NRL 2025 Finals Week 2 – Betting Tips, Odds & Predictions

It’s Week 2 of the finals, and the Storm and Broncos are sitting pretty with their feet up this round, while the Raiders will face off against the Sharks, and the Bulldogs come up against the Panthers for a spot in the Preliminary Final. The Warriors and Roosters made their exit from the finals last week.

It’s going to be an epic finals series, so let’s get stuck into some 2025 NRL predictions for all the action!

The Raiders will be looking to bounce back after a difficult loss to the Broncos last time out, after believing they had sealed the game not once, but twice. This time out, they come up against the Sharks, who were able to get the job done against the Roosters in their Elimination Final, 20-10. I would expect the Raiders to name an unchanged side for this clash, and while they may be licking their wounds for a while, I don’t think they’ll let this game slip.

They were up by 16 points with 14 minutes to go, and you just know that Stuart would have given them a talking to about how they let a big lead slip yet again. The Sharks could also name an unchanged side. These two teams faced off against each other in Round 5, and it was the Raiders that got the narrow 24-20 win. This one could be close (the Raiders seem to like it that way), but in the end, the Raiders seem like the more complete team and should progress to the next round.

Bookmaker	Katherine’s Tip	Odds
	Raiders to win	$1.52
	Raiders to win	$1.45
	Raiders to win	$1.56

Predicted Squads

Canberra Raiders - Kaeo Weekes, Savelio Tamale, Matt Timoko, Sebastian Kris, Jed Stuart, Ethan Strange, Jamal Fogarty, Josh Papalii, Tom Starling, Joe Tapine, Hudson Young, Zac Hosking, Corey Horsburgh, Owen Pattie, Simi Sasagi, Morgan Smithies & Ata Mariota

Cronulla Sharks - William Kennedy, Sione Katoa, Jesse Ramien, KL Iro, Ronaldo Mulitalo, Braydon Trindall, Nicho Hynes, Addin Fonua-Blake, Blayke Brailey, Toby Rudolf, Billy Burns, Teig Wilton, Jesse Colquhoun, Oregon Kaufusi, Siosifa Talakai & Briton Nikora

A lot is happening this round, but here are the key factors that will most likely impact your bets:

1. The Raiders suffered a heartbreaking loss last time out against the Broncos, in what many are calling the game of the year. However, they do get the home crowd advantage again in this game against the Sharks.
2. The Bulldogs had the reputation of not being able to beat top-eight teams throughout the regular season, and in the finals, you’re obviously only playing top-eight teams.
3. The Panthers were dominant in New Zealand last time out, and with all their star players healthy, compared to the Bulldogs, who are likely to miss at least Stephen Crichton, it looks like a Panthers win.

Multi of the Week

My multi of the week comes across the two games in Finals Week 2:

The Bulldogs couldn’t get the job done over the Storm in Melbourne last time out, and things go from bad to worse here. Not just because they have to play the Panthers, but because of their injury woes as well. Stephen Crichton, the Bulldogs captain, looks set to miss the rest of the finals series, while Enari Tuala broke his leg, and Viliame Kikau is also in doubt. Bronson Xerri looks set to return after missing the first week of the finals, though.

For the Panthers, there won’t be a lot of changes to their side. They proved way too good for the Warriors last time out in New Zealand, winning 24-8. Now they are back in Sydney, while this is a Bulldogs home game, you would imagine a lot of Panthers fans will also show up. These two teams have played each other twice so far this season, with the Panthers winning 8-6 in Round 17, and the Bulldogs winning 28-4 in Round 26 (when the Panthers rested many players).

Bookmaker	Katherine’s Tip	Odds
	Panthers to win	$1.30
	Panthers to win	$1.29
	Panthers to win	$1.30

Predicted Squads

Canterbury Bulldogs - Connor Tracey, Jethro Rinakama, Bronson Xerri, Jacob Kiraz, Blake Wilson, Matt Burton, Lachlan Galvin, Max King, Bailey Hayward, Josh Curran, Viliame Kikau, Jacob Preston, Jaeman Salmon, Kurt Mann, Sitili Tupouniua, Harry Hayes & Reed Mahoney

Penrith Panthers - Dylan Edwards, Paul Alamoti, Izack Tago, Casey McLean, Brian To'o, Blaize Talagi, Nathan Cleary, Moses Leota, Mitch Kenny, Lindsay Smith, Scott Sorensen, Liam Martin, Isaah Yeo, Brad Schneider, Liam Henry, Isaiah Papali'i & Luke Garner

The finals have arrived for the 2025 NRL season. Just like during the regular season, our NRL betting tips have you sorted for the finals. The BettingTop10 NZ team will provide tips for each and every game during the finals, so make sure you check back with us every week. 

On top of this, we review all the best betting sites NZ, so if you’re looking for NRL betting sites, new betting sites, or more, we’ve got you covered. Our reviews are as comprehensive as they come, taking a deep dive into top betting apps, the free bets available, and we even cover online casinos as well.