Dragons vs Titans NRL Sunday betting tips & odds – Rd 23, 2022

August 19, 2022 5:14 pm.by Jack Hudson

St George Illawarra v Gold Coast NRL preview


St George Illawarra Dragons vs Gold Coast Titans NRL Betting Odds & Game Info
Best odds	Dragons $1.55 at BetOnline \| Titans $2.50 at BetOnline
When	Sunday, August 21 \| 2pm AEST
Where	WIN Stadium, Wollongong
Last time they met	Titans 20-16 Dragons (Rd 10, 2022)
Watch live	Fox Sports, Kayo

Sunday afternoon football begins in Wollongong with the St George Illawarra Dragons taking on the Gold Coast Titans. Neither side is playing for a spot in the NRL finals this season, but both have plenty to play for.

The Dragons have been imploding off the field, and as we’ve seen with the Sea Eagles, the off-field issues are always shown up on gameday. Coaches, staff, and players have been shown the door as it’s been discovered the Dragons have salary cap issues they need to fix, given the side they have built is not a finals team.

For the Titans, they may have issues off the field, but they found form against the Sea Eagles last weekend and will be looking to build connections and confidence for the 2023 season.

The Dragons have named an unchanged team to the one that lost controversially to the Raiders in Canberra. For the Titans, captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui has been named to return in the front row, which has pushed Moeaki Fotuaika to the bench and Jarrod Wallace back to the reserves.

In 26 clashes between these two clubs, the Dragons have won on 16. However, the Titans have won the last three clashes by a cumulative total of 66-36. Both teams average the same number of points scored per game, but the Dragons are a slightly better defensive side statistically. What numbers cannot account for is the youth of this Titans team that will be excited to build into the 2023 season. Given their recent history of beating the Dragons, the Gold Coast are good value in the head-to-head betting at $2.50 with BetOnline.

Over the course of the season, the bulk of the tries the Dragons have conceded have been either in their left-hand corner, or right under the goal posts. This means the right-edge attack of the Titans will be vital for them winning this match. Jojo Fifita is the man on the right wing for the Titans; he scored against the Sea Eagles and is a huge change of doing so again this Sunday. His strength and size make him very difficult to defend, and he is a great value play to score at any time, paying $2.25.

Given the tendency the Dragons have of conceding tries in the centre third of the field, there is another man who is a great value play to score. Fa’asuamaleaui is the living embodiment of consistency in the NRL, as he puts in 110% for the Titans every week. When Fa’asuamaleaui exceeds 140m running in a match, he scores 25% of the time. For a front-row forward, that is an incredible statistic. Look for Fa’asuamaleaui to use his immense size and strength to dominate the Dragons and score a try, paying $6 with online bookmakers.

Key matchup: Cody Ramsey vs Jayden Campbell

The battle between these two fullbacks should be electric to watch. Both are smaller and quicker in short bursts compared others like Latrell Mitchell, but they use that speed with incredible footwork to break open the game. They can do it from their own try-line returning a kick, or they can do it in attack when the defensive line is retreating. Both players are still very young and raw in their development, which will make this game even more interesting because they are more liable to come up with a moment of brilliance than anyone in this game.