Parramatta Eels vs Penrith Panthers
12th June 1055hrs
Rugby League – Australia – NRL
Pick Panthers +6
Bookmaker Bet365
Odds: Even Money odds taken 02:02 GMT on Thursday, June 11th
The Eels are the ladder leaders with a perfect record this season. They are the only ones in the NRL to have managed that during this campaign.
Will they be able to keep their positive momentum going as they have a tough game on their hands on Friday? They take on the Panthers who have only dropped the one point this term.
Table of Contents
Can the Eels take out a key challenger?
It is first versus third from the NRL ladder in this one. This is the big game of the weekend. The Eels are leading the way after making it four wins from four with a success over the Sea Eagles last weekend.
That added to their wins over the Bulldogs, Titans and Broncos. It’s not just the wins that they have put on the board, they have been so solid in defence, by and large as well.
There have only been 30 points conceded by the Parramatta Eels this season, the league-best. So that is a huge asset that they have and they are also the third-highest scorers.
So it is just positive wherever you look for the Eels at the moment. They did almost let it slip against the Manly Sea Eagles last weekend, however.
Their opponents scored a perfectly good match-winning try only for it to be wrongly wiped out for a forward-pass judgement. That will have rattled the Eels a bit.
There is not too much going on in the team news for Parramatta who are aiming to go 5-0 from the start of the season for the first time since 1986.
Nathan Brown comes in at lock to replace Marata Niukore and that’s about it for the starting line up.
With such a good thing going in a high-pressure game against their western opponents, the consistency in the line up is a good thing for the Eels.
The two clubs traded away wins during the last campaign.
Can the Panthers sting the Eels?
The Penrith Panthers have won five of the last seven meetings with their fellow Sydney side, Parramatta. They steadied the ship last weekend in producing a superb win.
That was a 26-0 thrashing of the Warriors to move them on to a W3 D1 record for the campaign.
The only dropped points so far came in a 14-14 draw against the Newcastle Knights, in which Panthers were short of men and 14-0 down at one point.
So they are a side with great character and they get Nathan Cleary back into the halves as well. What impact will the playmaker have on this game? They need something big from him.
Don’t miss out on other Betting Tips & Predictions
Click here for more Betting Tips
One big difference between the two teams is that the Panthers have conceded twice as many points per game on average as the Eels. How telling will that be?
There’s nothing to split them really in terms of scoring threat, the Eels just shading that. So this looks as if it is going to be a cracking match up for some big bragging rights.
Parramatta Eels vs Penrith Panthers Betting Advice
This is the battle of the West and the unbeaten records of both are on the line. Both were in great shape last weekend and it’s hard to split them up, so the narrow handicap has to be considered.
The Panthers have their weapons. The return of Nathan Cleary is not going to disrupt them at all and this is the kind of game where 2nd row Viliame Kikau, an unstoppable powerhouse, could be a key player.
Key Facts – Parramatta Eels vs Penrith Panthers Betting Tip
- Parramatta Eels are P4 W4 this season in the ladder
- Parramatta Eels have league’s best defensive record
- Penrith Panthers have won 5 of the last 7 against the Eels
But for us, it is the defence of the Eels that is just likely to get the job done in this fixture. They have been superb in that area, particularly Dylan Brown who has put in some big shifts.
None of the last nine meetings have featured more than a 10-point margin at the final whistle. Penrith have covered a +6 in all but two of their last eight against the Eels.
That is a bold even-money punt for a Penrith +6 this time that we will plump for* (betting odds taken at 03:52 GMT on Thursday, June 11th 2020)
The best betting odds for Parramatta Eels vs Penrith Panthers
Parramatta Eels to win: 9/20 at Bet365
Draw: 20/1 at Bet365
Penrith Panthers: 7/4 at Bet365
