NRL 2020 Premiership betting odds & market news

It feels like the footy has just come back, but we are already 20% of the way through the 2020 NRL season.

Some teams have moved into contention for the flag, while others are wallowing at the wrong end of the ladder.

With every team having played four games, it’s time to take a look where your side is placed in the NRL Premiership betting at Sportsbet.

Premiership contenders

Seven days after Canberra became the team to beat, the punters are all over the Sydney Roosters to win their third title in a row. A 59-0 win over the insipid Broncos has moved them into $4.50 to win it all and it feels a little too soon.

Yes, the Roosters are a fantastic team, but it could be a slight overreaction for them to move into the top spot so hastily. By July 16 they will have faced the Eels, Storm and Raiders and we will then have a more accurate read on if they can repeat Parramatta’s achievements under Jack Gibson. The only issue may be if the Chooks defeat those three teams along with the Bulldogs, Cowboys and Dragons, they could well be at an unbackable price by then.

The Parramatta Eels and Canberra Raiders sit on the next line of betting at $5 and we only have to wait until round seven until these two teams clash. The Eels face the Panthers and Roosters before that, so we will learn a lot about them in the next three weeks.

The Raiders’ 34-18 loss to the Knights shouldn’t concern those who backed them to go all the way in 2020. There are some days where a team turn up and they just aren’t switched on, and this was one of those. They are still well and truly deserving of their $5 price.

Dark horses

The Manly Sea Eagles have drifted slightly from $9 to $10 after their 19-16 loss to the Eels. If you believe in their credentials, now is the time to get on before they play a Brisbane team who appear to be in a huge hole. Des Hasler’s team will almost certainly firm after Thursday’s clash.

Sunday’s result at Campbelltown has caused a huge shift in premiership betting, with the Newcastle Knights going from $19 into $13 after dismantling Canberra to remain undefeated. Oddly enough, they start as outsiders against Melbourne at Gosford this weekend; however, as with Manly, it feels like a good time to invest a few dollars in the Novocastrians before they play the Broncos and Cowboys.

Before the competition resumption, Newcastle were $5 to make the top four. They are now at a $2.75 price. Some online bookmakers are offering as much as $3.25, which is easily the value bet in the top four market.

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Long shots

The North Queensland Cowboys sit at $26 for the flag, but anyone with half a clue about rugby league will avoid that like the plague. They have the best home field advantage in 2020, but it also means they will travel long distances on game days regularly. Jason Taumalolo is great, but he is not a miracle worker.

The South Sydney Rabbitohs at the same price hold a bit more promise. They have Cody Walker returning this week and in their next two games get the chance to play the Titans and the Warriors. Following that it’s the Panthers, Bulldogs and Tigers, which many will argue is five games they could sweep and certainly four they’ll be favoured in. A lot of people believed in the Rabbitohs before the season started and if you believe in them still, $26 presents much better value than the Cowboys. You can still get as much as $7 for the Bunnies to make the top four, but that price won’t last long.

Cellar dwellers

The St George Illawarra Dragons at $3 are the new favourites to win the dreaded wooden spoon, and for good reason. In their first two games since the restart, they have scored two points – that’s TWO points – against fellow spoon contenders Canterbury and Gold Coast in 160 minutes of football. Since ANZAC Day 2019 they have won four of a possible 22 games, which is almost impossible with five Origin-calibre players in their squad. Tyson Frizell has already signed with another club and everyone looks as though they are going through the motions until Paul McGregor gets sacked.

June 20 shapes as a huge day for both the Dragons and the Titans. If Gold Coast can win this clash at Suncorp, they’ll move two games clear of the Saints at the bottom of the ladder and it may be enough for them to avoid the spoon. If the result goes that way, $3 on the Red V for least wins will seem like astronomical odds.