A few weeks away from finals and a few fancies will be looking to get through unscathed and not ruin their finals hopes, looking at you Turbo – he has been named will he or won’t he play this weekend?
Ladbrokes have their usual $2 lines for Thursday’s clash and the double header from Suncorp on Friday night, get amongst it punters!
Thursday
Gold Coast Titans ($7.25) VS Melbourne Storm ($1.10) – Cbus Super Stadium
With the finals just a few weeks away, The Storm will be more than happy to just get through this game unscathed. Hughes, Finucane, Olam and Brandon Smith all spend the week on the sideline. With that in mind, the Titans plus looks attractive.
Suggested Bet – Gold Coast Titans +21.5 @ $2
Friday
Canberra Raiders ($5) VS Manly Sea Eagles ($1.18) – Suncorp Stadium
Turbo has been named to play after some talk earlier in the week about a jaw fracture, so assuming he plays, Manly will be able to cover the line. The Raiders have shown the odd glimpse, especially in defence, but their attack is a mess.
Suggested Bet – Manly Sea Eagles -18 @ $2
Penrith Panthers ($1.70) VS South Sydney Rabbitohs ($2.15) – Suncorp Stadium
The game of the round and a sneak peek at what finals footy will look like this year. The Bunnies got absolutely belted by Penrith earlier in the year but I think they are up to this now. Both teams will have finals footy on their mind but this should be a cracker and I’m happy to take the start.
Suggested Bet – South Sydney Rabbitohs @ $2
Saturday
Wests Tigers ($2.50) VS Cronulla Sharks ($1.55) – Browne Park, Rockhampton
Rockhampton look set to get a taste of the NRL. Not a lot between these two and both are without key players. For that reason alone the start looks enticing. Both have really struggled for points in recent times and this will come down to luck and will on the day.
Suggested Bet – Wests Tigers +4.5 @ $1.90
Canterbury Bulldogs ($2.10) VS Newcastle Knights ($1.18) – Cbus Super Stadium
Newcastle is certainly not a team of mine, but they look to stack too much firepower in their backline to not put the Dogs away. If the Knight’s defence holds up they should be winning well, and let’s face it, they need to be if they want to play finals footy.
Suggested bet – Newcastle Knights -16.5 @ $1.90
Parramatta Eels ($1.30) VS North Queensland Cowboys ($3.50) – Cbus Super Stadium
If you believe the press, the Eels are off each other and it’s handbags at fifty paces at the moment. Either way, their on-field performances have been below par recently having lost their last 4 games. The Cows have not tasted victory since round 12, where they won by a single point. It won’t be pretty but the Eels will relish a step down in class and they can cover.
Suggested Bet – Parramatta Eels -10.5 @ $1.90
Sunday
St George Illawarra Dragons ($3.75) VS Sydney Roosters ($1.28) – Clive Berghofer Stadium, Toowoomba
The Roosters have had a hard time covering lines this season due to their injury toll, their task isn’t made any easier this week with Radley on the sideline. The Dragons are the Dragons but with young Amone playing in the halves, they might put up more resistance than the market suggests.
Suggested Bet – St George Illawarra Dragons +12.5 @ $1.90
Brisbane Broncos ($2) VS New Zealand Warriors ($1.82) – Suncorp Stadium
Brisbane have actually been slowly improving into the back end of this season. The Warriors have shown grit when it looked likely they would fold up and quit. Should be a tight contest and expecting it to be tight. Going to have a stab at the 80 minute draw.
Suggested Bet – Winning Margin – Draw (80 mins) @ $17