Round 13 of the 2020 NRL season wraps up on Sunday with the Titans taking on the Cowboys before the Sharks and Eels clash in the match of the day. Scooby is back with his preview and NRL betting tips for each match this Sunday.
Gold Coast Titans (14th) v North Queensland Cowboys (13th)
Sunday 2:00pm, Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast
The Titans were gallant in defeat last week against the Roosters, going down 18-12. In a sign that they are improving under a new regime, the Titans could leave the field with their heads held high. With 52% possession and 80% completion rate, the Titans pushed their opponents. More importantly for a sign of their attitude, they missed only 26 tackles and had 15 offloads. This suggests that they are a team that is moving in the right direction.
The Cowboys will also head into this game with a higher level of confidence, also pushing their opponents in a tight 14-12 loss to the Raiders. In this game, they completed at 80%, had just 21 missed tackles and had 11 total offloads. They were in with a chance of winning this game right until the final minutes, only for fall agonisingly short. Both teams sit together on the competition ladder and will fancy an opportunity to move higher up on the ladder. Home ground advantage may also play a factor, with the Cowboys only winning 1-game on the road from 5 attempts, while the Titans have won 2 from 6 at this ground.
The Stats
The Cowboys have an edge over their opponents with how many opportunities they create; they average 3.5 linebreaks per game (9th) compared with the Titans 2.2 (15th). This correlates with the Cowboys averaging 2.6 try assists per game (8th) ahead of the Titans 1.8 (13th). The visitors have also scored considerably more points per game; the Cowboys average 19.1 per game to the Titans 12.8 ppg. On the other side of the ball, the Titans miss an average of 35.4 tackles per game (2nd), while the Cowboys miss 30.7 (5th). As far as head-to-head statistics, the Cowboys have a 50% record at this ground and have won 16 of 24 meetings between the two side. The Cowboys have won the past 10 meetings and you have to go back as far as Round 4, 2014 to find the last time the Titans defeated the Cowboys (ironically, at this venue).
Verdict
Recent history does not look great for the Titans, although the bookies have these two sides close together in the odds. The Cowboys will be slight favourites and it is hard to make a case against them. Generally when a new coach takes over, it takes a few weeks for their effect to be felt. This is the third week in for them, so you can expect them getting close to a victory. The Titans are not without hope though. Their performances in the past two weeks have been positive and, if they can replicate them, they are a strong chance of stealing a victory. Rather than pick a side in this, there is value in a game decided by a small margin. This supports the improving performances of the Titans, while also allow the Cowboys to capture victory.
Either team by 8 points or less
$2.15
Cronulla Sharks (6th) v Parramatta Eels (3rd)
Sunday 4:05pm, Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Sydney
There were worrying signs that the Sharks were going to suffer a defeat to the Broncos, yet they were able to score two converted tries in the last 6 minutes to prevail 36-26. With a slightly larger share of possession (51%), the Sharks completed at 79%, made only 598 post contact metres and missed a massive 46 tackles. It must be stated that, even with time running out, there was a sense that the Sharks were always going to close out the match. If they hadn’t, it would’ve see them drop a critical game that had kept them inside the Top 8.
The Eels had their own troubles last week against the Bulldogs, narrowly winning 18-16. After just 27 minutes, a large score appeared likely as they lead 18-nil. This is where their dominance stopped, as did their points. Some credit must go to their opponents for this, but the Eels will hold themselves accountable. They had a 78% completion rate, only created two linebreaks and made 12 total errors. For the first time in a while, the Eels attack appear flat in their opponent's 20m zone. Perhaps they were guilty of taking their opponents too easy. Whatever the reason, along with the Sharks, they will want to improve upon their Round 12 performance.
The Stats
The Sharks are the worst team in the competition when it comes to missed tackles. They average 36.8 per game, while the Eels sit in 12th with 27.3 per game. This may explain why the Sharks concede an average of 22.8 points per game compared with the Eels 12.5 ppg. The Eels will look to gain control over the Sharks in the middle; they average 1,927m per game (1st) compared to the Sharks 1,665.8m (12th). This is not a happy ground for the Sharks, with just a 22% winning percentage from 9 matches. With the home side winning 4 out of the last 6 matches, the Eels may already hold a large advantage (even without a big crowd).
Verdict
Key players return for the Sharks to strengthen their side but they may still struggle. Despite the win over the Broncos being a positive (especially considering the players out), it still left a lot to be desired. If the Eels are at their best, they will force their opponents to lift to another level to compete with them. That isn’t to doubt their quality, yet they have been underwhelming (by their standards) since their Round 9 win over the Knights. Since then, they have only scored an average of 18 points per game while allowing 14.5. This will give the Sharks some hope but whether or not they have the class to capitalise remains to be seen. It is hard to go past the better team in this contest and with expected poor weather ahead, take them to win by less than two converted tries.
