2018 NRL Round 1 Betting Tips
The 2018 NRL season starts this Thursday and we take a look at the matches with the most value for punting. See our NRL Round 1 Preview and Betting Tips below.
St George Dragons vs Brisbane Broncos (Thursday, Mar 8 7:50pm AEDT)
Round 1 starts at Jubilee Oval between the St George Dragons and Brisbane Broncos. The main storyline in this matchup is Dragons halfback Ben Hunt playing against his former side. Along with the addition of James Graham, the Dragons are looking on the improve from 2017. They finished 9th last season and had the third best percentage in the league. While for the Broncos, they will miss Hunt but their trial form showed they will still be a team to watch in 2018. They won all three trial matches and they always seem to matchup well with the Dragons. They’ve won the last four meetings and won the only clash last season 24-12 at Suncorp. But this should be a close contest as the last two meetings in Sydney have finished in the 1-4 margin bracket. So there is value for the either team to win by under 8.5 points at CrownBet.
TIP: Either Team Under 8.5 Points – $2.10 at CrownBet
North Queensland Cowboys vs Cronulla Sharks (Friday, Mar 9 7:50pm AEDT)
The second Friday night match looks like a beauty between the Cowboys and Sharks. The two sides played in the finals last season and the Cowboys upset them by a point on their way to the Grand Final. In 2018, Thurston is back in the lineup and the Cowboys look strong again. So they have been installed as the comfortable favourite in this matchup. However, the Cronulla Sharks are a tough team and should keep this contest close. They added Matt Moylan in the offseason and their attack will benefit. They allowed just 16.9 points per game last season and with a likely improved attack, the Sharks will be confident of an upset. Their also 4-1 against the Cowboys in the last five meetings. So the line of 5.5 points for the Sharks looks achievable in what should be a close contest.
TIP: Sharks +5.5 – $1.95 at William Hill
Wests Tigers vs Sydney Roosters (Saturday, Mar 10 4:30pm AEDT)
Saturday NRL action kicks off with the rivalry between the Tigers and Roosters. In the offseason, James Tedesco moved to the Roosters and that just adds extra spice to this clash. The Roosters also added Cooper Cronk to an already formidable lineup. They would of been disappointed to miss the Grand Final in 2017 so they’re going all out in 2018. Along with Tedesco, the Tigers also lost Aaron Woods so they’ll be looking to rebuild in 2018. In the end, this is a tough matchup for the Tigers. They haven’t beaten the Roosters since 2011 and have a 1-14 record since 2010. They also went 3-9 as the home side last season. So this will likely be a large win for the Roosters and the 13+ is great value at William Hill.
TIP: Roosters 13+ – $2.25 at William Hill
Penrith Panthers vs Parramatta Eels (Sunday, Mar 11 4:10pm AEDT)
The best matchup on Sunday is the derby between the Panthers and Eels in Penrith. Both sides made the semi-finals last season so they’ll be looking to kick off the season with 2 points. This is reflected in the betting with the Panthers just favoured. They added James Maloney in the offseason but the loss of Moylan hurts them in the future. While for Parramatta, Jarryd Hayne is back at the Eels and they’ll be looking for Grand Final glory. The two sides have played in close matches over the past few seasons and this looks like another. For example, the last 5 meetings have finished in the 1-6 margin range. In the end, it’s hard picking winners in Round 1 so the either team betting market comes in handy.
TIP: Either Team Under 8.5 Points – $2.10 at CrownBet
