. The side fought back well last week after trailing 16-0 against the Warriors to earn an important victory.
Meanwhile the Panthers are coming off another embarrassing loss. Their inconsistent season has resulted in them sitting four competition points outside the top eight. Too many times this year have they failed to turn up and compete at their full potential and because of this we can’t pick them to defeat the currently third placed Sea Eagles, however we do believe it will be close.
TIP: Sea Eagles at the margin (1-12) – $3.25 at William Hill
Melbourne Storm vs Parramatta Eels (Saturday 7.30pm AEST)
The competition leaders will head into this one without their stars, but they are becoming accustomed to that over the past few weeks throughout the origin period. However, they will come up against the Parramatta Eels who will be at full strength as none of their players are selected into either origin team.
The Storm were brilliant in their victory over the Broncos at Suncorp stadium and they ran away with the match. However, as mentioned they will be fielding a much younger side for this one. Cameron Munster will make his debut for Queensland next Wednesday so he won’t be on the field to help the rookies either.
The Eels are coming off a narrow golden point victory over the Bulldogs. They were classy in the opening forty minutes and held a 12-2 lead. However, they were awful in the second half and they almost threw away the game. We are backing them to be better in this one and due to the Storm missing key players they will earn a narrow win.
TIP: Eels at the margin (1-12) – $3.00 at CrownBet
Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs vs Newcastle Knights (Sunday 4pm AEST)
They saved the best for last – jokes. The Knights and Bulldogs are the two worst attacking teams in the competition. The Knights have teh worst defence in the comp too after leaking 31 points against the Wests Tigers in a match that was named ‘the battle of the wooden spoon’. The Knights didn’t show up for the contest in front of their home fans and they will need to amends the loss or it will be their third consecutive year earning the wooden spoon.
Meanwhile the Bulldogs season is all but over after their 10th loss of the season last week. They did well to fight back into the contest against the Eels but with all that possession and territory in the second half they only managed 10 points. The side has been lacking creativity in attack and we are predicting the Knights to throw everything into this one.
TIP: Knights at the margin (1-12) – $4.20 at Sportsbet
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TIPS ARE SIMPLY THE AUTHOR’s OPINION. ALWAYS GAMBLE RESPONSIBLY
