The Raiders desperately need a win, and they are gifted a round 25 clash with one of the worst teams in the competition, as they host the Bulldogs at GIO Stadium. With these two teams playing some tight matches over the past few seasons, are we in for yet another Raiders win by 1-12? Or can Ricky Stuart get his side up to finally get the blowout victory that has so far alluded them this year?
Below, we will dissect the matchup, supply our NRL betting tips, and suggest a Same Game Multi via Picklebet. Be sure to keep up to date with all the NRL fixtures, as we preview every single game all season long, for free!
NRL Round 25 Preview & Betting Tips
Canberra Raiders vs Canterbury Bulldogs
GIO Stadium, Sunday 20th August, 4:05pm (AEST)
Last Week
The Raiders were humbled in Melbourne last week, with the Storm spanking the Raiders 48-2. The Raiders have been overrated all season, and in my opinion shouldn’t be in the finals, with their horrific for and against (-120) the 4th worst in the league. The Storm ran for 700 more metres, made 10 line-breaks to 0, and completely dominated from the kick-off. The Raiders have lost 3 of their past 4, with their only victory being a somewhat lucky 22-18 win at home over the Tigers two weeks ago.
The Bulldogs were no better last week, completely outclassed by the Knights in Newcastle, going down 42-6. The Knights ran for 500 more metres, made 7 line-breaks to 1, whilst the Bulldogs missed 55 tackles and made 16 errors. With the end of another poor season on the horizon, can the Bulldogs put something positive together heading into the off-season?
Match Preview
The Raiders opened 10.5-point favourites on the look ahead line, and after both teams served up rubbish last Sunday afternoon, the bookies decided to re-open with the Raiders 8.5-point favourites. This has been bet back up to Raiders -9.5, however it appears as though most punters aren’t overly confident in either of these teams. I make the Raiders a 10.5-point favourite, however I have no confidence whatsoever that the Raiders will cover this number.
The total opened 46.5, and interestingly has dropped to 44.5. I make a fair total 48.5, so I do see some value in the over on Sunday afternoon. Both teams have been slightly underrated this season in totals, with both going over more than they’ve gone under. The weather is expected to be fine, with a decent breeze, so the conditions should suit for points. We will delve more into the total in the Same Game Multi.
As for the best bet, I will go back to the well. In what is close to a must-win clash for the Raiders, I expect them to have enough to get the job done. Despite most teams being able to smash the Bulldogs this season (10 of their 14 losses have been by 13+), I don’t trust the Raiders to be able to do the same. The Raiders have not managed a single 13+ win all season, and despite being at home against my lowest rated team in the NRL, I’ll back the solid price on offer at another 1-12 win for the home side.
Other Bet
Over 44.5 Points - $1.93 at Palmerbet (1u)
Raiders 1-12
$3.25 (1.5 Units)
Same Game Multi
Popular bookmaker Picklebet have launched their Same Game Multis for both the AFL and NRL. There are plenty of markets to choose from an excellent odds on offer, so make sure to check them out!
Bulldogs (team total over 14.5) – 14 is the lowest total the Raiders have held their opponents to all season. With the Bulldogs season over, they should be throwing caution to the wind in attack.
Raiders (team total over 25.5) – The Bulldogs defence is the worst in the league, conceding 31 points a game, more than 3 points more per game than the 2nd worst defence (Dragons). The Raiders should score 5+ tries easily here.
Jake Averillo (1+ try) – Averillo has made a decent case for Bulldogs’ player of the season, with 11 tries in 21 games. The Raiders have conceded a try to their opposing fullback in 3 of their last 4 games.
Matthew Timoko (1+ try) – Timoko is a beast, and with some of the poor goal-line defence shown by the Bulldogs this season, I fully expect the big right centre to barge his way over for at least one.
SGM Odds: $15 at Picklebet
