The first of three games on Sunday in NRL Round 17 will see the Brisbane Broncos play hosts to the Gold Coast Titans at Suncorp Stadium. It's an important match for both sides, and should be a great way to get the day's proceedings underway.
NRL expert Scooby preview the match and brings you his best bet and Same Game Multi. Good luck to everyone following!
NRL Round 17 Preview & Betting Tips
Brisbane Broncos vs Gold Coast Titans
Suncorp Stadium, Sunday 25th June, 2pm (AEST)
The Broncos had to wait until Round 16 to receive their first Bye of the season and it came on the back of a come-from-behind 24-20 victory over the Knights at home. Trailing 10-6 at HT, they were forced to produced 12 points in the final 12 minutes to overcome a gritty opponent. The stats from the match suggested they were somewhat lucky too; with 48% possession, they had fewer total metres and missed 42 tackles. There were positives though, creating plenty of attacking opportunities, evident in their 10 line breaks. They sit at the top of the competition ladder and will not want to drop a match to a rival either.
The Titans sit in 9th place, with their position overstated somewhat by being the only team in the competition to have had 3 Byes. Their performance is better reflected in the NRL Power Rankings. They headed into their week off following a convincing 28-12 over the Tigers, with that result breaking a 3-game losing streak. They were clearly the better team too, completing at 83%, having more total metres and post-contact metres. Unfortunately, their shortcomings were highlighted by their 44 missed tackles and only creating 3 line breaks which such dominance. A better team will punish them for their mistakes, and it will be a tough ask against the Broncos this week.
All Origin players are expected to back-up for this match. It would be surprising to see some miss it, especially considering the rivalry between the two sides (great scheduling by the NRL!). This is the second time these sides have met this year; in Round 7, the Broncos staged an impressive 2nd half display to win 43-26 after being down 14-10, scoring 4 tries in 17 minutes to blow the Titans away. That win added to the Broncos total of 4-straight against the Titans, at an average win margin of 10 points. This game heads to Suncorp Stadium, where the Broncos have a 59% winning record compared with the Titans 33%.
The Broncos are listed as strong favourites for this game ($1.34 vs $3.30) and rightly so given the form of each side. News that Titans coach Justin Holbrook’s contract not being renewed is bound to have an impact on this club. The impending replacement of Des Hasler will cause fractions within this underperforming team. How they respond, in a big match like this, will be a key indicator as to where this squad is at moving forward. It is difficult to overlook the Broncos. They are playing with confidence and breaking teams down with clever ball movements and calculated 5th and 6th tackle options. If the Titans are to stage an upset, it would be their best win this year. They should get away with this one easily in the end but guarding against a Titans resurgence, it is best to narrow the winning margin and increase the stake.
Broncos by 7+ points
$1.68 (3 Units)
Same Game Multi with Picklebet
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!
Broncos to Win – The inclusion of the Broncos is to boost value (read above for further clarification).
Over 46.5 Points – The last game, as well as the Titans ability to score and inability to defend points ensures a likely high scoring contest.
Kotoni Staggs 1+ Try – He had 4 line breaks the last time these two sides met and while growing in confidence, will choose to take the line on when he sees fit
SGM Odds: $4.50 at Picklebet
