With sports betting options running close to empty at the moment, we're heading down under for a sport that's wildly entertaining and can be watched on TV.
The National Rugby League will continue play in Australia this weekend despite the coronavirus pandemic that has shut down sports around the globe. Even with other rugby league competitions in Australia being put on hold, the NRL will march into Round 2 regardless of empty stadiums.
If you're a beginner when it comes to rugby league betting, we break down the rules of the game and tell you what your betting options are. We also bring you this weekend's NRL odds and give you some of our favorite bets for Round 2.
WHAT IS RUGBY LEAGUE?
Rugby League is a code of rugby that is highly popular in Australia and in the northern region of England. There are many differences between rugby league and rugby union (the more popular brand of rugby played worldwide), but the overall concept remains the same; a team attempts to move an oval ball up the field by running, passing the ball backwards or kicking, while the opposition attempts to stop them by tackling the ball carrier and forcing turnovers.
The National Rugby League is the highest level of domestic rugby league in the world and features 15 clubs from Australia and one from New Zealand.
RUGBY LEAGUE SCORING
There are four ways to score points in rugby league play. Key numbers when betting rugby league are "6" and "4" which are the amount of points awarded for a try with and without a successful conversion.
Try - Four points are scored by a "try" when the ball is grounded over the goal line of the opposing team.
Conversion - After the try the scoring team is given an opportunity to score two more points by kicking the ball through the goal posts. Unlike the PAT in football, the conversion in rugby must be from a spot directly in line from where the try was scored. That means teams will often try to ground the ball closer to the center of the field so that the kicking angle is easier for the conversion
Penalty goal - After an infringement, the team awarded a penalty can take a kick at goal for two points.
Drop goal - This is worth just a single point but can occur at any time. For a drop goal the ball must be dropped and hit the ground before it is kicked through the goal posts.
WHAT ARE THE RULES OF RUGBY LEAGUE?
There are many rules (or laws) in the rugby league code but the basics are outlined below:
• As opposed to rugby union where there are 15 players aside, each rugby league team has 13 players on the pitch. Each team also has four bench or interchange players that can be substituted at any time, up to a maximum of eight total substitutions a game.
• The ball must be passed backwards.
• The ball may be kicked forwards but only players behind the kicker at the time of the kick are eligible as receivers.
• Players can pass the ball as many times as they like until one of them is tackled. Teams have possession for six tackles or plays, similar to downs in football. On the sixth play, teams often choose to kick the ball down the field, much like a punt. After the sixth play the defending team takes possession.
• When tackled, the ball carrier gets to his feet and plays the ball backwards by foot along the ground to a teammate behind them.
• On defense, teams can only tackle those who are playing the ball. After the tackle is made, the tackler must release the ball carrier. Up to two defensive players may act as "markers" standing directly in front of the tackled player. The rest of the defensive players must retreat 10 metres.
• A scrum, consisting of six forwards per team is formed to re-start play. Scrums are not contested like they are in rugby union so the team which has the "put in" always retains possession.
• Generally if a ball is kicked out of bounds (into touch), possession is given to the non-kicking team. But if the kicker boots the ball from behind his own 40 metre line, it lands in the field of play and then goes out of bounds inside the opponent's 20 metre line, the kicking team retains possession. This doesn't happen very often (there were only four 40/20 kicks in the entire opening round) but can be an absolute game-changer.
• Penalties can be awarded for a variety of instances. Minor infringements (like an accidental forward pass) result in a loss of possession and play is restarted via a scrum. For more serious infractions (such as a high tackle) free kicks can be awarded and the infringing player may be given a yellow or red card.
HOW TO BET RUGBY LEAGUE
Always check with your book but generally all rugby league betting results are graded on 80 minutes of regulation, so extra-time doesn't count. The "golden point" where the first team to score in ten minutes of overtime wins in sudden-death fashion, doesn't count for side or total bets.
Moneyline: The most popular way to bet rugby league is by taking a team to win outright on the moneyline. The favorite will have a negative (-) sign besides the number while the underdog will have a positive (+).
For example, in this weekend's match between the Cronulla Sharks and the Melbourne Storm, the Storm are the favorites at -193. That means that a bettor has to wager $193 to win $100 by betting on Melbourne. The Sharks are listed at +155 which means that a bettor stands to profit $155 for every $100 wagered on them.
If both teams are listed at -110 or PK (for pick'em), then both sides have even odds.
Unlike soccer, rugby league matches rarely go into overtime and therefore betting on a draw is extremely unlikely. In 192 regular season matches last season only nine were tied at the end of regulation.
Handicap: The handicap is the pointspread for the match and gives greater incentive to place your money on a contest that is expected to be one-sided. Betting a favorite on the handicap as opposed to the moneyline will give a better payout, while taking an underdog with the pointspread gives you a better chance of winning than betting on them outright.
For example in the example used above, the handicap has been set at -5.5 in favor of Melbourne. If you bet the Storm at -5.5 you need them to win by at least six points in order to win your bet, and if you put your money on Cronulla at +5.5 you profit if the Sharks either win or lose by fewer than six points.
Totals: Also known as the Over/Under this bet is based on the total amount of points scored in a match. Bettors can wager on the Under if they think the total amount of points scored will be lower than the number given, or bet the Over if they think the points total will be higher.
An average of 39.3 total points were scored in each NRL game last season.
Derivatives: You can also bet on lines for the first half and the first ten minutes of a contest. This is a great way to have some early action in a game and can be a profitable option for bettors who research which teams tend to play better or worse early on in matches.
Prop bets: In addition to derivative betting there are a host of other proposition bets you can make in rugby league play. These include betting on which players will score tries and wagering on whether or not a 40/20 kick will happen during a match.
Live Betting: Another wagering option that can be profitable for sharp bettors. Watching a match can give you a good idea of what direction a game is going. Are both teams keeping the ball in close instead of attacking out wide? Then maybe jumping on the Under is a good idea. Does one team seem to have all the momentum? They might be worth considering on the live in-game spread.
Keep in mind that if you are streaming the match you might be a few seconds behind the live action so consider placing your wagers during a stoppage in play so you don't get burned. All that said, considering what times these games are played it takes a certain kind of East Coast degen to even consider live-betting a match on the other side of the world.
Futures betting: Like other sports, rugby league futures betting allows you to place wagers on the final winners of a tournament, league or award. The Sydney Roosters are currently the favorites to win this year's Grand Final at +350, followed closely by the Melbourne Storm at +450. The Gold Coast Titans have the worst futures odds, with an unlikely Titans Grand Final victory paying out at a whopping +15,000.
NRL ROUND 2 ODDS
| Match Time | Favorite | Line | Underdog | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, March 20, 3 a.m ET | Penrith Panthers (-167) | -4 | St. George Illawarra Dragons (+135) | 38.5 |
| Friday, March 20, 5:05 a.m ET | South Sydney Rabbitohs (-118) | -1.5 | Brisbane Broncos (-104) | 40.5 |
| Friday, March 21, Midnight ET | Canberra Raiders (-477) | -12.5 | New Zealand Warriors (+350) | 42.5 |
| Saturday, March 21, 2:30 a.m ET | Sydney Roosters (-193) | -5.5 | Manly Sea Eagles (+155) | 37.5 |
| Saturday, March 21, 4:35 a.m ET | Melbourne Storm (-193) | -5.5 | Cronulla Sharks (+155) | 36.5 |
| Sunday, March 22, 1:05 a.m ET | Wests Tigers (-110) | -1.5 | Newcastle Knights (-110) | 41.5 |
| Sunday, March 22, 3:15 a.m ET | Paramatta Eels (-250) | -7.5 | Gold Coast Titans (+200) | 41.5 |
NRL ROUND 2 BETTING PREDICTIONS
Canberra Raiders vs New Zealand Warriors
The lone New Zealand team in this competition is at a severe disadvantage after being forced to stay in Australia indefinitely due to the coronavirus outbreak. The Warriors simply aren't good, getting blanked 20-0 last week against Newcastle , and this week they'll be without two starting backs in Patrick Herbert and Peta Hiku who returned to NZ for family reasons after Round 1 and now can't rejoin the team.
Canberra is coming off an impressive 24-6 win over Gold Coast in Round 1 and surprised many by making it all the way to NRL Grand Final last season. This is a very unfortunate position for the Warriors to be in, especially against a tough defensive unit like the Raiders. Take the Under on New Zealand's points total.
Pick: New Zealand team total Under 14.5
Sydney Roosters vs Manly Sea Eagles
This could be the best match of the round but despite talented backs on both sides, including reigning Dally M Medal winner James Tedesco, this may be more of a defensive battle. Manly managed just four points in Round 1, failing to cross the whitewash against Melbourne. The Sea Eagles goal-line defense was terrific for most of the game until the final 20 minutes when they conceded three tries.
The Roosters dropped their first match of the season but are on a mission to win their third Grand Final in a row. They say defense wins championships and Sydney is proof of that, conceding just 14.2 points per match in 24 regular season and three Finals series contests last year. Take the Under.
Pick: Under 37.5
Tigers vs Knights
Benji Marshall was absolutely magical for the Tigers last week despite wet and windy conditions against the Dragons. Marshall scored a try and assisted on two others while kicking three goals.
The Tigers were actually a bit lucky to pull off the win against the Dragons, trailing in the second half by a score of 14-8. They'll have a more difficult time this week and will once again be without halfback Luke Brooks who is out with a calf injury.
The Knights conceded only 1,123 metres last week while keeping the Warriors off the scoreboard. While the Tigers have a 35-year-old great in Marshall, the Knights have one of the brightest young stars in the game in 21-year-old Kalyn Ponga who chipped in with 12 points and a try in Round 1.
Man-monster David Klemmer gives Newcastle the edge in the forwards and home-field advantage won't amount to much without the Leichhardt Oval fans in attendance. Take the Knights on the spread.
Pick: Newcastle +1.5
