Tigers v Raiders NRL betting tips & odds – Round 14, 2023

Tigers v Canberra NRL predictions & best bets

Tigers v Raiders R14 match preview

Round 14 of the 2023 NRL Premiership kicks off in Campbelltown with the Wests Tigers hosting the Canberra Raiders. Both clubs had bounce-back wins last week against the Cowboys and Rabbitohs, but who will come out on top this Friday night?

Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has controversially opted to rest one-club man Jarrod Croker so he can play his 300th match in front of his home fans. Nick Cotric returns to the starting side, shifting Albert Hopoate to the centres.

Sebastian Kris has been named to start for Canberra despite leaving the field against the Rabbitohs last week, with Xavier Savage in the reserves as possible cover. Hudson Young — set to make his State of Origin debut for New South Wales this week — has been named to start in second row ahead of Corey Harawira-Naera, who suffered a harrowing on-field injury in round 13.

The Tigers have also made several changes with Joe Ofahengaue making the mid-season move to the Eels and Alex Seyfarth coming onto the interchange bench as his replacement. Apisai Koroisau has been named to back up from State of Origin on Wednesday night, with Brent Naden returning via the reserves after his three-game suspension.

READ: NRL SuperCoach preview & top trades – Round 14, 2023

These two clubs have met on 40 occasions, with the Raiders winning 21 times. However, the Tigers have won seven of the 11 matches played at Campbelltown Stadium.

The biggest disruption the Tigers face is the possibility of Koroisau failing to back up from Origin at 100% fitness. Either way, he will be the focus of a big Raiders forward pack that will be targeting the middle third — as they did against the Rabbitohs last weekend.

The value is with the visitors, who are in brilliant form with little disruption to key positions in their spine. Punters should be snapping up the $2 on offer with BetOnline for the Raiders to cover the -2.5 line.

Hopoate’s form over the last month has delivered on years of anticipation by experts around the game. In the last month alone, the explosive winger has scored four tries, recording four line breaks and 13 tackle breaks at over 170m per game.

Moving into the centres, the plan for the Raiders should be to give Hopoate the football early in clear space to get his defender on the back foot, allowing him to use his power to reach the in-goal area. If they can manage that, he should cross for a try at some stage ($2.95).

Having battled through hamstring injuries, Nick Cotric is making just his third start in the NRL this season. The winger made a strong return last week against the Rabbitohs, but this Friday night he will be marking one of the most destructive youngsters in the NRL.

Junior Tupou scored a double in the Tigers’ huge win over the Cowboys last week, along with numerous line breaks and tackle breaks. If Cotric is not 100%, Tupou will score a try again ($2.15).

Both sides have shown over the last five rounds that, on their day, they can pile on points. With the Raiders sitting in seventh place, just one win from the top of the ladder, and the Tigers one win from the bottom, both sides have plenty to fight for. This should produce an exciting brand of football and a high-scoring match that exceeds 43.5 total points ($1.90).

Key matchup: Papalii v Klemmer

Josh Papalii vs David Klemmer

The war for dominance in the middle third of the field will be led by these two former State of Origin foes, and each will be looking to make their mark on the other. Neither player will go down without a fight, and the victor will lay the foundations for his teammates to make further inroads and set the platform for a winning performance.

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