Dragons vs Raiders NRL R15 betting tips – Saturday, June 19

The St George Illawarra Dragons will be looking to buck a nasty trend when they face the Canberra Raiders at WIN Stadium this Saturday in Round 15 of the 2021 NRL season.

The Saints historically have hated coming up against the Raiders, but in order to get back into the winners’ circle, they’re going to have to confront some serious demons. The Dragons have lost seven of their last nine games following a 4-1 start to the season, and they were dreadful in their last game at Wollongong when losing 16-8 to the Tigers. Luckily for the Saints, Canberra haven’t been much better this year, but a win last week against Brisbane may have ignited a spark.

Both teams will go in with the same sides from Round 14, but Tyrell Sloan is a name to watch in the reserves list. Matt Dufty has been a lightning rod for criticism and the Dragons have clearly moved on from him, so don’t be surprised if Sloan comes in to make his NRL debut.

Dragons vs Raiders NRL betting preview

St George Illawarra’s form since Round 5 has been terrible, and it was highlighted in a 28-6 thumping at the hands of the Bulldogs. It looks as though the leaked stories from the coaching staff about Matt Dufty have had a bad effect on the team and especially the player himself, as he was woeful against Canterbury.

The Dragons are the $2.25 outsider with NRL bookies, but is there value in the bounce-back factor? Any time there is a loss to a team in a predicament like the Bulldogs are in, it invokes a response, and those who back the Saints will no doubt have that reason at the top of the list. Mikaele Ravalawa is the $9.50 favourite to score the first try, and it is hard to find a reason why you wouldn’t back him, but perhaps the $26 for Tariq Sims is worth a little bo-peep.

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The last three night games between these two clubs have all gone the way of the Canberra Raiders, so $1.70 is a decent price in a two-horse race. Matt Timoko is an outrageous $20 to score the first try, so it could certainly be worth a small investment for a huge payoff.

Bailey Simonsson at $2.63 to score at any time also jumps off the page. He looked terrific against the Broncos in his first start at fullback, and it will be interesting to see if the Raiders as a whole look better in week two of the experiment.

The total points line has been breached in the last four Raiders games, but a cold winter’s night on the beach in Wollongong might be the time to get on the unders.

Key matchup: Curtis Scott vs Matt Timoko

Canberra unearthed a strike weapon last week in Matthew Timoko, who got a start a right centre in place of the suspended Curtis Scott. Timoko topped the tackle count in the centres and had some excellent touches, especially his assist which got Sam Williams over the line. With Bailey Simonsson’s move to fullback, the ball moved through the back line better for the Raiders, and as a result it will put pressure on Brayden Wiliame to contain a young up-and-comer. Timoko is going to be thrown in a lot of multis as an anytime tryscorer, so this channel of the field is one to watch on Saturday evening.

Dragons vs Raiders predictions & best bets

Match result: Canberra Raiders

The Raiders should win in a low-scoring game, so take them at the head-to-head price. The howling sea breeze at WIN Stadium is going to cause havoc for the backs, making it difficult for both sides to attack the goal line.

Same game multi: 4 legs @ $16.50

Raiders head-to-head with Matthew Timoko, Bailey Simonsson and Mikaele Ravalawa to all score a try can get you $16.50 at Sportsbet.com.au.