The Penrith Panthers are running away with the NRL regular season this year at 12-1, but things get very interesting in the wake after that. Just one loss separates second place Melbourne and fifth place Parramatta, with the North Queensland Cowboys right in that mix at 9-4 heading into round 14 rugby betting predictions.
The 9th place St. George Illawarra Dragons are not too far out of a trip to the Finals themselves, at 6-6, and in a tie with the Rabbitohs for the all-important eighth position. Friday’s kickoff to the round 14 slate is incredibly important for both teams, and we are still in the Origin period, which makes things even more interesting.
Last Game Records
North Queensland could have been ripe for the upset in last weekend’s rugby betting odds without four major components due to Origin obligations. The Cowboys showed out their depth, though, winning 32-6 over Gold Coast.
It was another example of a great defensive showing for North Queensland, who now has a +160 point differential on the season. It also helped that the Tigers are the second-worst team in the NRL after the Cowboys just ran a gamut against Melbourne (W 36-6) and Penrith (L 22-0).
The Dragons will come into Friday’s rugby betting picks fresh off their bye week, hoping the downtime doesn’t cut into their momentum of a two-game win streak which includes victories in five of their last seven.
St. George Illawarra has shown great form since their 1-4 start but still has a -73 point differential which is the worst out of the top 11 teams in the NRL. The good news is that these two teams have alternated wins and losses in the last six games, which would leave the Dragons in line for a win after North Queensland was victorious 38-26 in the most recent meeting last August.
Cowboys vs Dragons Betting Analysis
The Cowboys look to be in line to pick up the win in round 14 betting picks, listed as significant -14.5 favorites for Friday’s meeting. That would give St. George Illawarra some value at +340 because North Queensland still has some questions on who is available due to Origin obligations.
These two teams have also played each other well over the past three seasons, splitting the last six games. The Cowboys’ margins of victory in their three wins have been 12, 1, and 8 points.
Who Plays for North Queensland?
Sure they played the second-worst team in the NRL last weekend, but the Cowboys still looked good in a 32-6 win over Gold Coast, considering North Queensland was missing Val Holmes, Jeremiah Nanai, Reuben Cotter, and Tom Dearden, who all drew national team obligations.
The Maroons play Wednesday night again, so it’s unsure if Holmes and company will be ready for the quick turnaround on Friday for NRL play. That group of players has been named to the reserves list, so it will be up to the medical staff to determine their eligibility.
Holmes would be a big loss as he is third in the NRL in scoring with 107 points. His absence wasn’t costly against Gold Coast, but the Dragons are a much higher caliber of a team this season.
Dragons Well Rested
St. George Illawarra has the advantage of being on bye last week, not having to be affected by the loss of Ben Hunt and Tariq Sims to Origin duty. Both players return this weekend in reserve roles in a similar manner that the Cowboys are doing with their quartet of Origin men.
The Dragons are not the same team that started off 1-4 in rugby betting picks, but have they been winning recently or merely surviving? During the stretch of five wins in seven games, four of those wins were by six points or less. St. George Illawarra is 12th in the NRL in scoring.
Cowboys vs Dragons Betting Preview
There are a lot of questions in the air for this game simply because of the Origin period returns and whether the likes of Holmes and Hunt can play for their respective teams on a quick two-day turnaround. It’s a very important game for both teams in terms of seeding, but worth risking injury for?
Cowboys vs Dragons Betting Prediction
This is a tough road matchup for the Dragons, but they also picked up a win in Townsville in 2021 by the score of 25-18. The Cowboys have already surpassed last year’s win total, so they are a much better team than a season ago, but the point spread is just too high for this week’s rugby betting predictions.
How to Bet on Cowboys vs Dragons
Take St. George Illawarra +14.5
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