Round 8 of the NRL season gets underway this Wednesday with two Anzac Day rivalry matchups. So we are back with a full betting preview of all the Round 8 matchups continuing through to the weekend below.
NRL Round 8 Preview & Betting Tips
St George Dragons vs Sydney Roosters (Wednesday, Apr 25 4:10pm AEST)
Round 8 begins with the traditional Anzac Day clash between the Dragons and the Roosters at Allianz Stadium on Wednesday afternoon. Looking at the two sides in 2018, the Dragons have been more consistent and should be slightly more confident. However, the average winning margin in this meeting on Anzac Day since 2015 is just 1.66 points! In those 3 matches, the total margin is just 5 points. So I love that trend and the Tri Bet is very good value in this one. Mainly because either side could win this clash.
TIP: Either Team Under 8.5 Points - $2.10 at CrownBet
Melbourne Storm vs New Zealand Warriors (Wednesday, Apr 25 7:00pm AEST)
The rivalry between the Storm and the Warriors continues this Wednesday night at AAMI Park. Last week, the Warriors overcame the Dragons 20-12 and they rebounded after a shock loss against the Broncos. Meanwhile, the Storm have smashed the Broncos and Knights in back to back wins. They do have 5-1 record against the Warriors and won the last Anzac matchup 20-14. However, the Warriors are going to be super confident after beating the Dragons. So I can see them covering the underdog line. They’re 6-1 ATS this season and they’re 3-0 in away matches. They also have a 4-0 record as an underdog. To top it off, they average the same points scored as the Storm in attack and they’re equally as dominant in defence.
TIP: Warriors +6 - $1.92 at Ladbrokes
South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Brisbane Broncos (Thursday, Apr 26 7:50pm AEST)
Thursday night footy at ANZ Stadium will be played between the Rabbitohs and the Broncos. The Rabbitohs are looking the better side with a 4-3 record so far this season. So they should enjoy playing at home against the Broncos. Last time out, the Rabbitohs smashed the Raiders 42-22 and comfortably defeated the Roosters previously by 12. In contrast, the Broncos were easily beaten by the Storm last week by 14 points. Souths have already covered the line in 6 of 7 matches this season so I can see them winning by 1-2 tries.
TIP: Rabbitohs -4.5 - $1.92 at Ladbrokes
Manly Sea Eagles vs Newcastle Knights (Friday, Apr 27 6:00pm AEST)
This matchup sees the 2-5 Sea Eagles hosting the 4-3 Knights at Lottoland on Friday night. The Knights are looking the better side after 4 wins this season. However, the injury to Mitchell Pearce is a huge blow. He’s out for about 4 months so they’re going to struggle without him. The Sea Eagles were smashed by the Eels last round by 34 points. So this is arguably the toughest match to pick in Round 8. So I would suggest looking at the under total points when it’s available. The last two meetings have fallen under 38.5 total points.
TIP: UNDER 38.5 points - $1.90 at Sportsbet
Penrith Panthers vs Canterbury Bulldogs (Friday, Apr 27 7:50pm AEST)
The Panthers play host to the Bulldogs at Panthers Stadium on Friday night. The Panthers are 5-2 record on the season but this looks to be a danger matchup. Mainly because the Bulldogs won this clash 20-18 earlier this season. They also have a massive advantage after playing on Thursday last round and the Panthers are coming off a Sunday afternoon match. So the Bulldogs defence should be well rested. They kept the Roosters to just 6 points last week and should be confident of getting within a try.
TIP: Bulldogs +6 - $1.90 at Sportsbet
Gold Coast Titans vs Cronulla Sharks (Saturday, Apr 28 5:30pm AEST)
Saturday night footy at CBus Super Stadium will be played between the Titans and the Sharks. The Gold Coast will rejoice after they’ve been away from Robina since Round 1. They’ve also won the last three meetings against the Sharks. However, Cronulla is coming off a solid win over the Panthers and they should be able to beat the Titans. Gold Coast ranks last in the NRL for points allowed and they’ve been easily beat in recent weeks by the Panthers and Cowboys. So I’m taking the Sharks at the line.
TIP: Sharks -2.5 - $1.92 at Ladbrokes
North Queensland Cowboys vs Canberra Raiders (Saturday, Apr 28 7:30pm AEST)
This matchup will see the Cowboys hosting the Raiders at 1300Smiles Stadium on Saturday night. Both teams have the same record in 2018 so this should be a close contest. The Cowboys easily beat the Titans last week by 12 points and broke a 5 match losing streak. In contrast, the Raiders were no match for the Rabbitohs last week in a 42-22 loss. So I think the home win for the Cowboys will give them confidence of beating the Raiders. Canberra aren’t a great defensive side and they’re 0-3 in away matches this season. The Cowboys are 3-0 against the 1-12 margin at home against the Raiders and won by 1-12 last week, so it’s a good value bet.
TIP: Cowboys 1-12 - $3.20 at CrownBet
Parramatta Eels vs Wests Tigers (Sunday, Apr 29 4:10pm AEST)
Sunday afternoon footy at ANZ Stadium will see the Eels play the Tigers. Last week, the Eels smashed the Sea Eagles 44-10 for their first win of the season. Meanwhile, the Tigers couldn’t get past the Knights in a close loss. But their defence should be the key in a victory over the Eels. They’re averaging just 12.7 points against this season and already beat the Eels 30-20 earlier this season. They’ve also beat the line in 6 of 7 matches in 2018. So I’ll back them to rebound and beat the Eels by 2+ points.
TIP: Tigers -1.5 - $1.92 at CrownBet
