Early Struggles for Both Clubs
The Melbourne Storm and Wests Tigers are desperate for success after just one win between them.
NRL lines have the Storm as firm favorites as they welcome back Cameron Munster, who could be the recipe for their success.
The Tigers have a poor record against the Storm, so sport betting markets look to have the line accurate.
Tigers Not Matching Up
The Tigers have had an easy start to the 2023 NRL season. They faced the Titans, Knights and Bulldogs, losing all three.
They have yet to face a playoff-bound team so being 0-3 is a disastrous start, but not an unexpected one.
The Tigers have been awful for many years, and they’re close to being out of the NRL altogether. However, a win over the Storm would create NRL news, and they are being given some respect at the sportsbook.
We thought bookmakers would have the Tigers around +12, so only getting +8½ isn’t a value line.
It takes a brave bettor to have the Tigers on their ticket, and although they fought back to lose 26-22 against the Bulldogs last week, they were never at the races from the outset.
Getting John Bateman back from Super League could help them, but his fitness could come into question.
“It’s pretty hard. Different people play differently. I play a lot differently to people so it’s about understanding people,” Bateman said. “That’s the hard thing. I’ve just been acclimatizing and getting used to it. I don’t know any of the boys or the plays. I was still a bit scratchy, understanding what we are doing.”
Storm Underperforming
It’s not easy to lose your best player, but the Storm underperformed without Munster on the field.
He returns from a fractured wrist for this game, and although he might be getting rushed back, having him on the field is a good thing.
Online gambling markets have taken his inclusion and adjusted accordingly. He is good enough to guide the Storm to a comfortable victory, which is often the case when they play the Tigers.
With only one win from three games, which came against the Eels 16-12 in the opening round, pressure is on the Storm. They looked horrible when losing to the Bulldogs and Titans, which was not Storm-like rugby.
Coach Craig Bellamy doesn’t often lose three consecutive games, so expect a well-drilled team on Friday.
Storm vs Tigers Head-to-Head
The Storm have a dominant 23-12 record against the Tigers, including a 26-16 road win when they met in 2022.
The meeting prior in 2021 was a 66-16 win to the Storm, so recent memories aren’t good for the Tigers.
Storm vs Tigers Game Information
- Game: Tigers (0-3) vs Storm (1-2)
- Day/Time: Friday, March 24, 3:00 a.m. ET
- Location: AAMI Park, Melbourne, VIC
- Tigers vs Storm Live Stream: RugbyPass
Storm vs Tigers Betting Lines
Storm vs Tigers Picks and Prediction
The Tigers are almost impossible to bet on with confidence, so we’re taking the Storm to win and cover the spread.
They are the better team by far, and despite losing their last two games, they get their best player back, and that should make all the difference. Include the Storm in your NRL picks.
Storm is listed at -350 in our Vegas NRL lines. This means that if you wager $100 on the Storm, there’s a chance to win $29. Tigers is +225, offering a chance to win $225 on a $100 wager. The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Storm a 77.78% chance to win, with the Tigers at 30.77%.
