Canberra were shock winners in Round 1 but now carry the weight of expectation as a heavy favourite to beat a Wests Tigers game playing their first match of the season.
Best Bet
The betting in the Raiders-Tigers clash is simply astonishing and is a real nod to how badly recency bias can impact wagering.
Both of these teams were forecast to be in the bottom four. The Tigers are on the road here but they are fresh and have far fewer injury or suspension concerns. New coach Benji Marshall has made some very aggressive selection calls that look to be ones made out of confidence. And the Tigers pack at a minimum matches that of the Raiders.
This is just a horrific spot for the Raiders too.
Canberra have covered just 12 of 41 when favoured including 7 of 30 when favoured by at least a try. They are 4-10 ATS as a favourite of a try or more at Canberra Stadium and they have covered just 12 of 38 off a win.
With teams off a 13-plus win in the opening four rounds covering at just 44% since 2008, the Raiders are a huge lay. The Tigers can win this off the stick. The 7.5-point start is a gift.
Same Game Multi
Sebastian Kris has three tries in three games against the Tigers and back to his best position will be a major tryscoring threat.
Solomona Faataape makes his debut after scoring 29 tries in 40 games for the Brisbane Tigers in the QRL.
Value Bet
John Bateman is a nice matchup bet to score a try against his former team. Bateman will be running against Matt Timoko/Albert Hopoate if he gets any width. He scored in one of his two meetings with the Raiders and looks nice value to score this week.
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