As we head into the final rounds of the season, some teams will be preparing for a finals campaign whilst others will be planning the end of season trip. Read through for the weekend\u2019s best bets.<\/span><\/p>\n Thursday 4th August 7:50PM, Sydney Cricket Ground<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The round kicks off between the Roosters and Broncos at the SCG, with both teams desperate to keep touch with the top 4 and top 8 respectively. Given the turbulence their opponents in Round 20 faced during the week, the Roosters were poor against the Sea Eagles and will need to step up their play against a Broncos side also coming off a poor performance at home against the Tigers. They were far too good for the Eels the week prior, who subsequently beat the league-leading Panthers rather convincingly, so coach Kevin Walters will be sure to get his much improved side focused for this week\u2019s clash. Despite their up and down form throughout 2022, the Roosters seem to hold favoritism in most games, but I can\u2019t go past the $2.35 on offer for the Broncos here.<\/span><\/p>\n Recommended Bet: Broncos $2.35<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Friday 5th August 6:00PM, AAMI Park<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Melbourne snapped a four-match losing streak last round with a 12 point win over the Warriors at Mt Smart Stadium. The Storm can\u2019t seem to catch a break on the injury front, with Justin Olam and Nick Meaney both out injured, leaving room for recruit David Nofoaluma to make his debut for the club. Last-placed Gold Coast have now lost their last nine and have only beaten the Storm 6 times out of the 24 meetings between the sides. The odds make this one difficult to bet on, but with all the ongoing changes for the storm and only averaging 14.5 points in their last 4 games, I\u2019m going with the unders in this fixture.<\/span><\/p>\n Recommended Bet: Under 44.5 $1.90<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Friday 5th August 7:55PM, 4 Pines Park<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n After arguably the most eventful week in the club\u2019s history, it will be interesting to see how the Sea Eagles back up in a must win clash against the Eels. Five of the players who missed last week\u2019s game \u2013 Jason Saab, Christian Tuipulotu, Tolutau Koula, Haumole Olakau\u2019atu and Toafofoa Sipley \u2013 return but Josh Schuster has been left out and Josh Aloiai is injured. Parramatta remain the NRL\u2019s biggest puzzle, moving back up to sixth on the ladder with a second win over Penrith this season. This one very much feels like it could go either way, with the Sea Eagles being so good at home but with the Eels capable of beating anyone on their day, I\u2019ll still with the over between two teams full of points.<\/span><\/p>\n Recommended Bet: Over 42.5 $1.90<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Saturday 6th August 3:00PM, Sunshine Coast Stadium<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Bunnies have found form in the perfect moment for a serious top four assault, and despite a gold point loss to the Sharks in round 20, are still heading into the pointy end of the season with a tonne of momentum. The Warriors\u2019 24-12 loss to the Storm in Auckland last Friday was their 10th in 11 games and it\u2019s tough to imagine them pushing South Sydney for a full eighty minutes in current form. The Rabbitohs handed the Warriors a 40 point thrashing at Sunshine Coast Stadium in 2021, and with a dry fast track for them to play with, I anticipate a big win for South Sydney<\/span><\/p>\n Recommended Bet: Rabbitohs -19.5 $1.90<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Saturday 6th August 5:35PM, GIO Stadium<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Panthers will attempt to bounce back from defeat for only the second time this season when they travel to the nation\u2019s capital on Saturday evening. Last week\u2019s loss was compounded by losing Nathan Cleary for five weeks on account of a dangerous tackle, and will now employ the inexperienced Sean O\u2019Sullivan and Jaeman Salmon in the halves. Canberra is keeping its finals chances alive after winning its last three matches but have been defeated by Penrith in their last 3 clashes, including one by 30 points in round 7. Even with their Origin halves combination unavailable, the odds for the Panthers are too good to ignore.<\/span><\/p>\n Recommended Bet: Panthers $1.65<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Saturday 6th August 7:35PM, PointsBet Stadium<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Sharks step out in Round 21 following a thrilling win over South Sydney led by Nicho Hyne, and can keep the pressure on the top two with a win over arch rivals the Dragons. The Dragons meanwhile sit two points outside the Top 8 after three losses from their last four games, with last week\u2019s loss to the Dragons almost putting an end to their finals hopes. The Sharks have won the six of the last seven southern Sydney derbies, including a 36-12 win at WIN Stadium earlier this year, and will account for the Dragons with ease again on Saturday night.<\/span><\/p>\n Recommended Bet: Sharks 13+ $2.30<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sunday 7th August 2:00PM, Salter Oval<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bundaberg plays host to an NRL fixture as the Bulldogs and Cowboys go head-to-head on Sunday afternoon. The Bulldogs have now remarkably won four of their last 6 games and after a lot of scrutiny throughout his career, it is good to see Kyle Flanagan beginning to assert himself as a premier halfback in the competition. Meanwhile, North Queensland returned to normal proceedings with a 26 point win over the Dragons, on the back of their last minute win over the Tigers. Despite the good Bulldogs, the Cowboys should have too much class, so let\u2019s hope this bet lands and we can all enjoy a rum to finish off our weekend.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Recommended Bet: Cowboys -11.5 $1.90<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sunday 7th August 4:05PM, Campbelltown Sports Stadium<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The second-last Wests Tigers host 14th-placed Newcastle Knights to end round 21 in a clash for pride for both sides. The Tigers are on an upswing, following their road trip to Queensland, with a close loss to the Cowboys, followed by a dominant win over the Broncos. The Knights now possess the west defensive record in the NRL and have had a torrid week, with David Klemmer publicly admitting he wants out of the club. The Knights easily won the corresponding clash earlier in the season, but on account of recent form, I\u2019m siding with the Tigers.<\/span><\/p>\nSydney Roosters ($1.60) v Brisbane Broncos ($2.35)<\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n
Melbourne Storm ($1.13) v Gold Coast Titans ($6.00)<\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles ($1.80) v Parramatta Eels ($2.00)<\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n
South Sydney Rabbitohs ($1.14) v New Zealand Warriors ($5.75)<\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n
Canberra Raiders ($2.25) v Penrith Panthers ($1.65)<\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks ($1.30) v St George-Illawarra Dragons ($3.55)<\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs ($3.50) v North Queensland Cowboys ($1.30)<\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n
Wests Tigers ($1.50) v Newcastle Knights ($2.60)<\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n