Trans-Tasman Showdown
NRL lines expect a one-sided affair between the New Zealand Warriors vs Sydney Roosters on Friday night.
The Roosters were embarrassed in the opening week when losing to the Dolphins. The Warriors scored a good win against the Knights, but this will be much harder.
There are 14½ points between them with sports betting markets.
Warriors Bouyed By Win
The Warriors weren’t expected to play well this year, but after posting a win over the Knights, their confidence levels should have risen.
It wasn’t the best game to watch in terms of quality, but getting on the board early is important for the Kiwi outfit.
However, now they face a wounded Roosters team, against which they typically struggle. The Warriors, for whatever reason, haven’t played well recently against the Roosters despite owning a winning record overall.
Las Vegas NRL odds aren’t giving them much respect at +14½. It’s a big number given their Round One performances, so bettors could find value with the Warriors.
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad leads the Dally M Medal count following his excellent performance at fullback. He was steady at the back, but we need to see a better performance from former Golden Boot winner Shaun Johnson.
Johnson was aimless with his kicking at times, so if the Warriors want to beat the Roosters, or at least cover the spread, Johnson needs to show his best form.
Roosters Ready to Roost
NRL news suggests the Roosters didn’t come prepared for the underrated Dolphins in the opening week.
They were favored by 16½ points and lost 28-18. It was one of the worst performances we have ever seen from the Roosters, who were one of our preseason picks to win.
We’re prepared to give them some leniency given that it was the first week. They understand that they must improve to be taken seriously.
With a roster valued at $4 million more than the Dolphins, the Roosters are in danger of becoming an underperforming side, similar to the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL.
“It’s dangerous practice when you hear players speaking about: ‘We’ve got the best roster in the competition’ and that’s what I heard from some of the Roosters players over the summer,” Queensland coach Billy Slater said.
“They got a real reality check. They were totally outplayed, and outplayed in the effort areas of the game.”
The sportsbook has the Roosters at -700 to win outright. That’s on the short side, but they could be included in NRL parlays for the weekend.
Warriors vs Roosters Head-to-Head
The Warriors have a 21-20 lifetime advantage over the Roosters, but they have been well-handled in recent times.
The most recent loss was a 22-14 effort in April, which followed a 32-12 defeat in 2021. Those losses came on the road, where the Warriors typically struggle.
Warriors vs Roosters Game Information
- Game: Warriors (1-0) vs Roosters (0-1)
- Day/Time: Friday, March 9th, 11:00 p.m. ET
- Location: Allianz Stadium, Sydney, NSW
- Warriors vs Roosters Live Stream: RugbyPass
Warriors vs Roosters Betting Lines
Warriors vs Roosters Picks and Prediction
Our NRL picks have the Roosters winning and covering the spread. It’s a big line to cover, but the Warriors aren’t a team to follow in Sydney.
We expect a much better Roosters outfit in Round Two, so they should score a comfortable win.
Sydney is listed at -700 in our Vegas NRL lines. This means that if you wager $100 on the Roosters, there’s a chance to win $14. New Zealand is +400, offering a chance to win $400 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Sydney an 87.50% chance to win, with the Warriors at 20.00%.
