Broncos vs Eels NRL Round 1 betting tips – 12/3/2021

The Brisbane Broncos will want to put some demons to rest when the Eels visit Suncorp Stadium this Friday night in round one of the 2021 NRL season. The last three games between these clubs have been beyond horrible for the Broncos, who have lost by a combined 100 points. It was this fixture when the competition resumed last year that signalled the beginning of Brisbane losing 17 of their next 18 games, ending with Anthony Seibold on the coaching scrap heap.

The Parramatta Eels have had a quiet offseason. They have kept the bulk of their side together from the last two seasons and should feel extremely good about their chances of blowing the home team apart. The Eels at $2.30 to win by 13 points or more will be backed off the map, but is there a chance that club legend Kevin Walters can get his side up emotionally as he makes his NRL coaching debut? Brisbane’s only way to winning this one looks to be frustrating the Eels into errors, but they look more energetic than they have done in years.

Key matchup: Xavier Coates vs Maika Sivo

The two opposing wingers couldn’t be more contrasting if they tried. Xavier Coates is the fluent, graceful and highly skilled aerialist, while Maika Sivo is a blockbusting weapon who takes pleasure in running over the top of anyone in his path (see James Tedesco).

Coates was $41 in the preseason to be the NRL top tryscorer, and he is going to have to be brilliant all year to get in the fight. Brisbane will no doubt look to score through him off a kick, so put him in your multis.

Sivo has scored a terrific 37 tries in 46 appearances for the Eels and shapes up as a pure mathematical equation. Someone scoring that regularly is going to win you some money at some point.

Brisbane Broncos betting info

The $3.50 they are paying suggests nobody wants a bar of them, and you can be forgiven for being in that camp, but who is to say Coates can’t snag the first try? He is going to be backed almost every week, and those who are on him will feel pretty good each time he takes the field. But what about the roughie in Tevita Pangai Jr? He is a man who has plenty to prove, and if he shows up in the right mood, he will be unstoppable close to the line.

Brisbane Broncos

1. Jamayne Isaako
2. Xavier Coates
3. Herbie Farnworth
4. Tesi Niu
5. David Mead
6. Anthony Milford
7. Brodie Croft
8. Tevita Pangai Junior
9. Jake Turpin
10. Mathew Lodge
11. Alex Glenn
12. Jordan Riki
13. Patrick Carrigan
14. John Asiata
15. Thomas Flegler
16. Ethan Bullemor
17. Ben Te’o

Parramatta Eels betting info

They should win comfortably, but to get better than $2 at NRL bookmakers for the 13-plus you’ll need to get on early in the week. Don’t leave it late! Also, Blake Ferguson had a try drought like we’ve never seen a winger have in 2020, so he might be one to avoid in the tryscorer betting department until he proves the rain has broken the dam wall. The most fun you can have in this one might be to take a big line, say -15.5 at $2.60, and see if the Eels can run away with it.

Parramatta Eels

1. Clinton Gutherson
2. Maika Sivo
3. Tom Opacic
4. Waqa Blake
5. Blake Ferguson
6. Dylan Brown
7. Mitchell Moses
8. Reagan Campbell-Gillard
9. Reed Mahoney
10. Junior Paulo
11. Shaun Lane
12. Ryan Matterson
13. Nathan Brown
14. Oregon Kaufusi
15. Isaiah Papali’i
16. Keegan Hipgrave
17. Will Smith

Broncos vs Eels betting predictions

First tryscorer – Xavier Coates

Xavier Coates proved unstoppable in the air in 2020, and there is no reason to believed he won’t be the Broncos’ main target in attack, so why not take him when he is $13.

Anytime tryscorer – Shaun Lane

Shaun Lane at $3.50 to score anytime looks tantalising as well. The Broncos’ edge defence looked terrible in 2020, and it may be a similar story first up against a team who are more settled than they are. Lane runs a terrific line from outside in, and at 198cm tall he is a handful close to the line.

Broncos vs Eels NRL same game multi

The Eels to cover the -8.5 line is an absolute no-brainer, as is the $1.67 for Sivo to score at anytime. We also like Ryan Matterson and Mitchell Moses to cross at some stage.