2017 NRL Round 5 Betting Tips
The 2017 NRL season continues this weekend and we take a look at four of the best value matches for our NRL Round 5 Preview and Betting Tips.
Best NRL Round 5 Betting Tips
Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs vs Brisbane Broncos (Thursday 8pm AEDT)
The Broncos will travel to Sydney this weekend full of confidence after they defeated the Raiders in their last start. They will finish a tough month of league to start the season against their weakest opponents. The Broncos faced premiership contenders the Storm, Cowboys, Raiders and defending premiers the Sharks in the opening four weeks and split their results. Their defence has been strong throughout the period and with the Bulldogs having one of the most lacklustre offences in the game at the moment, we can’t see them scoring enough points to cause an upset or even challenge the Broncos in this one.
Moses Mbye is on the sidelines for suspension while Will Hopoate remains injured. This means half their spine will be watching on and it will put a lot of added pressure on Josh Reynolds and Michael Lichaa to perform. The Broncos will take advantage of this and we can only see this match ending in one way, a blow out.
TIP: Broncos to win at the margin (13+) – $2.40 with Sportsbet
North Queensland Cowboys vs South Sydney Rabbitohs (Friday 8pm AEDT)
The Cowboys bounced back with a win last week and Kalyn Ponga had a great performance but has been dropped this weekend with the return of Lachlan Coote. The latter brings a lot of experience and composure to the side and it will take a lot of pressure off of Michael Morgan and Johnathan Thurston. In another big inclusion for the Cowboys, Jason Tuamalolo will be included in the starting side after two weeks on the sideline due to suspension. The big man had been dominant in the opening two games and he is expected to play a lot of minutes with Matt Scott on the sidelines after an ACL injury. We are predicting a clinical performance from the Cowboys after they were strong on the road against the Titans and have two key players back in the starting side. Coen Hess will bring a lot of impact off the bench too.
Meanwhile the Rabbitohs were lacklustre in their last match against the Bunnies. Cody Walker looks threatening but it isn’t enough for the side. Greg Inglis is clearly missed at fullback and while Alex Johnston is a solid replacement, he doesn’t bring the same type of danger the Australian and Queensland representative does. The home side will run away with this match.
TIP: Cowboys to win at the margin (13+) – $2.25 with William Hill
Canberra Raiders vs Parramatta Eels (Saturday 5.30pm AEDT)
The Raiders have just one win from their opening four games. It is a shock to see the side so low on the ladder but they showed their potential against the Tigers and they could have easily won their last match against the Broncos at Suncorp if a couple of things went their way.
The Eels will head into this match on the back of two straight losses and they looked poor in their last start against the Sharks. They weren’t dangerous in attack and their defence was broken easily by the Sharks. We expect them to bounce back in this contest but they won’t come away with the win on the road. The Raiders right edge is beginning to look threatening with Joseph Leiluia and Jordan Rapana returning to their best and we believe they will contribute to the side getting over the line in a close contest.
TIP: Raiders to win at the margin (1-12) – $3.00 with CrownBet
Melbourne Storm vs Penrith Panthers (Saturday 7.30pm AEDT)
Saturday night will be capped off with a blockbuster. The Panthers and Storm were equal minor premiership favourites heading into the season and while the Storm have lived up to their high expectations, the Panthers have had a roller coaster start to the season.
The Storm are undefeated and despite coming close to a slip up against the Tigers on the weekend, they have looked brilliant. Their attack is growing while their defence Is as good as it was last season. The team always seems to find a way as Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk steer the team around the park and they have their partner in crime Billy Slater back in the line up and looking solid after two games under his belt.
Meanwhile the Panthers have two 30 plus point victories to their name and two tough losses. They have shown signs of what they can do with the ball in their hands but have also had costly errors which they have paid for. We believe over the entire 80 minutes the Storm will get the upper hand as the Panthers have a few areas to improve in.
TIP: Storm to win at the margin (1-12) – $3.75 with Sportsbet
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