The loser of Thursday’s match between the Brisbane Broncos and Sydney Roosters is going to be on the outside looking in on the NRL ladder.
Brisbane is currently tied with Melbourne and Parramatta for the fourth seed, so they are in a must win in each of the last five weeks of the season.
The Roosters are also trying to hold on to the eight seed heading into round 21 NRL rugby betting. Sydney is tied with the Raiders for the last spot in the finals, but with the Sea Eagles and Dragons also just a game behind.
Aside from Penrith who is running away with the top of the ladder, the NRL is jam-packed this season and it’s going to be an interesting last month-plus of the regular season.
NRL Scoreboard Report
Brisbane is coming off an absolutely atrocious showing last Saturday, losing 32-18 to the 4-15 Wests Tigers, the second worst team on the ladder.
That defeat snapped a three-game win streak for the Broncos, who had also won seven of their previous nine prior to that.
The Roosters have momentum coming into Thursday’s match having won three in a row. Last week they topped the Sea Eagles’ 20-10 Sydney’s three-match win streak has come against the bottom seven teams on the ladder, so it should be taken with a grain of salt.
Even though Sydney has beaten up on some lesser competition lately, they do have a 24-20 win over Brisbane back in round five.
That’s four victories in the last five head-to-head matchups for the Roosters including a couple dominating wins in 2020, 59-0 and 58-12.
Sydney Roosters vs.Brisbane Broncos Betting Analysis
The Sydney Roosters vs. Brisbane Broncos betting predictions are tough to put a line on this week. Brisbane ranks higher on the ladder and has been on a roll over the past three months, but Sydney has also dominated the head-to-head matchup for the past two years.
Oddsmakers do in fact have Sydney as -4.5 favorites on Thursday despite them being lower on the ladder. The Broncos’ last win in the series did come at Sydney CG in May of 2021 when they pulled out a 34-16 victory.
Roosters Stats
Sydney has averaged 38.6 ppg in the last three matches but some of that had to do with the quality of competition as well.
The Broncos allowed 32 points to Wests Tigers last weekend, the second lowest scoring team in the NRL. The ‘over’ 44.5 looks hittable for this weekend’s rugby picks.
Roosters Face a Competition Upgrade
Sydney is tied with Canberra for the eighth spot on the NRL ladder, but the Raiders are matched up with top seed Penrith this week which presents a great opportunity for the Roosters.
Sydney managed just a 20-10 win over Manly last week in a sloppy game, but that’s a rivalry matchup that is always going to be played close.
Now the Roosters turn their attention towards the regular season sweep of Brisbane. Sam Walker has plenty of motivation for this game as he came up in the Brisbane juniors, while Ezra Mam is another young half to watch as Sydney is arguably a more talented squad than the Broncos.
Walker is the third leading scorer in the NRL with 147 points, while Joseph Suaalii has been a consistent force with 12 tries in his last 12 games.
Broncos Got Caught Looking Ahead
Brisbane’s loss to Wests Tigers last week was one of the biggest upsets of the NRL season. The Broncos may have been caught looking ahead, but that simply shouldn’t happen for a team trying to hold on to a top four spot. It is games like that which make betting on rugby frustrating at times.
Now Brisbane has to get itself back on track. The Broncos welcome back Selwyn Cobbo to the lineup as he returns from a head knock but Pat Carrigan is gone for the next four weeks as he serves a suspension for a hip drop tackle last weekend.
Roosters vs. Broncos Betting Preview
Sydney and Brisbane kick off this week’s rugby schedule in what should be another knock-down, drag-out clash. The last two meetings between these two teams have been thrillers, but with Sydney coming out on top each time.
Brisbane is +143 as an underdog and they did get a victory on their last trip to the Sydney Cricket Ground. The Roosters have won two in a row head to head, but neither covered Thursday’s -4.5 spread (21-20, 24-20).
Roosters vs. Broncos Betting Prediction
An outright win by the Broncos wouldn’t be a huge shocker on Thursday as they have been playing much better than their loss last week to Wests Tigers would indicate. Therefore you have to take the points.
NRL Pick: Roosters +4.5
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