Souths have been significant firmers with TAB to beat Melbourne in the opening game of the NRL season on Thursday night.
The Rabbitohs initially opened at $2.25 when the draw was first announced in late November last year, however, have come into $1.95 and are holding nearly as much money as Melbourne are for their encounter at AAMI Park.
Souths will need to overcome an uncanny record by their opponents if they are to get the two competition points. Melbourne have won 18 Round 1 games in a row! On top of that, the Redfern-based outfit has only beaten Melbourne once since 2014.
Souths are also notable movers to win the NRL Premiership this season.
The Bunnies are narrow second picks at $5.50 and only trail Penrith who are gripping on to favouritism at $5.25. In the off season, as much as $6.50 was available for Souths to win their second Grand Final since 1971 but weight of money has seen them come in a point.
Wayne Bennett’s outfit are by far and away the most popular team with TAB customers with money on them accounting for 25 percent of the total investment in the Premiership winner market.
Souths are nearly twice as popular as Canberra ($10) in that regard, with Penrith, Melbourne and the Sydney Roosters next best with very little separating that trio.
In other betting news:
- Manly have drifted from $3 out to $3.40 to beat the Roosters in their Round 1 fixture since news of Tom Trbojevic’s injury surfaced
- Parramatta are holding 75 percent of the H2H money in their clash with Brisbane
- The Roosters command a whopping 95 percent of the early money in their Round 1 match with Manly
- Storm’s Ryan Papanhuyzen ($11) is the best backed player to be Leading Pointscorer. Nathan Cleary ($3.75) is favourite
- Souths ($2.75) are the most popular team with TAB customers in the To Make NRL Grand Final market with 27 percent of the early money
- Stgeorge Ill ($4) and Brisbane ($3.50) are the punters picks to fight out the Most Losses market in 2021. Between them they hold over half the early investment
NRL Round 1 odds (prices in brackets represent opening prices on November 26)
THURSDAY NIGHT
$1.85 Melbourne (opened $1.65)
$1.95 Souths (opened $2.25)
FRIDAY AFTERNOON, 6pm
$1.52 Newcastle (opened $1.40)
$2.55 Bulldogs (opened $3)
FRIDAY NIGHT, 8:05pm
$3.40 Brisbane (opened $2.75)
$1.32 Parramatta (opened $1.45)
SATURDAY AFTERNOON, 3pm
$2.25 Warriors (opened $1.70)
$1.65 Gold Coast (opened $2.15)
SATURDAY AFTERNOON, 5:30pm
$1.32 Syd Roosters (opened $1.40)
$3.40 Manly (opened $3)
SATURDAY NIGHT, 7:35pm
$1.29 Penrith (opened $1.30)
$3.60 Nth Qld (opened $3.50)
SUNDAY AFTERNOON, 4:05pm
$1.33 Canberra (opened $1.30)
$3.35 Wests Tigers (opened $3.50)
SUNDAY NIGHT, 6:15pm
$2.25 St George Ill (opened $2)
$1.65 Cronulla (opened $1.80)
NRL PREMIERSHIP WINNER (current prices) – TAB Odds
$5.25 Penrith
$5.50 Souths
$6.50 Melbourne
$7.50 Syd Roosters
$10 Canberra
$15 Parramatta, Gold Coast
$23 Manly, Newcastle
$29 Warriors, Nth Queensland
$34 Cronulla
$41 Bulldogs, Wests Tigers
$51 Brisbane, St George Ill
MAJOR PREMIERSHIP FLUCTUATIONS SINCE 2020 GRAND FINAL
- Bulldogs $67 into $41
- Canberra $10 after 2020 Grand Final; as much as $12 and now into $10
- Penrith $4.50 out to $5.50
- Souths $6 out to as much as $6.50; now into $5.50
- Syd Roosters $6 after 2020 Grand Final; into $5.25 and now out to $7
- Gold Coast $19 into $15
- Melbourne $6.50 out to as much as $7.50; now back into $6.50
BIG BETS ON PREMIERSHIP WINNER (selected teams)
PENRITH
$4,400 @ $5.25 (taken on Mar 6)
$1,200 @ $5 (taken on Mar 2)
$1,000 @ $5 MULTIPLE TIMES (taken on Feb 5, Feb 25, Mar 2)
$1,000 @ $4.50 (taken on Nov 11)
CANBERRA
$4,418 @ $12 (taken Dec 14)
$1,000 @ $11 (taken Feb 22)
$1,000 @ $10 (taken Mar 2)
MELBOURNE
$1,000 @ $7.50 (taken on Nov 19)
$1,000 @ $7 (taken on Mar 6)
$2,000 @ $6.50 (taken on Jan 27)
$1,000 @ $6.50 (taken on Feb 11)
SOUTHS
$5,000 @ $6 (taken on Feb 16)
$1,500 @ $6 (taken on Feb 6)
$1,000 @ $6 MULTIPLE TIMES (taken on Feb 22, Feb 25)
$1,000 @ $5.50 (taken on Mar 1, Mar 3, Mar 7)
SYD ROOSTERS
$5,075 @ $7 (taken on Mar 7)
$1,560 @ $6 (taken on Dec 16)
$1,000 @ $6 (taken on Jan 27)
WARRIORS
$2,768 @ $29 (two separate bets combined from the same customer – taken on Mar 2 & 4)
$1,747 @ $23 (taken on Jan 13)
$2,200 @ $21 (taken on Jan 7)
$1,705 @ $21 (taken on Jan 10)
PARRAMATTA
$4,600 @ $15 (taken on Dec 10)
$1,000 @ $15 (taken on Mar 5)
NRL MOST LOSSES – TAB Odds
$3.50 Brisbane
$4 Stgeorge Ill
$5.25 Bulldogs
$7 Wests Tigers
$8 Cronulla
$19 Manly, Nth Queensland, Warriors
$23 Newcastle
$29 Gold Coast, Parramatta
$41 Canberra
$81 Melbourne, Souths, Syd Roosters $81
$101 Penrith