July 4th 2018, 1:09pm, By: Matt Abrahams
Round 17 of the NRL is a short round due to the upcoming State of Origin game. Just 4 games to be played from Thursday to Sunday this week. We’ll run through the best bet for each NRL game below.
NRL football begins with the Storm playing the Dragons at AAMI Park in this clash. This should have been an absolute blockbuster but Origin means both sides have key players out. The home side will be without Slater, Chambers, Munster, Addo-Carr and Kaufusi. The Dragons miss Hunt, Frizell, de Belin, Vaughan and Sims. The Storm are coming off a very close victory over the Roosters by a field goal - thanks to some Cameron Smith heroics. He’ll be the key in this game as well. The Dragons on the other hand, were lucky to beat the Eels by 2 points at WIN Stadium. They staged a late comeback and will obviously need to improve against the Storm. The Dragons made a statement in the last meeting as they dominated them in a 34-14 win. But they will be looking for their first ever win at AAMI Park. The Storm are 4-0 against them in Melbourne. Both sides have shown impressive form in attack this season, but this should be a close encounter decided by defence. The Storm kept the Roosters to just 8 points last week and rank 2nd in the NRL for points allowed. The Dragons are just behind them in that ranking and have conceded 18 points per game in away games. So with the amount of talent missing, this game should come down to a 10 point margin in either direction.
On Friday night, the Panthers and Warriors meet at Panthers Stadium. It’s another top eight battle but again, Origin will hurt this matchup, especially the Panthers. They will miss Maloney and Cleary in the halves. But still have a strong forward pack to challenge the Warriors. The home side was poor last week against the Sea Eagles in an 8 point defeat. The Warriors were on the end of a tough decision as they went down to the Sharks 18-15. Surprisingly, the Warriors have actually played better in Australia compared to home games this season. They’ve won 6 of 7 on the road and have been given good odds to win this one. However, I like the unders, which is showing a trend at Panthers Stadium. It’s 6-1 this season and I doubt the Panthers will score many points without their playmakers. The Warriors also haven’t been setting the world on fire in attack.
NRL football continues with the Bulldogs playing the Raiders at Belmore Sports Ground. The Raiders will be desperate for victory as they now sit 6 points outside the top 8. They were up 16-0 in Brisbane last week but the story of the season for them is a lack of second half pressure. For the Bulldogs, they thrashed the Knights last week by 20 points. That should give them a spark in attack this week as well. So in this one, I can see both teams scoring over 13 points. The Bulldogs have achieved this in 6 of their last 8. The Raiders have not scored under 13 points at all this season.
On Sunday afternoon, the Titans and Broncos meet at CBus Super Stadium. With a 6-9 record, this is a must win clash for the Titans and they should be confident. They upset the Broncos earlier in the year with a 26-14 win at Suncorp. Recently, they have won by 13+ against the Tigers and Bulldogs, both in Sydney. The Broncos are 4-1 in their last 5 games and they recorded a stunning victory in Round 16. Down 16-0 at the half, they stormed home to win 26-22. So both sides are showing decent form in attack and Sunday afternoon football should see both sides throw the ball around. In the end, I like both sides to score 15+ points. The Titans are 4-1 against it and scored 33 in their last day game at home. The Broncos have scored 20+ in 8 of their last 10 games.
Both teams to score 15+ points $1.75 BET NOW
Matt Abrahams brings a wide range of sports betting knowledge and technical skill to the Before You Bet team. Matt has strong interest in NBA, AFL, NRL, Cricket and NFL with his expert previews drawing on his experience and data analysis to produce long-term profitable tips. Matt also bring strong technical skills to the team with a background in website design and development, as well as search engine optimisation to make sure our content reaches the right audience!
Our team of expert horse racing analysts bring you regular horse racing tips from major horse racing meetings in Australia and internationally. The highlight of the Australian horse racing calendar is the Spring Carnival, featuring the Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and, of course, the Melbourne Cup, and we'll be there riding every winner home with you with our free racing tips and best bets. Giddy up!
8 May 2026
Morphettville hosts a nine-race program on Saturday with The Sportsbet Goodwood Group 1 being the feature race on the day. Coming up in Race 8 and run over 1200m, there are a number of very high quality horses in the field.
Caulfield will host Saturday racing this week in the state of Victoria and despite the meeting being just a fair one, there are still plenty of winners to be found. Catch our best bets for the day here!
Gosford hosts a 10-race card with the Takeover target Stakes, Steinbok The Coast Qlty and Gosford Gold Cup as the three listed races to feature on the card. We bring you our three best bets for the day below!
6 May 2026
Day three of the famous Warrnambool Carnival will see the running of the Grand Annual Steeplechase and the Warrnambool Cup. The track is rated as Heavy and gallopers will start the first of 10 races at 11:15am (AEST).
5 May 2026
Warwick Farm is the racetrack for Wednesday’s midweek thoroughbred action in New South Wales. Seven races are scheduled with the rail out +5m from the 1000m to the winning post, and +3m for the remainder.
Midweek racing sees us focus on the middle day of the Warrnambool Racing Club May Carnival as punters focus on the Wangoom and the Galleywood. We bring you our three best bets for the day!
1 May 2026
Bendigo Racing Club gets a rare chance to host Saturday racing this weekend with the Bendigo Guineas and the Golden Mile the features. Race one starts at 11:45am (AEST) with the last of the program concluding a touch after 4:55pm (AEST).
Hawkesbury hosts a 10-race card on Saturday with the Hawkesbury Guineas, Hawkesbury Crown, Hawkesbury Gold Cup and the Hawkesbury XXXX Gold Rush as the key feature races on the card.
28 Apr 2026
Caulfield Heath will host an eight race program on Wednesday and with the warm dry weather continuing the track is predicted to be a Good4. The maidens start us off in race one with two equal favourites in that one, but our three best bets come up later on in the program.
Kembla Grange will host midweek thoroughbred racing in New South Wales with seven races scheduled. Trent Orwin is in the saddle to bring you his best bets from Kembla Grange right here!
For the best AFL tips, stay tuned into Before You Bet as we provide previews and AFL betting tips for every match of every round, as well as coverage of the AFLW Women's competition, AFL premiership odds, Brownlow Medal vote predictions and a rolling Brownlow Medal leaderboard. If you love AFL football as much as us, then you'll enjoy following our AFL betting tips!
9 May 2026
AFL Round 9 comes to a close on Sunday afternoon with a match between Richmond and Adelaide at the MCG. The Tigers are coming off their first win of the season, while the Crows are flying high after a thrilling Showdown win against the Power last weekend.
Melbourne head to Marvel on Sunday looking to bounce back from a spirited loss to Sydney, while West Coast head east still searching for answers after another heartbreaking defeat. Check out our preview and tips for the clash here
It’s a huge Saturday night clash in Round 9 of the AFL with Geelong taking on Collingwood at the MCG. It’s an important match for both clubs who haven’t quite been at their best so far this season, although all eyes will be on Scott Pendlebury as he ties Boomer Harvey’s AFL games played record.
The AFL heads to Darwin on Saturday night for what shapes as a fascinating clash between two sides trending in the right direction. Gold Coast return to TIO Stadium with a formidable record in the Top End, while St Kilda arrive full of confidence after winning three of their past four games.
GWS will be looking to stay in touch with the Wildcard race when they host Essendon on Saturday afternoon for AFL Round 9 action. Can the Bombers show some life or will the Giants get back on the winners list at home?
Saturday football begins under the roof as the ladder leading Swans take on the improving Kangaroos. Can North Melbourne claim a scalp and push towards the top eight? Or will Sydney record their eight win from nine games?
7 May 2026
Second up on Friday night for AFL Round 9 is an intriguing clash between Port Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs at Adelaide Oval. Both clubs have been ravaged by injury early in the season and have had patchy form as a result, making this a tough fixture to evaluate.
Round 9 in the AFL continues on Friday night with a double-header for fans to sink their teeth into. The first match to get underway will be at the Gabba with Brisbane hosting Carlton. Will it be all one-way traffic like the odds/form suggests, or can the Blues show some fight?
Round 9 in the AFL begins with a cracking contest on Thursday night between Fremantle and Hawthorn. Both clubs have had excellent first thirds of the season and sit firmly inside the top four on the ladder. This is certainly one match you don’t want to miss!
4 May 2026
AFL Round 9 begins with a cracking contest out west between Fremantle and Hawthorn, with both teams trying to take a big scalp. Eight more matches will follow over the weekend, and we have best bets for each of them here!
NRL tips for every match of the 2026 NRL season. The National Rugby League is the biggest rugby league competition in Australia and we have previews and NRL betting tips for every game, for both the mens and womens competitions, plus best bets for special events like the State of Origin.
Sunday afternoon at GIO Stadium gives us a genuinely interesting matchup between a Canberra side that has looked much better over the past month and a Penrith side that remains the competition benchmark but has not been quite as fluent in attack recently.
Sunday afternoon at AAMI Park is not a game where my raw numbers are giving me the bet. I’ll be upfront about that. My ratings don’t love Melbourne -5.5. But handicapping is not just raw ratings, and this is a spot where the situational factors are too strong to ignore.
The concluding game on NRL Super Saturday is aa blockbuster contest between the Sea Eagles and Broncos. Heading into this game equal on competition points, each team knows the importance of a victory to their season moving forward.
Saturday evening at Accor Stadium gives us one of the clearest total plays of the round, as South Sydney host Cronulla in a matchup that screams points. Check out our preview and best bets here!
NRL Super Saturday begins this weekend in Wollongong with an interesting clash between the Dragons and Knights. Desperately searching for their first win in 2026, the Dragons will sense an opportunity in this match.
Friday Night Football heads to Townsville with a matchup that looks straightforward from a betting perspective. North Queensland host Parramatta at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, and we have you covered with our best bets!
Friday night NRL action begins with a trip to Gosford as the Roosters host the Titans. Experiencing vastly different seasons to date, most would overlook this match or label it a ‘non-contest’. Do that at your own peril as both sides have a point to prove.
Thursday night NRL returns this week and the fixture heads north to Brisbane as the Dolphins host the Bulldogs. With everything to play for, this is going to be an exhilarating game and Before You Bet is here with a detailed preview of what is ahead!
2 May 2026
Sunday evening at CommBank Stadium gives us one of the best matchups of the round, with Penrith facing a Manly side that has become one of the form teams of the competition under Kieran Foran.
Sunday afternoon at Sharks Stadium gives us one of the best underdog spots of the round, with Cronulla hosting a Tigers side that the market still seems reluctant to fully respect.
NBA betting is very popular in Australia and we have free NBA betting tips all season long with our best NBA tips for the biggest games every week, along with coverage of the NBA Finals.
The NBA Playoffs continue on Sunday with another double-header for fans and punters to dive into. First up it's Game 3 between the Pistons and Cavaliers, followed by Game 3 of the Thunders vs Lakers series.
Two pivotal NBA Semi-Finals matchups take place on Saturday (AEST). The Knicks at 76ers tips off first in a must-win game for the home team before the Spurs at Timberwolves game rounds up the day’s action. Here are our best bets for both Game 3 matchups!
The NBA Semi-Finals continue Friday (AEST) as a pair of Game 2 matchups are scheduled to be played. It starts with the Cavaliers at Pistons in the east before shifting west for the Lakers at Thunder contest. Here are our best bets for both games!
The NBA Conference Semi-finals continue this Thursday (AEST) with the top seeds in each bracket aiming to maintain their dominance. We bring you our best bets for both Game 2's right here!
The NBA Conference Semi-finals continue this Wednesday with the top seeds in each bracket looking to protect home court. We take you through our best bets for both games right here!
The NBA Conference Semi-finals ignite this Tuesday with two fascinating Game 1 matchups. We kick off at Madison Square Garden at 10:00 am AEST as the Knicks host the 76ers, before heading to San Antonio at 11:30 am AEST for a clash between the Spurs and Timberwolves.
3 May 2026
The Eastern Conference playoffs come to a head this Monday with two massive Game 7s. We start in Detroit at 5:30 am AEST as the Pistons look to finish off the Magic, before shifting to Cleveland at 9:30 am for a winner-take-all showdown between the Cavaliers and Raptors.
The NBA postseason reaches a fever pitch this Sunday with a high-stakes showdown at TD Garden. After Philadelphia’s dominant 106–93 victory in Game 6 completed a gritty recovery from a 3–1 series deficit, the series moves to a winner-take-all Game 7.
The NBA Playoffs will see three Game 6 matchups played on Saturday as the first tips off at 9:10am AEST with the Pistons at Magic. Shortly after will be the Cavaliers at Raptors before the final game is scheduled for 11:40am with the Lakers at Rockets.
30 Apr 2026
NBA Playoffs continue on Friday with three games. The first is the Knicks at Hawks which tips off at 9:10am AEST, followed by the Celtics at 76ers at 10:10am, before the final game which is scheduled for 11:40am between the Nuggets at Timberwolves.
IMAGINE WHAT YOU COULD BE BUYING INSTEAD. Set a deposit limit.
