NRL Round 5 preview: Broncos vs Tigers betting tips & odds

Broncos vs Tigers NRL R5 best bets

NRL Round 5: Brisbane Broncos vs Wests Tigers preview

The Brisbane Broncos host the Wests Tigers in Round 5 this Saturday night, and NRL betting sites are heavily favouring the home side to get the job done.

The Broncos return to Suncorp Stadium with momentum on their side following back-to-back wins over the Cowboys and Dolphins, but they’re once again being asked to cover a hefty line set by the top online bookmakers.

While the Broncos‘ star power is undeniable — with Reece Walsh, Adam Reynolds and Payne Haas all firing — they’ve struggled to truly dominate for 80 minutes, and their 1-3 record against the spread in 2025 reflects that.

Defensively they’ve been solid, but their attack has lacked fluency in patches, with long-range efforts often masking a lack of consistent red-zone execution.

Benji Marshall’s Wests Tigers are fast becoming the league’s pluckiest underdogs, covering three of four lines this season and pushing the Warriors to the brink last week despite minimal possession.

The Tigers have a surprisingly strong recent record against the Broncos at Suncorp and they match up well stylistically, particularly if they can limit the Broncos’ metres through the middle third.

This looks like a tougher test than the market suggests.

Broncos vs Tigers Round 5 team news

Brisbane Broncos

1. Reece Walsh
2. Selwyn Cobbo
3. Kotoni Staggs
4. Gehamat Shibasaki
5. Jesse Arthars
6. Ben Hunt
7. Adam Reynolds
8. Patrick Carrigan
9. Cory Paix
10. Payne Haas
11. Jack Gosiewski
12. Brendan Piakura
13. Kobe Hetherington
14. Billy Walters
15. Corey Jensen
16. Xavier Willison
17. Jaiyden Hunt

Brendan Piakura replaces suspended Jordan Riki in the starting side for Brisbane, while Jaiyden Hunt comes onto the bench for his first game of the season.

Wests Tigers

1. Jahream Bula
2. Sunia Turuva
3. Adam Doueihi
4. Starford To’a
5. Luke Laulilii
6. Lachlan Galvin
7. Latu Fainu
8. Terrell May
9. Apisai Koroisau
10. Fonua Pole
11. Samuela Fainu
12. Alex Seyfarth
13. Alex Twal
14. Tallyn Da Silva
15. Royce Hunt
16. Jack Bird
17. Sione Fainu

Latu Fainu replaces the suspended Jarome Luai in the halves for Wests, and Adam Doueihi returns to the backline with Jack Bird moving to the bench.

Broncos vs Tigers NRL Rd 5 betting predictions

The Broncos have failed to cover the spread in 12 straight games at Suncorp, and the Tigers have covered in four of their past six night games. With no Luai and a youthful backline, they may struggle for points — but their defence has been surprisingly stout, conceding just 15 per game. This line at BetOnline is too generous to ignore.

Sunia Turuva has settled in nicely at the Tigers and looms as a strike weapon out wide. He scored 12 tries in 2024 and should benefit from Lachlan Galvin’s ability to open space on the left edge. The Broncos have leaked tries to wingers in recent weeks, and Turuva is value at $2.15 with BetOnline.

Both sides have shown the ability to create second-phase play and convert in the red zone. The Broncos are averaging 29.5 points per game, and the Tigers are putting up over 20 themselves. With dry weather forecast in Brisbane, this could quickly turn into a high-scoring shootout, with the over 53 points looking likely with BetOnline.

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