Roosters v Dragons NRL tips, odds & teams | Round 18, 2024

Roosters v Dragons best bets

Round 18: Roosters v Dragons match preview

The Roosters are hoping to continue their NRL Premiership hunt this Sunday afternoon as they host the Dragons in a top-eight clash at Allianz Stadium.

The Roosters enter this match as strong home favourites at $1.24 with Unibet, while the Dragons offer $4.40 with BoomBet. The line is set at 13.5 points.

Last Sunday, Sydney secured a dominant 34-point win over the last-placed Tigers. Every starting back was involved with either a try or an assist as the Chooks went over the line four times in each half.

Trent Robinson’s men have now won four of their past five matches, with an average winning margin of 25 points. As such, top NRL bookmakers have them as the second favourite for the premiership at $4.50.

Star centre Joey Manu is out for the Tricolours after breaking his hand against the Tigers, so veteran Michael Jennings steps into the run-on team. Queensland forward Lindsay Collins returns to the starting lineup as well, with Terrell May reverting to the bench.

The Dragons were also successful last Sunday, beating the Dolphins by 20 points in Sydney. After failing to get over the line in the first half, the Dragons turned the game around in the second with five tries to seal a comfortable victory.

Winning three of their last four matches, Shane Flanagan’s men have worked their way into the top eight. However, leading Australian bookmakers still have them at odds of $5 to make the finals.

The Dragons have made only one change, with Blues winger Zac Lomax returning to the side in place of Mathew Feagai.

Roosters v Dragons R18 team lists

St George Illawarra Dragons

1. Tyrell Sloan
2. Zac Lomax
3. Mosese Suli
4. Max Feagai
5. Christian Tuipulotu
6. Kyle Flanagan
7. Ben Hunt
8. Francis Molo
9. Jacob Liddle
10. Jack De Belin
11. Raymond Faitala-Mariner
12. Jaydn Su’A
13. Tom Eisenhuth
14. Blake Lawrie
15. Ben Murdoch-Masila
16. Toby Couchman
17. Luciano Leilua

Roosters v Dragons NRL betting strategy

This match is a real test for the Dragons to see if they are genuine finals candidates. The Roosters have been in stellar form, holding the best points differential in the NRL, while the Dragons have regularly collapsed against better opposition. Sydney won by 42 points when these teams met on ANZAC Day, so back them in to cover the 13.5-point line at $1.91 with top online bookies.

With the highest total match points line of the weekend, leading rugby league bookmakers are expecting this one to have plenty of scoring. Sydney have the best attacking record in the NRL, while the Dragons have conceded an average of worse than 38 points per game in losses. Back this one to go over 51.5 total points at $1.91 with Neds.

Coming off a double last week against the Tigers, Roosters winger Daniel Tupou has worked his way into the top five tryscorers this season. The 33-year-old has scored 11 tries in 2024, including four in the last three weeks. In a match where the Roosters are expected to dominate, back Tupou to continue his stellar form with two or more tries at $3.20 with top NRL betting sites.

Best bookmakers for NRL 2024 betting

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