The South Sydney Rabbitohs will look to stay hot when they host the Wests Tigers in their round 9 matchup on Friday. Now, with the Wests Tigers looking to stay in the top eight and the Rabbitohs looking to move up from ninth place, let’s find out which team is offering the best betting value in this intriguing matchup so you can place your bets against their NRL odds.
NRL Wests Tigers Vs Rabbitohs Round 9
Why Bet On The Rabbitohs
The Rabbitohs are sitting in ninth place in the NRL standings with eight points. South Sydney has scored 170 points this season while allowing 144 points defensively (+26). South Sydney has gone a perfect 3-0 at home, but an uninspiring 1-4 on the road. After getting off to an uninspiring 1-3 start, the Rabbitohs have won three of their last four and come into this contest off a convincing 26-10 win over Canterbury on Sunday. Alex Johnson, Jaydn Su’A, Cody Walker and Dane Gagai all scored tries while Adam Reynolds went 4-for-4 on conversions.
Now, heading into round 9, center Braidon Burns is out due to a season-ending knee injury. Bayley Sironen returns from a minor back issue to the bench. Uncapped center Steven Marsters or Corey Allan, both named as reserves, could get late call-up on the interchange if Wayne Bennett elects to play a back on the bench.
Why Bet On The Wests Tigers
The Tigers are sitting in eighth place in the NRL standings with eight points while scoring 187 points and allowing 159 points defensively (+28). The Tigers have gone a discouraging 1-3 at home, but a polar opposite 3-1 on the road this season. The Tigers had their two-game winning streak snapped in their hard-fought 19-12 home loss against the Penrith Panthers on Saturday. Matthew Eisenhuth and Tommy Talau scored on tries while Adam Doueihi went 1-for-2 on conversions and 1 for 1 on penalty goals, but it wasn’t enough as Penrith scored a trio of tries and Nathan Cleary went 3 for 3 on conversions.
Now, heading into round 9, Michael Chee-Kam moves to center for the suspended Joey Leilua with Chris Lawrence called up on the bench. Moses Mbye (knee), Luciano Leilua and Sam McIntyre (both head knock) have been named and are expected to play. Veteran playmaker Benji Marshall could be elevated from the reserves while winger David Nofoaluma has scored five tries in his past four games at Bankwest Stadium.
General Match Info Wests Tigers (4-0-4) vs. South Sydney Rabbitohs (4-0-4)
- When: Friday, July 10, 2020 at 4:55 AM AEST
- Where: Bankwest Stadium, Sydney
- Wests Tigers Vs Rabbitohs Live: Nine/Fox Sports
- Handicap: Rabbitohs -5.5
- Money Lines: Rabbitohs -192 / NRL odds.
Expert Analysis and Prediction
The Rabbitohs have won their past three games at Bankwest Stadium and they’ve limited three of their last four opponents to 12 points or less. With that said, I’m expecting the Rabbitohs to get their act together for round 9 to eke out the super narrow win. Yes, the Wests Tigers have been fantastic on the road this season, but these two teams are almost evenly matched on both sides of the ball and they’ve got ample motivation to get it done in this one. South Sydney wins, but the Wests Tigers cover the 5.5-point spread with a great effort.
Pick: Rabbitohs 26 Tigers 22
Telstra Premiership 2020 Round 9 Matches
- Roosters vs Cowboys – Thursday 9th July, 05:50 AM | Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville
- Warriors vs Titans – Friday 10th July, 04:00 AM | Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast
- Panthers vs Sharks – Friday 10th July, 01:00 AM | Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Sydney
- Bulldogs vs Broncos – Saturday 11th July, 03:30 AM | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
- Storm vs Raiders – Saturday 11th July, 05:35 AM | GIO Stadium, Canberra
- Eels vs Knights – Sunday 12th July, 02:05 AM | McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
- Sea Eagles vs Dragons – Sunday 12th July, 04:30 AM | Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Sydney
