NRL punters are banking on the two favourites to progress to next week's grand final qualifiers, with the New Zealand Warriors and Melbourne Storm backed as if unbeatable.
The Warriors host the Roosters in Auckland tonight and the embattled Brisbane Broncos are at home against the Storm tomorrow night.
"Our punters are very keen on the favourites to win, and there has been plenty of multis on them both to cover the line," said Sportsbook.com.au's Larry Hawke.
The Warriors are conceding 3.5 points' start with Sportsbook.com.au, while Melbourne are giving away 4.5 points and have won seven of their last eight against Brisbane - including the last three at Suncorp Stadium.
TAB Sportsbet's Glenn Munsie reported a similar pattern, although his punters are mainly backing the Warriors and Storm to win.
"The money has been running four to one in favour of the Warriors at the $1.60 in head-to-head … it's pretty much the same on the Storm at the $1.55, while there was a bet of $10,000 on them to win by 13-plus."
In premiership betting, Alan Eskander of Betstar.com.au said the Storm's shock last-start loss against the Warriors has resulted in their being at $2.65 elects now after as much as $3.05 was bet on Monday. Manly have been backed into $2.85. Eskander added that the controversy surrounding the Broncos hasn't affected their place in the market.
Munsie said Melbourne were the subject of a $20,000 bet to win the grand final at $3.25 earlier this week, while the Warriors have been popular at $15. He added Cronulla had been popular at $6.50 until news of five-eighth Brett Seymour's injury came to light. Bookies braced Hamish Davidson's Sportsbetting.com.au has been inundated with punters taking the short odds-on offer about a Geelong-Hawthorn grand final in the AFL and can't see any other match-up for next weekend.
"Geelong and the Hawks have been the major forces all season and if they meet in the grand final it won't be pretty for bookmakers," said Davidson. "I'm clinging to the hope of a huge upset this weekend by either the Western Bulldogs or St Kilda."
Centrebet's Neil Evans said the Geelong-Western Bulldogs clash is threatening to become the most lopsided preliminary final, in terms of betting, in AFL history.
"It's crazy, and I almost feel sorry for the Dogs," he said. "Punters climbed into the Cats at $1.12 as soon as the gun went off, with nearly $50,000 arriving in a range of bets. Even pushing the Dogs to $7.25 couldn't attract a decent-sized bet. And don't think punters won't launch into the -40.5 line for Geelong at $1.92. This team is the best conqueror of big margin lines I've seen."
Evans added that Gary Ablett has been a heavily-backed $2.20 favourite to win the Brownlow Medal.
Sportingbet Australia's Michael Sullivan said the short odds-on offer about Geelong hadn't worried his clients either, with the Cats backed in from $1.14 to $1.11.
"We've had bets of $45,000 at $1.14, $50,000 at $1.13 and $30,000 at $1.12 and there's plenty of money at the -39,5 line," said Sullivan. "The punters think this preliminary final is a foregone conclusion."
Munsie said AFL flag betting had been brisk, with a TAB Sportsbet punter having $9000 on the Cats to win at $1.33. Buccaneer spirit TAB Sportsbet's NFL punters continue to invest heavily, but week-three interest is restricted to one team. "Tampa Bay - against Chicago - are the only ones they want this week," said Munsie. "We've taken bets of $15000 at $2.50 on Tampa Bay to win the match along with $18,000 and $5800 at $1.85 on the Buccaneers with 3.5 points' start." THE BEST BET Brisbane to win against Melbourne at $2.50 with Sportsbook.com.au.
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