NRL Friday: Broncos v Sharks, predictions & odds, round 12, 2020

The Brisbane Broncos host Cronulla Sutherland at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night, but even the home ground advantage is unlikely to help them.

It has been the season from hell for the once mighty Broncos, who are languishing in second-last place on the NRL table, with a lengthy injury list and a coach who seems unlikely to be around much beyond this season.

The Sharks escaped with a win against arch rivals St George Illawarra last weekend and are in seventh place with six wins and five losses from 11 games so far. A win here would set them up nicely for the run to the finals, though at this stage the Sharks seems a long way off the standards being set by the likes of Penrith, Melbourne and Parramatta.

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The Broncos-Sharks clash is the second match on Friday night, with the match between Wests Tigers and the New Zealand Warriors kicking off at 6pm at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The Broncos have been dealt another injury blow for this match, with halfback Brodie Croft (shoulder) ruled out, with young Tom Dearden to wear the No.7 jumper and Anthony Milford back at five-eighth.

The Sharks have also lost their halfback in Chad Townsend (calf) with Connor Tracey taking over, while veteran Josh Dugan is back in the line-up and he and front-rower Aaron Woods  are both playing their 200th matches in the NRL.

Read on for our best bets and winner prediction for the Broncos v Sharks clash at Suncorp Stadium on Friday, July 31.

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Broncos v Sharks odds

Kick-off: 7.55pm local time
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Sydney
Head to head odds: Brisbane $2.43, Cronulla Sutherland $1.57
Line betting: Brisbane (+4.5 points) $1.88, Cronulla Sutherland (-4.5 points) $1.92
Match total: 44.5 points: over $1.95, under $1.85

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Broncos v Sharks free betting tips

Below our NRL betting expert has highlighted his free tips for the Broncos v Sharks clash.

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Broncos v Sharks prediction

The Brisbane Broncos have lost eight of their past nine matches and in almost every match their defence has been woeful. We keep expecting it to change, but that seems unlikely as their season just seems to get worse by the week. Their 46-8 loss last weekend against the Storm was compounded by the news that young star David Fifita will join the Gold Coast Titans next season on a big-money deal. The Sharks have some defensive frailties of their own but they also boast a blistering attack. Unfortunately for the home fans, they may see plenty of that dazzling attack cutting their team to shreds again. Our final tip: Cronulla to win by 16 points.

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Broncos v Sharks lowdown

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