2024 NRL Round 4 Betting Predictions
Get ready to witness the adrenaline pumping action of the NRL as we gear up for Round 4 in the 2024 season!
Sydney Roosters (2nd) vs Penrith Panthers (4th)
The Roosters smashed old rivals Souths at Allianz Stadium with a huge 48-6 win. They've been on fire at Allianz lately, scoring a huge 110 points in their last three games there. But they might have a few key players out, like Luke Keary with a head knock, and Sandon Smith and Lindsay Collins who copped injuries against the Rabbitohs. Good news though, Sam Walker has got the all-clear to play.
Penrith gave the Broncos a hiding in the grand final rematch. Tough break though, Nathan Cleary's set to miss a month with a hammy strain. The Panthers have had the edge over Trent Robinson's crew since 2023, smashing them twice with a total scoreline of 70-10. They'll be looking to continue that dominance, especially since they've won their last eight games against the Roosters. Hopefully, they'll get their enforcer James Fisher-Harris back from a shoulder twinge. Keep an eye out for Brad Schneider, he's stepping up as the new No.7 in his first NRL game back.
Six out of Sydney's last seven matches have gone UNDER the total match points line. No Cleary should see the Panthers finding scoring a bit tougher.
Stadium Record
Sydney are 7-3 in their last 10 games at this venue. Penrith are 1-0 at this venue since 2018.
Head to Head Record
In the last 10, the Panthers are 9-1 against the Roosters.
Best Bet
South Sydney Rabbitohs (17th) vs Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (12th)
Just three rounds into the footy season and the Rabbitohs are at a bit of a crossroads as they gear up for the classic Good Friday showdown against a Bulldogs team that's been showing some improvement. After copping losses from the Sea Eagles, Broncos, and Roosters, Souths are sitting in a spot they ain't used to at the bottom of the ladder. Jason Demetriou is feeling the pressure as he tries to steer them out of this rough patch. To make matters worse, big guns like Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker haven't been pulling their weigh and the Rabbitohs got picked apart by the Roosters last Friday, making 15 errors and missing 36 tackles on their way to a painful 48-6 defeat. They've been leaking more than 37 points on average per game this year, but the Bunnies have taken out the last five Good Friday games against the Bulldogs.
On the flip side, the Bulldogs have hit their stride in a massive 32-0 smackdown of the Titans, with Viliame Kikau, Reed Mahoney, and Jacob Kiraz really stepping up. With their new-look team starting to click, Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo will be backing his boys to pull off a surprise win in front of a packed Accor Stadium crowd and get payback for last year's thumping 50-16 loss in the same game. The Doggies are aiming to string together back-to-back wins for the first time in over a year, stretching back to rounds 2 and 3 in 2023.
Each of the last five matches between South Sydney and Canterbury have gone OVER the total match points line.
Stadium Record
South Sydney are 4-6 in their last 10 games at this venue. Canterbury are 2-3 in their last 5 games at this venue.
Head to Head Record
Since 2018, the Rabbitohs are 9-3 against the Bulldogs.
Best Bet
Brisbane Broncos (14th) vs North Queensland Cowboys (1st)
Brisbane's finally back on home turf after a rough trip down to Penrith, but it ain't gonna be smooth sailing with star fullback Reece Walsh likely sidelined for a bit after copping a facial fracture in the grand final rematch on Thursday. They've had the upper hand against the Cowboys lately, taking out both clashes last year, but with a packed Friday night crowd at Suncorp, this game could swing either way. Remember, they got wins against the Cowboys both at home and away back in 2023. Now, with Reece Walsh out with a busted face, Tristan Sailor's stepping up in his boots and skipper Adam Reynolds is back from a knee twinge.
On the flip side, the Cowboys are sitting pretty at the top of the ladder after kickin' off the season with three straight wins. But they've got a real test coming up against the Broncos on Good Friday. The last time they started a season 4-0 was way back in 2007 and they're the only team still unbeaten in the NRL. But taking on the Broncos is gonna be their toughest challenge yet, especially with it being a good old Queensland derby.
Seven out of the last eight matches between Brisbane and North Queensland have gone OVER the total match points line.
Stadium Record
Brisbane are 3-2 in their last 5 games at this venue. North Queensland are 4-1 in their last 5 games at this venue.
Head to Head Record
The Broncos are 7-5 against the Cowboys since 2018.
Best Bet
St. George Illawarra Dragons (15th) vs Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (5th)
The Dragons had a ripper start with an early 18-4 lead last week, but then they let the Cowboys run riot, piling on four tries in the second half. If they wanna stand a chance against the in-form Manly team, they gotta make sure they're switched on for the full 80 minutes and don't waste any chances with the ball. With Francis Molo, Jacob Liddle, and Jaydn Su'A back in the starting pack after missing Round 3, the Dragons will be hopin' to turn around their dodgy record at WIN Stadium, where they've only won one out of their last six games.
Meanwhile, the Sea-Eagles are shaping up to be the real dark horse of the comp this year. Even though they copped their first loss, they'll be taking plenty of positives from their close 28-24 tussle with the Eels last Sunday. They've been tested against some tough teams already, but they'll back themselves against the Dragons if they can hang onto the footy and cut out the silly errors from last week. Plus, their halfback Daly Cherry-Evans is about to equal Cliff Lyons' record of 309 games for Manly.
I like the Over in this matchup considering the Dragons have leaked 46 and 38 pts in back to back weeks. Manly have also scored 20+ pts in all 3 games and Tommy Turbo should be tough to contain.
Stadium Record
St. George are 2-3 in their last 5 games at this venue. Manly are 0-3 at this venue since 2018.
Head to Head Record
In the last 8, the Dragons hold a 5-3 record.
Best Bet
Gold Coast Titans (16th) vs Dolphins (7th)
Things have gone from bad to worse for the Titans as they cop the news that skipper Tino Fa'asuamaleaui is out for the rest of the year. It ain't gonna get any easier for them as they gear up to face a fresh and ready Dolphins team. They got kept to zip by the Bulldogs last Saturday, so they've got some soul searching to do before they take on their Queensland rivals and try to kickstart their season with a win. With Fa'asuamaleaui out of action, it's gonna be up to the next generation of Titans forwards to step up and set the scene for Kieran Foran and Tanah Boyd to bring some much-needed spark to the attack. Jayden Campbell's back in at fullback and Fifita's got a shot at making his comeback from his pre-season pec injury.
On the flip side, the Dolphins are champing at the bit after their bye, keen to keep the momentum going after their ripper turnaround in Round 2 where they smashed the Dragons 38-0 up in Redcliffe. With Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow tearing it up at fullback with a hat-trick in Round 2 and young gun Isaiya Katoa slotting into the No. 7 spot, the Dolphins will be looking to find some consistency and notch up their first back-to-back wins of the season. Let's not forget, the Dolphins got the better of the Titans in both their clashes last year by just two points.
Gold Coast has copped a hiding in five out of its last six matches by 13+ points, and they've lost nine out of their last 10 night matches at Cbus Super Stadium.
Stadium Record
Gold Coast are 3-7 in their last 10 games at this venue. The Dolphins are 1-0 at this venue.
Head to Head Record
The Dolphins are 2-0 against the Titans.
Best Bet
New Zealand Warriors (11th) vs Newcastle Knights (13th)
The Warriors are back in Auckland for another home game, right after snagging their first win of the season last Friday against the Raiders down in Christchurch. They're keen as mustard to keep climbing up the ladder after a bit of a slow start in 2024. The Round 1 loss to Cronulla was a bit of a bummer, because it ended their unbeaten streak of eight games at Go Media Stadium. With Taine Tuaupiki out with a concussion, they're onto their third-choice fullback, but lucky for them, it's Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.
It's the first time since their season ended there at the hands of the Warriors last September that the Knights are heading back to Go Media Stadium on a Sunday arvo. Newcastle managed to scrape through a sloppy game against the Storm, even though they missed a whopping 41 tackles. But hey, they still came out on top with a two-point win, taking their record to 2-1. Kalyn Ponga and Kai Pearce-Paul were the standouts. Unfortunately, Knights prop Leo Thompson's out for this one after copping a one-game ban.
Newcastle's last three matches have all gone UNDER the total match points line.
Stadium Record
New Zealand are 5-5 in their last 10 games at this venue. Newcastle are 1-1 at this venue since 2018.
Head to Head Record
In the last 10, the Knights are 6-4 against the Warriors.
Best Bet
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (10th) vs Canberra Raiders (3rd)
Cronulla copped a real hiding from the Wests Tigers in a 32-6 shocker last week and they looked like a completely different team from the one that scraped out a win against the Warriors in Round 1 and then cruised past the Bulldogs the next week. They were sloppy as, making a whopping 16 errors in total. To make matters worse, coach Craig Fitzgibbon's heading into Round 4 without a heap of experience in the middle of the park, with Dale Finucane, Royce Hunt and Toby Rudolf all picking up knocks last week.
Meanwhile, Canberra probably found more positives in their 18-10 loss to the Warriors down in Christchurch. They were right in the thick of it until the final five minutes, so it wasn't all bad. Corey Horsburgh's been left out of the squad for the second week in a row, sitting in the reserves after playing in the NSW Cup last week. Just a heads up, the Raiders have won nine out of their last ten games against the Sharks.
Canberra's won nine out of its last 10 matches against Cronulla. With a lot of experience missing in the forward pack, I think the Sharks will struggle with field position.
Stadium Record
Cronulla are 3-2 in their last 5 games at this venue. Canberra are 1-1 at this venue since 2018.
Head to Head Record
In the last 10 meetings, the Raiders have won 9 games against the Sharks.
Best Bet
Parramatta Eels (6th) vs Wests Tigers (9th)
The Eels pulled off a ripper comeback to hand Manly their first loss of the season. But it's a real kick in the guts for them, because star half Mitch Moses is out with a busted foot for up to eight weeks. Coach Brad Arthur might shuffle the deck a bit, moving Dylan Brown to No.7 or giving young gun Ethan Sanders a crack at halfback. After a top-notch debut in the centres last week, Blaize Talagi's been thrown into the deep end at five-eighth with Moses out. Plus, powerhouse winger Maika Sivo's back from his suspension. Sivo's bagged eight tries in eight games against the Wests Tigers, so keep an eye on him.
The Wests Tigers put on a clinic against the Sharks last week, led by skipper Api Koroisau, in a huge 32-6 victory. It's a huge positive coming into this crucial Easter Monday clash. They've only won one outta their last five games at CommBank Stadium. But with Moses sidelined and a decent record against the Eels lately, I give them a good chance of another upset if they bring the same momentum.
The Tigers have covered the line in their last three matches against Parramatta. Moses is a huge out for the home side.
Stadium Record
In their last 10 games at CommBank Stadium, Parramatta hold a 8-2 record. Wests are 4-6 in their last 10 games at this venue.
Head to Head Record
The Eels are 9-2 against the Tigers since 2018.
Best Bet
