St George Illawarra Dragons vs. Cronulla Sharks prediction: Sharks favored to win Sunday's NRL Round 23 matchup [8/9/2026]

The St George Illawarra Dragons and Cronulla Sharks are scheduled to meet in the National Rugby League (NRL) at Jubilee Park on Sunday, starting at 2:05 AM ET.

Dimers' advanced NRL model projects the Sharks as the most likely winner in this Sharks vs. Dragons prediction.

This article offers further insights into Sunday's matchup, including best bets and picks.

Dragons vs. Sharks prediction: Who will win Round 23 game?

Using powerful machine learning and statistical analysis, we have simulated the result of Sunday's NRL game between the Sharks and Dragons, forming part of our NRL predictions coverage.

Our leading predictive model currently gives the Sharks an 84.4% chance of beating the Dragons.

According to our model, the Dragons (+17.5) have a 54.5% chance of covering the spread, while the 48.5-point over/under has a 52.7% chance of staying under,.

Sharks vs. St George odds

We have researched the best NRL odds in America for this game, which are listed here:

• Moneyline: Dragons @ +480 via DraftKings
• Total: Under 48.5 @ -114 via DraftKings

All odds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.

Sharks vs. Dragons picks and best bet

After matching our predictions against the best current odds, we can reveal our picks for each of the major markets in this matchup. Plus, find our best bet for the game below:

• Spread: Dragons +17.5 @ -105 via DraftKings
• Moneyline: Dragons @ +480 via DraftKings
• Total: Under 48.5 @ -114 via DraftKings According to our NRL best bets, the top play to make on this game is Dragons +17.5 at the spread.

These picks are based on our probabilities matched against the implied probabilities from the sportsbook odds.

Dragons vs. Sharks game-day updates and essential details

Sunday's Australian rugby league matchup between the Dragons and Sharks at Jubilee Park is scheduled to commence at 2:05 AM ET.

• Who: Cronulla Sharks vs. St George Illawarra Dragons
• Date: Sunday, August 9, 2026
• Time: 2:05 AM ET/11:05PM PT
• Venue: Jubilee Park

The NRL is available to bet on in the US through all major sportsbooks, with there even being games played in Vegas each season as of 2024.

Conclusion

We predict the Sharks, with an 84.4% win probability, will likely beat the Dragons in Sunday's NRL matchup.

Additional tools and information for betting safely can be found in our Responsible Gambling hub.