Canberra Raiders v Wests Tigers betting tips & prediction | NRL Rd 23

Raiders v Tigers NRL tips

Raiders v Tigers match preview

Canberra Raiders will enter their NRL round 23 clash against Wests Tigers as heavy favourites at Gio Stadium on Sunday.

Raiders head coach Ricky Stuart appears to have rested captain Jarrod Croker after last week’s loss to the Knights. Sebastian Kris will play left centre, Jordan Rapana will shift to fullback and Nick Cotric has been called up to play on the right wing. Further, Tom Starling (dropped) will be replaced by Adrian Trevilyan on the interchange bench.

Tigers head coach Tim Sheens has been forced to replace Stefano Utoikamanu and Shawn Blore (concussion) following their loss to the Rabbitohs last weekend. Alex Twal has been promoted from the interchange to start in the front row with Justin Matamua and Asu Kepaoa coming onto the interchange bench. Sheens has also dropped Will Smith from the interchange bench, bringing Jake Simpkin back into the starting 17.

The Tigers are last on the NRL ladder and fighting to avoid winning a second wooden spoon in a row. Meanwhile, the Raiders sit in fifth place and risk falling as low as eighth if they lose this clash.

After a poor performance at home last weekend against the Knights, coach Stuart will have the home side fired up to chase a big win. Expect the Raiders to win by 13+ points at $2 with online bookmakers.

Raiders five-eighth Jack Wighton was the only player for the home side that looked to pose a real attacking threat to the Knights. Wighton recorded a line break and tackle break while also trying to set his teammates up for success. Look for Wighton to continue running the ball with strength and score a try ($2.35) at any time during the match.

Sebastian Kris has played 63 career games at centre, scoring 31 tries along the way. Thirteen of those tries came last year at left centre where he made the case to be a long-term replacement for Croker when he retires. Kris will be marking Tigers centre Junior Tupou who struggled defensively against the Rabbitohs. This Sunday, if Kris can get one-on-one with Tupou, the Raiders centre should score a try ($2.80).

Key Matchup: Hudson Young v John Bateman

Hudson Young vs John Bateman

The battle between Raiders and Tigers second-rowers Hudson Young and John Bateman could be a fiery clash. The former teammates are aggressive defenders capable of upsetting their opponent’s rhythm and distracting them from focussing on the game plan. Both players are also incredibly tough and will fight for any advantage they can get over the other. The test of these two superb back-rowers will be maintaining discipline throughout the match.

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