Live betting on NRL can be a bit tricky. There are rules in place from the Australian Government that stop most NRL betting sites from offering live betting online. But, how does that affect you if you are in New Zealand?
Like me, many New Zealand-based punters use Aussie platforms like PlayUp and Palmerbet for NRL betting. These are very good bookies with impeccable reputation and excellent features. Unfortunately, we can’t do live betting on NRL matches on these platforms.
Does that mean it’s impossible to bet live on NRL events? Thankfully, I have a fix for you.
While live betting is not allowed by the Australian gambling regulatory body, rules in New Zealand are different. There is no restriction on betting on sporting events live, so you can bet on live NRL matches as well, if you can find the bets, of course!
There are many international bookies that offer live NRL betting features. Bet365, which I believe is the best NRL betting app overall, is my personal favourite for live NRL bets. You can find the live odds when you head over to the NRL section when a match is going on. And voila - you will see the live odds right there, waiting for you!
Bet365 is not the only platform I would recommend for live NRL betting. I have also used Betway and 22Bet for NRL live betting. Both of them have excellent live betting coverage for NRL, but I found Bet365 to be the most convenient.
Unfortunately, none of these bookies offer live streaming of NRL matches. You can find streams for several sporting events on these sites, but NRL unfortunately, is not under the live streaming coverage in any of these platforms. Bet365 does offer live updates during matches, but that’s not a proper substitute for live streaming.
Live NRL Betting Markets
Here’s a rundown of the most popular in-play markets available during NRL matches:
1. Match Winner (Head-to-Head)
One of the simplest in-play markets where you gamble on the outcome of the game is this one on teams. Events like tries, penalties, or injuries affect the chances all through the game. While the trailing team's odds would lengthen and provide more possible payouts for bettors ready to support a comeback, a team taking an early lead would have lower odds.
- Example: The New Zealand Warriors have odds to win of 4.50 and are losing by six points at half-time. Should you think they can turn things around, you can take a chance on them at these lengthier odds.
2. Next Try Scorer
You gamble in this market about which player will score the next attempt during a game. Every time a try is scored, NRL betting sites quickly shuffle the odds. For punters who know the game well and can forecast which players or teams have momentum during the game, it's a fantastic alternative.
- Example: If a winger has been stopped ahead of the try line quite a few times, you can expect him to score next, and place a live bet accordingly.
3. Total Points (Over/Under)
The total points market lets you wager on whether the cumulative score of both teams will surpass or fall short of a given figure.The pace of the game and the current scoreline could determine how this market swings.
- Example: The first half has seen both teams exercise caution, so the bookies lower the total scores margin. If you believe something will change in the second half, you can wager on over to get high returns.
4. Next Team to Score
This market centres on the team likely to score the next try, penalty goal, or field goal. Field position, possession, and momentum all affect the fast changes in in-play chances. Closely following game flow and team strategies will let bettors use this market to forecast which team would be most likely to score next.
- Example: If one team gets possession close to the try line of the other, their chances of scoring next will decrease; yet, if you are quick, you could grab the chance before the bookmaker moves.
5. Winning Margin
You bet on the final margin of victory for any team in the winning margin market. This market moves constantly in-play depending on the course of the game. Early on if one team leads significantly, the chances for a sizable winning margin could narrow and narrower margins become less likely.
- Example: If a team is ahead by 20 plus points and there is only 15 minutes left to play, the market for a 13+ win for the leading team will get significantly shorter. If you have reasons to believe they will suffer a severe defensive collapse in the final stages, you can bet in favour of a shorter margin win.
6. Handicap Betting (Line Betting)
Though it changes in real-time depending on the current score, in-play handicap betting operates much as pre-match line betting. The bookmaker sets a new handicap; you can gamble on whether the underdog will close the margin or whether the favourite will still win by a margin bigger than the adjusted line.
- Example: If the Sharks are eight points behind by halftime against the Panthers, bookies might adjust the line for Sharks to +13.5 from +11.5. If you believe the Sharks will be able to maintain that margin at full time, you can bet for it. Or, you can wait for better opportunities to arrive post-interval.
7. Half-Time/Full-Time Result
This market lets you gamble on which side would be leading half-time and at full-time. You can put these wagers in-play during the game and watch team performance. If one squad starts slowly but you think they will pick up in the second half, it is especially helpful.
- Example: The Storm are trailing at half-time, but I am pretty confident that they will come out stronger in the second half. So, I would bet on them to win at half-time, even though they are losing halfway through the game.
First Scoring Play
In this market, you bet on what type of score will occur next—whether it will be a try, penalty goal, or field goal. Everytime the scoreboard ticks, this market resets and presents new betting opportunities. Game context, such a team preparing for a penalty goal or late in the game field goal try, changes the probabilities.
- Example: Should a team receive a penalty near the posts, the likelihood of the following score being a penalty goal will decrease; nevertheless, should the play approach the try line, a try is more likely.
Team to Score Last
Who will score the final points in an NRL match? That’s the outcome you need to predict in this particular market. Sounds quite straightforward, but you would need to properly interpret the momentum of the match to get this one right.
- Example: You might gamble on one team to score the last points of the game if the match has just a few minutes left and one team is relentlessly attacking.
Player Performance Bets
Many bookies have in-play player performance markets, in which case you can gamble on particular players to reach particular benchmarks throughout the game. These might comprise markets like "Player X to score a try" or "Player Y to make over 100 metres."
- Example: If a key player has been dominating the game, you might place an in-play bet on them to score a try before the match ends.
