Brisbane Broncos vs Sydney Roosters Prediction: Broncos can win Suncorp shootout

Two of the NRL’s most entertaining teams go head-to-head on Friday morning (11:00), as the Brisbane Broncos face off against the Sydney Roosters at Suncorp Stadium.

Both teams have enjoyed positive starts to the season, with just two points separating the fifth-placed Broncos and the Roosters in seventh spot.

A thrilling encounter is expected in Brisbane for this one and home advantage might just see the Broncos claim their sixth win of the campaign.

Team News

Brisbane have been handed a double boost with the news Ezra Mam and Selwyn Cobbo have recovered from finger and shoulder injuries respectively to feature on Friday.

Jordan Riki has suffered a facial cut but is still expected to play, however, there are doubts concerning the fitness of Payne Haas so Ben Te Kura is on standby.

As for the Roosters, the visitors have made several changes from their 60-18 win at the St George/Illawarra Dragons last time out.

Naufahu Whyte comes into the starting lineup, with Sitili Tupouniua on the bench and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves dropping out of the squad due to what head coach Trent Robinson described as an “old man’s injury”.

Winger Daniel Tupou is nursing a knee injury and won’t feature against the Roosters, so Fetalaiga Pauga starts on the flank.

Match Odds

The Broncos are 2/5 favourites - or 71.4% chance - to win on home soil, while the Roosters are 2/1 to come away from Suncorp Stadium with the victory.

A draw on Friday is available at 18/1, while the Broncos to win by a margin of 1-12 points is currently 19/10.

Brisbane Broncos -8 handicap @ 11/10

The Broncos have been outstanding on their own patch at the Suncorp of late, winning all of their past six games.

Keeping the Suncorp a fortress will be key if Brisbane are to go one better than last season’s runners-up spot in the NRL Grand Final.

The Roosters do have a good record against the Broncos but the fact this game is in Brisbane might well be a deciding factor, along with the absence of the experienced Waerea-Hargreaves for the visitors.

Brisbane have a more settled side going into this game and are capable of falling on the right side of the -8 handicap.

Over 41.5 total points @ 4/5

As mentioned, these are two of the best attacking sides in the NRL, which hopefully means an entertaining show on Friday in Queensland.

In three of the last four meetings between these sides in Brisbane, over 41.5 total points would have landed three times and we expect the trend to continue this week.

You can read all our latest Super League Tips at our dedicated Betfred Insights Super League content hub.