NRL Betting Tip: Missing players points to low scoring clash between Melbourne Storm and North Queensland Cowboys
Recommended bet: Total Points – Under 36.5 @ 9/10 (1.90) with Sportsbet
Top of the table Melbourne Storm will be looking to cement their four point lead over the chasing pack as they welcome the North Queensland Cowboys to AAMI Park on Saturday evening in this Round 15 clash.
This is a game that will be heavily impacted by State of Origin II, with both teams missing a number of key players. For their part, the Storm are missing Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk, Cameron Smith, Will Chambers and Tim Glasby, whilst the Cowboys will be without Johnathan Thurston, Michael Morgan, Gavin Cooper and Coen Hess.
In addition, the Storm will also be without the injured duo of Jordan McLean and Cheyse Blair after they picked up injuries in last week’s win over Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.
The Storm have won the last three Premiership meetings between the two teams, including a 16-10 victory in last year’s Qualifying Finals. All three of the aforementioned games have been low-scoring affairs, with the Storm scoring no more than 16 points in each of their three wins. Six of the last seven matches between the two teams have amassed 35 points or less.
Given the absence of so many star players from both teams, it makes selecting a match result here more difficult than it might otherwise have been. As a result, it might pay to look at alternative markets when looking for a bet in this one.
With so many players missing from both teams and a recent history of low-scoring encounters between the two teams, this has the look of another game where points could be at a premium. Even taking into account their missing players, it’s still worth taking into account that the Storm are particularly solid defensively at AAMI Park, where they have conceded an average of just 11 points per game this term.
On the downside for the Storm, they will be missing a lot of experience and they look short of key attacking options.
Taking all that into account, the 9/10 (1.90) with Sportsbet on a Total Points tally of Under 36.5 in the match looks a decent bet.
