Sea Eagles vs Knights NRL betting tips & same game multi | 16/07

The Newcastle Knights will be making the trip down the M1 to take on the Manly Sea Eagles at 4 Pines Park for round 18 of the 2022 NRL season. The Knights will be looking to bounce back from their huge loss to the South Sydney Rabbitohs, while the Sea Eagles are fresh off the bye, with their last match being a huge win over the Storm at Brookvale. Returning to the scene of their most recent win, can Manly get their second win in a row?

The Manly Sea Eagles will be buoyed by the inclusion of Josh Aloiai in the reserves who is returning from the concussion he sustained playing for Samoa in representative round. Manly also have their captain Daly Cherry-Evans and forward Jake Trbojevic named to back up from State of Origin. For the Knights, captain Kalyn Ponga, Dane Gagai and Jacob Saifiti have been named to back up from Origin duties as well. Will the inclusion of their Origin stars be enough for the Knights to steal a win?

The head-to-head stats between these two clubs are rather evenly poised, with Manly having only won two more games than the Newcastle Knights. Historically, the Knights have struggled to win in Brookvale as they only escape victorious 29% of the time. Factor into the equation the poor form Newcastle have displayed at points throughout this season, and Manly deserve to be favourites for Saturday’s clash. Given the Sea Eagles dominance at 4 Pines Park, they should be able to secure a 13+ point victory over the Knights which is paying $2.35.

Two men to keep an eye on for Manly line up on the right-hand side of the field, they are Tolutau Koula and Haumole Olakau’atu. Koula has shown his incredible speed in the open field for the Sea Eagles in recent weeks, which is matched by his strength and footwork closer to the line. Olakau’atu is just as damaging close to the line for the Sea Eagles and is always a threat with his strong ball running. Look out for both players to score at any time during the match paying $2.60 and $2.95 with Palmerbet.

Manly have shown a concerning ability to concede points in recent rounds. Despite the Knights lack of strong attacking ability, they still have weapons at their disposal. For total points bands, the smartest play looks to be the Knights scoring between 11-20 points, which would be no more than three converted tries, paying $2.35.

Should that outcome be successful, look for Manly to score between 31-40 points given they are a much stronger and more complete football team on both sides of the ball. That points band is paying $4.25 with the top Australian bookmakers.

KEY MATCH UP: LACHLAN CROKER v JAYDEN BRAILEY

The battle of the hookers in this match will be one to watch, with both players having key roles in the attack of their sides. Croker’s job is to provide quality service to his halves but has shown an ability to run the ball and kick so strongly that he cannot be ignored in defence. For the Knights, Brailey returned from injury and looked strong last week. In a side without as much attacking ability as the Sea Eagles, Brailey will need to lead his side in the middle and steer them around to give them their strongest chance of victory.

Manly Sea Eagles v Newcastle Knights betting tips

Sea Eagles v Knights same-game multi tips

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