Round 3 of the NRL season gets underway this Thursday and we are back with a full betting preview of all the weekend's matchups below.
2018 NRL Round 3 Betting Tips
Melbourne Storm vs North Queensland Cowboys (Thursday, Mar 22 7:50pm AEDT)
Round 3 starts with the Grand Final rematch as the Storm host the Cowboys at AAMI Park. Both sides are coming off sloppy performances so this should be a close contest. The Storm were poor in attack against the Tigers as they went down 10-8. While for the Cowboys, they led 8-0 against the Broncos but lost 24-20 in the end. The Storm have dominated this matchup with six straight wins, including the GF last season. However, JT was missing in that match and he should be able to keep the Cowboys in this contest until the end. They also bring Morgan back at 5/8. Despite 6 straight losses against the Storm, 2 of the last 3 have been by a field-goal at AAMI Park. So it’s tough to pick a winner and the tribet is the safe bet.
TIP: Either Team Under 8.5 Points - $2.10 at CrownBet
Canterbury Bulldogs vs Penrith Panthers (Friday, Mar 23 6:00pm AEDT)
The Panthers are 2-0 but they could easily be 0-2. They’ve comeback from 14 point deficits in both victories so they’ll need to improve in the first-half against the Bulldogs. Canterbury is 0-2 but they have played against the Storm and Roosters so far. The Bulldogs will likely struggle in attack again. Since last season, they average just 15 points per match. Against the Panthers, they’ve lost the last three meetings and have scored a combined total of 20 points. But in the end, the Panthers haven’t been great in attack either, so the under total is worth taking. Since 2017, the Bulldogs are 17-9 against the under and the Panthers are 2-0 against the under total already this season.
TIP: UNDER 36.5 points - $1.90 at Sportsbet
Wests Tigers vs Brisbane Broncos (Friday, Mar 23 7:50pm AEDT)
The West Tigers are the surprise 2-0 team so far this season with two huge upsets. They’ve beaten the Roosters and Storm. The key for the Tigers has been defence as they’ve conceded under 10 points in both victories. So they’ll be confident of keeping the Broncos playmakers quiet. Brisbane is coming off an impressive comeback victory over the Cowboys. They do have a 7-2 record against the Tigers. However, they haven’t played each other in Sydney since 2014. In the end, the Tigers are huge value at home and I’ll be backing them for another upset, especially after the Broncos last away match (34-12 loss).
TIP: Tigers WIN - $2.30 at Ladbrokes
Canberra Raiders vs New Zealand Warriors (Saturday, Mar 24 3:00pm AEDT)
Saturday NRL action kicks off in Canberra with an interesting clash. The Warriors are 2-0 and looking great with their new recruits starring. The Raiders on the other hand have lost both 2018 matches by 2 points. They can score points but they seem to fall away in the last 15 minutes. So I can see the Warriors causing an upset. They have winning momentum and that will help them over the line.
TIP: Warriors WIN - $2.10 at Ladbrokes
South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Manly Sea Eagles (Saturday, Mar 24 5:30pm AEDT)
Manly were huge winners in Round 2 and they could keep it going against the Rabbitohs. The Sea Eagles smashed Souths 46-8 last season and they’re coming off a 54-0 win over the Eels. The Rabbitohs early season form hasn’t been great and I can’t see them improving against Manly. They’ve led in both matches but have fallen away in the second half. So after Manly’s try onslaught in Round 2, I’ll take them to beat the line against the Rabbitohs.
TIP: Sea Eagles -2 - $1.92 at Ladbrokes
Parramatta Eels vs Cronulla Sharks (Saturday, Mar 24 7:30pm AEDT)
It’s been a bad start for these two final sides from last season so a 0-3 start will be on their minds. The Sharks have looked the better of the two sides with close losses against the Dragons and Cowboys. Parramatta were embarrassed last week 54-0 and they’ll definitely enjoy a night match after two straight in the Sunday afternoon heat. But since the 26th minute mark in Round 1, the Eels have been held scoreless. Their attack just doesn’t look in flow at the moment and I can’t see them scoring over 20 points against the Sharks defence. The Sharks also aren’t the best in attack so the under total is the best bet. Since last season, the Eels are 19-9 against the under and the Sharks are 15-11-1. The last meeting between the sides also saw just 26 total points scored.
TIP: UNDER 38.5 points - $1.90 at Sportsbet
Gold Coast Titans vs St George Dragons (Sunday, Mar 25 4:10pm AEDT)
The Round 3 action moves to Toowoomba for this clash between the Titans and Dragons. St George has looked impressive in their two victories so far. While for the Titans, they’re 1-1 as they come off a loss in New Zealand. This in QLD, but the Titans don’t really have home field advantage in this matchup. So the Dragons will be confident of a 3-0 start. They have a strong attack with Ben Hunt and Gareth Widdop. Which should keep the points flowing against the Titans D that has allowed 24 points per game. So I can’t see the Dragons dropping this one.
TIP: Dragons -5.5 - $1.92 at Ladbrokes
Sydney Roosters vs Newcastle Knights (Sunday, Mar 25 6:30pm AEDT)
Round 3 ends with a rivalry matchup between the Roosters and Knights. This match has extra spice with former Rooster Mitchell Pearce now at the Knights. As a result, Newcastle is 2-0 mainly based on the work of Pearce. While for the Roosters, they put a poor Round 1 performance behind them with a comfortable win over the Bulldogs. The Roosters have dominated this matchup since 2010 with a 9-3 record. But the Knights have a lot of former Roosters players so I can see another close one here. The Knights have won both matches by under 3 points and they should be able to match them in attack to keep this close. So the either team market is good value in the end.
TIP: Either Team Under 8.5 Points - $2.45 at CrownBet
