Sharks Circling in Sydney
The Cronulla Sharks enter enemy territory favored to win with NRL lines, but they need to turn around a recent loss.
They face the St. George Dragons, who were anything but impressive against the Brisbane Broncos last week, so sport betting odds are right to have 5½ points between them.
Sharks Welcome Easier Opposition
After facing the Rabbitohs, Eels, and Raiders, the Sharks are welcoming a slightly easier game on Sunday.
They lost to the Rabbitohs 27-18 and Raiders 24-20, but they were impressive when beating the Parramatta Eels 30-26, which have since scored an upset win over the Penrith Panthers on Thursday.
The sportsbook has the Sharks at -200 to win, and that price is worth entertaining. They are the better team, but winning on the road is always easier said than done. They have a solid 13-13 record at the stadium, so it’s not as bad as other teams coming into Jubilee Stadium.
That should give the Sharks confidence, and they get their best player back from injury. Nicho Hynes, who won Player of the Year two years ago, is back at halfback, which is a huge bonus.
Coach Craig Fitzgibbon told NRL news that it was only discipline that let them down against the Raiders.
“There’s some discipline in knowing our roles, simply executing your role. That was not disciplined enough there, and when we got it wrong they caught us,” Fitzgibbon said.
“I liked the way we responded, we were a bit behind the eight ball and we definitely went down swinging … we’re fighting hard, we’re swinging, but we’ve got to tune our footy up a little bit.”
Dragons Lacking Heart
The Dragons were ahead 18-10 at halftime against the Broncos last week, but they were outscored 30-0 in the second half.
It’s the lack of heart that makes betting on them tough, and also why Las Vegas odds have them as home underdogs. They are paying +150 to win, and we could make a case for them being longer.
The 40-18 loss was another nail in the coffin for a team that had looked good when beating the Gold Coast Titans 32-18. Consistency has never been there for the Dragons, who only turn up when they feel like it.
This could be one of those weeks, but they have lost their last two games to the Sharks, which doesn’t make for good reading.
Getting Aaron Woods back in the team helps with their go-forward ball, but we don’t think the aging reserve is enough to turn the tide.
Sharks vs Dragons Head-to-Head
The Sharks have a 26-23 advantage over the Dragons, including the last two.
In their most recent meeting, the Sharks prevailed 24-18 at home. Prior to that, they won 36-12 on the road, which is the best form guide for this week.
Sharks vs Dragons Game Information
- Game: Sharks (1-2) vs Dragons (1-1)
- Day/Time: Sunday, March 26th, 3:15 a.m. ET
- Location: Jubilee Stadium, Sydney, NSW
- Sharks vs Dragons Live Stream: RugbyPass
Sharks vs Dragons Betting Lines
Sharks vs Dragons Picks and Prediction
Our NRL picks have the Sharks winning and covering the -5½ spread. We think they are at least 8-10 points better than the Dragons.
After what they showed last week, we can’t back the Dragons until they start showing consistency and a will to win.
The Sharks are listed at -200 in our Vegas Rugby lines. This means that if you wager $100 on Sharks, you have a chance to win $50. The Dragons are +150, offering a chance to win $150 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Sharksa a 66.67% chance to win, with Dragons at 40.00%.
