Dragons v Raiders NRL tips, odds & predictions – R19, 2023

SGI Dragons v Canberra Raiders best bets

Dragons v Raiders match preview

Round 19 of the NRL Premiership continues in Wollongong on Friday night with the St George Illawarra Dragons hosting the Canberra Raiders at WIN Stadium. Coming off two heavy defeats to the Warriors and the Sharks, can the Dragons avoid a third-straight loss?

The Dragons will be without Tyrell Sloan (calf) and Jaiyden Hunt (concussion). Replacing them will be two club debutants: Paul Turner starting fullback, and Dan Russell off the interchange bench. Jayden Sullivan will wear the No.7 jersey in place of Ben Hunt, who is away for State of Origin, with Talatau Amone named at five-eighth.

The Raiders will be without Pasami Saulo after he suffered a head knock in the round 18 win over the Titans. Corey Horsburgh will also miss this week as he makes his Origin debut for Queensland. A reshuffle to the starting side pushes Trey Mooney and Peter Hola to the interchange bench.

Dragons v Raiders betting strategy

The Raiders are favourites coming into this match after winning four of their last five games. They have risen to fifth on the NRL ladder and coach Ricky Stuart will be emphasising a strong 80-minute performance. Look for the Raiders to score the first try ($1.50) and complete the half-time/full-time double ($1.57) over the struggling Dragons.

The Raiders have only won by narrow margins in 2023. Both sides have suffered injuries and are without star representative players. This creates even greater value for the visitors to win by 1-12 points at $5.40 with BetOnline.

Hudson Young showed some of his best form last weekend against the Gold Coast Titans when he broke multiple tackles and scored a try. Look for the Canberra second-rower to build on his form and score a try at some stage in the game ($2.35).

Key matchup: Fogarty v Sullivan

Jamal Fogarty vs Jayden Sullivan

The matchup of these two halfbacks will be a strong indicator of the difference between these two sides. The strong Raiders forward pack allows Jamal Fogarty time and space to create point-scoring opportunities with his kicking game. On the other hand, Jayden Sullivan may be forced to use his kicking game to keep the Dragons out of trouble. St George Illawarra are the third-worst team in the NRL for overall run metres, and failure to improve this through the middle third will diminish Sullivan’s time, space, and ability to place attacking kicks.

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