NRL Round 8 odds and schedule; Raiders seek to stop worrying slump

Round eight starts on Thursday, April 29, with the match of the round between Canberra and South Sydney and runs through to Sunday. Our NRL betting expert examines the NRL action for the week ahead. 

The Raiders-Rabbitohs clash at Gio Stadium in Canberra is a great way to start the weekend’s action, with the home team in crisis after losing 26-24 to the Cowboys in Townsville.

Canberra are clinging on to eighth place with a 3-4 record and need a win against the third-placed Rabbitohs (6-1) if they want to stay in the mix for a top-four position. The teams at the top are setting a cracking pace.

The good news for Ricky Stuart’s men is that they have won six of their past eight games against the Bunnies, and the latter have been lucky to escape with wins against Wests Tigers and Gold Coast the past two weeks.

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NRL match betting previews and tips

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On Friday night the Storm are hot favourites in the early game to pile more misery on the Sharks, who look dead in the water after deciding to appoint a new coach for 2022, forcing out the incumbent John Morris, who had them travelling quite well. It will be a mighty job for interim Sharks coach Josh Hannay to turn the ship around.

Later on Friday the Broncos are rank outsiders against “cousins’ Gold Coast, though the $3.90 you can get with TopSport may not last long as the Titans have shown this season that they are far from the finished article.

The pick of the Super Saturday matches is the first game, from Bathurst, between the high-flying Penrith Panthers and resurgent Manly, who have turned their season around with a one-point win over the Warriors following by resounding wins against Gold Coast and Wests Tigers.

The Newcastle-Sydney Roosters clash on Saturday night also promises intrigue. The Roosters just keep turning up despite a hefty injury tolls and the critics, including this one, writing them off as contenders in 2021.

The Knights are languishing in mid-table and need to win a game such as this one to ignite some self-belief.

Round 8 concludes on Sunday night with a clash between St George Illawarra and West Tigers, two teams coming off bitterly disappointing losses in round 7 against the Sea Eagles and Roosters respectively.

The Dragons have been made hot favourites to win it and shore up their position in the top eight for the time being at least.

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NRL Premiership odds before Round 8

There were no real changes at the top of betting for the 2021 NRL title, save for the Canberra Raiders blowing out from $11 and $15.

Bookmakers reacted after the Raiders blew a big lead in Townsville, and another loss on Thursday and Ricky Stuart’s men will be out to $20 plus to win the title and their finals hopes will be in jeopardy.

The unbeaten Penrith Panthers have a stranglehold on betting and firmed from $3.50 to $3.30 to TopSport after another impressive display.

Manly look a different side with Tom Trbojevic back from his long-term hamstring issues and they firmed up further after thrashing the Wests Tigers, in from $51 to $31.

Their credentials face the ultimate test this week though as they face the Panthers at Carrington Park in Bathurst on Saturday afternoon.

Elsewhere, the Titans eased from $26 to $34 after their rollercoaster 40-30 loss to Souths, while the Sharks look rudderless and out of motivation and you can get $81 about them winning the title. You would not back the Sharks to make the finals let alone win the title on the weekend’s loss to the Bulldogs.

NRL title odds 2021

$3.30 Penrith Panthers
$4.60 South Sydney Rabbitohs
$4.80 Melbourne Storm
$8 Parramatta Eels, Sydney Roosters
$15 Canberra Raiders
$31 Manly Sea Eagles
$34 Gold Coast Titans, St George Illawarra Dragons
$61 Newcastle Knights, New Zealand Warriors
$81 Cronulla Sharks
$151 Brisbane Broncos, Wests Tigers
$201 North Queensland Cowboys
$501 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

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NRL Round 8 fixture, odds and times

Thursday, April 29

7:50pm: Canberra Raiders $2.35 v South Sydney Rabbitohs $1.60

Friday, April 30

• 6pm: Melbourne Storm $1.15 v Cronulla Sharks $5.40
• 7:55pm: Brisbane Broncos $3.90 v Gold Coast Titans $1.25

Saturday, May 1

• 3pm Penrith Panthers $1.19 v Manly Warringah Sea Eagles $4.60
• 5.30pm Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs $7.25 v Parramatta Eels $1.09
• 7:35pm: Newcastle Knights $2.60 v Sydney Roosters $1.48

Sunday, May 2

• 2pm: New Zealand Warriors $1.60 v North Queensland Cowboys $2.35
• 4.05pm: St George Illawarra Dragons $tbc v Wests Tigers $tbc

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