Rabbitohs v Bulldogs NRL R19 tips & best odds – July 8, 2023

Rabbitohs v Bulldogs NRL betting predictions

Rabbitohs v Bulldogs NRL match preview

Super Saturday in round 19 of the NRL Premiership wraps up at Accor Stadium with the South Sydney Rabbitohs hosting the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, who are looking to snap a four-game losing streak.

The Rabbitohs have been forced into a major reshuffle with Cameron Murray, Cody Walker, Damien Cook and Keaon Koloamatangi all called into the New South Wales Blues side for State of Origin. Their replacements will be Dean Hawkins in the halves, Siliva Havili at hooker, Ben Lovett in the second row and Shaquai Mitchell at lock.

The Canterbury Bulldogs will be without Josh Addo-Carr, who is away at the Blues camp. Hayze Perham, Khaled Rajab, and Paul Alamoti have been dropped and Jake Averillo shifts to fullback. Braidon Burns and Jackson Topine have been named in the centres, with Blake Wilson shifting to the wing. Toby Sexton will play his first game for the club at halfback.

Rabbitohs v Bulldogs R19 betting strategy

The loss of representative stars in the Rabbitohs side may be felt throughout this match. However, they still have enough experience and talent to secure a narrow at the 1-12 margin ($3) against a Bulldogs outfit that has struggled to deal with a long injury list and a high turnover of players.

Lachlan Ilias will face one of the greatest challenges in his short NRL career when he takes the field on Saturday without Walker and Murray – two key members of Souths’ leadership and spine. Ilias will be tasked with completing his normal kicking and directing duties while also needing to create more scoring opportunities with several strike weapons missing. Look for the Souths halfback to stand up and score a try at any time during the match ($4.80).

The addition of Sexton into the halves for the Bulldogs should give captain Matt Burton more freedom to run the football and attack without the added responsibility of organising his side. The former Panther will only need half an opportunity to take advantage of any poor Rabbitohs defence and should be able to find a try ($3.50) for himself during the game.

Without the NSW Origin stars on the field, both teams will struggle to find points in attack. Expect an unusually low-scoring match with less than 43.5 total points on the board ($1.90).

Rabbitohs v Bulldogs key matchup: Ilias v Burton

Lachlan Ilias vs Matt Burton

If Ilias is afforded the time and space to organise his side and kick strongly for Souths, the Bulldogs will struggle to advance the football down the field for chances to put points on the board. However, if Burton can have early success attacking the Rabbitohs right edge, the Bulldogs will have an opportunity to snap their losing streak on Saturday.

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