Two old-school coaches clash to close out round 6 in the NRL, as Des Hasler and the Titans head to Canberra to take on Ricky Stuart and the Raiders. These teams are on opposite ends of the form line, with the Raiders boasting the best for-and-against in the entire NRL, whilst the Titans are still yet to taste victory in season 2024.
Below, we will dissect the matchup, supply our Best Bet, and suggest a Same Game Multi. Be sure to head over to our NRL Tips page regularly, as we preview every single game all season long, for free!
Also, if you’re new to sports betting or betting on the NRL, check out the following articles to help build your knowledge:
- Guide to Betting on the NRL
- Where to Bet on the NRL
- Factors to Consider When Betting on the NRL
2024 NRL Round 6 Preview & Betting Tips
Canberra Raiders vs Gold Coast Titans
GIO Stadium, Sunday 14th March, 6:15pm (AEST)
Last Week
The Raiders were sensational last week, hammering the Eels at home 41-8. It came a week after the Raiders were humbled by the Sharks 36-22, and Ricky Stuart surely had his team up for their home game last week against the Eels. The Raiders ran for nearly 2000 metres, posted 9 line-breaks, and only missed 20 tackles. Their outside backs were terrific, with Xavier Savage (261), James Schiller (231), Matt Timoko (183), Seb Kris (131), and Jordan Rapana (119) all running for over 100 metres. With Rapana out for a couple of months now, the Raiders will need this form to continue moving forward.
As for the Titans, they showed a glimpse of what they’re capable of in attack last week, scoring three tries in eight minutes, but it wasn’t enough as they went down 35-22 to the Cowboys. The Titans are currently conceding the second most points per game and scoring the least number of points per game in the NRL, and nothing from them defensively last week showed me that it’s going to change. The concerning thing for the Titans is that the Cowboys weren’t at their best last week, making 15 errors and completing at just over 70% in the 13+ point victory. Coach Des Hasler may be forced to swing the axe this week.
Match Preview
These teams met only once last season, with the Raiders sneaking home 26-22 in an entertaining four tries-apiece matchup at GIO Stadium in round 18. The Raiders were small 2.5-point favourites in the game, which they managed to cover. The total for the game was 46.5, and it barely snuck over the line.
As for this clash, the Raiders opened 7.5-point favourites, showing the difference in opinion of the market between round 18 last season and round 6 this season. The Raiders have moved to 8.5-point favourites now, and it’s hard to disagree with the market betting the Raiders in this clash. I see real value here in the Raiders and believe they should be north of 10-point favourites and will certainly have some form of Raiders bet as my best bet in this game. With the 13+ margin only slightly better odds than the spread, I’ll stick with the spread.
As for the total, it opened 43.5 and has bumped up slightly to 44.5. My fair sits at 45.5, so no real value in the full game total for mine. Much like last week however, I like the Raiders to put this Titans defence to the sword and get their team total, which currently sits around the 25.5 mark. I’d make a fair total for the Raiders between 28 and 30, so once again see real value here.
I will continue to fade the Titans until they can show otherwise. They are by far the worst team in the competition right now, and I cannot outlay money on them until I see some sort of competitiveness. The Raiders look good, and at home should be far too strong for the Titans.
For a prop bet, I will stay on the Matt Timoko train. This kid is a freak, and I’ll split a unit for him to score first, and score anytime during the game.
Raiders -8.5
$1.95 (2 Units)
Prop Bets
Matt Timoko (1+ try) – $2.50 @ Ladbrokes (0.75u)
Matt Timoko (First try scorer) – $14 @ Topsport (0.25u)
Raiders (team total) over 26.5 – $1.95 @ TradieBet (1u)
