The Storm may be undermanned but have the class to run up a score again on the hapless Tigers.
Best Bet
Melbourne Win/Over 46.5 ($2.30)
Big early-season home underdogs have historically been gold standard plays but they have fallen by the wayside in recent years and it would take a game bettor to bet against Craig Bellamy and the Melbourne Storm in Round 1.
Bellamy has been at the Storm for just shy of two decades and has never lost in Round 1. The Storm have plenty of well-publicised outs including Cameron Munster and Harry Grant but this Melbourne side remains very strong. What has received far less coverage is what an abysmal side the Tigers are set to roll out. They look fragile in defence and without points in them.
The Storm have won six of eight against the Tigers and put 50-plus on them in each of the last two. That brings the over well into play here. Melbourne were a true attacking juggernaut last year and both teams are in big over spots here. The over is 15-10 when Melbourne are double digit interstate favourites while it is 13-4 when the Tigers play at CommBank.
Same Game Multi
Xavier Coates 2+ Tries/Jahrome Hughes Try ($11.00)
Xavier Coates has never stripped fitter since joining the Storm and good judges expect him to score plenty this year as the new top target.
Jahrome Hughes has scored three tries in two games against the Tigers.
Value Bet
Brandon Smith First Tryscorer ($15.00)
Brandon Smith became a surprise tryscoring phenomenon last year when he scored 11 tries. In one hot stretch he scored in seven of eight games. Most notably last year is that nine of his tries came against teams that missed the Top 8. He takes advantage of bad teams through the ruck and the Tigers are very much a bad team.
