Penrith Panthers vs Melbourne Storm
25th October 0930hrs
Rugby League – Australia – NRL
Pick Pernith +2 handicap
Bookmaker Bet365
Odds: Even money odds taken 0617 GMT, Thursday, 22nd October
The heavyweight showdown for the finale of the NRL season will be contested on Sunday.
It is Penrith Panthers vs Melbourne Storm NRL betting that we are looking at for the Grand Final.
Everything, perhaps aptly, boils down to a clash between the top two from the minor premiership campaign.
A fascinating contest lies ahead. It is the Melbourne Storm who are the favourites with the bookmakers to secure the match win.
Table of Contents
Penrith Panthers Preview – Can minor premier make the sweep?
The Penrith Panthers finished top of the NRL ladder at the conclusion of the regular season.
It was a phenomenal W18 D1 L1 record that they banked there as well.
Their progress through the knockout bracket however, has seen the Panthers involved in some tight fixtures.
In the Qualifying/Elimination finals, Penrith squeezed past the Sydney Roosters by a 1 point margin only.
Then in the Preliminary Finals last weekend, it was a four-point margin against the South Sydney Rabbitohs for Penrith.
However, those were two tough games that they had to get through just to get reach to the final.
So in that regard, they proved themselves.
But they are the 11/10 underdogs in the match outright of the NRL Grand Final betting 2020* (odds taken 0617 GMT, Thursday, 22nd October).
Penrith have won their last seventeen games, led by their star halfback Nathan Cleary who has shown bags of maturity in this campaign.
During that run they picked up a 21-14 victory over the Storm back in June.
It is the first time that the Panthers have been in Grand Final action since 2003.
They claimed just their second such title on that occasion.
At the end of the regular season, Penrith finished with the second-best offensive and the outright best defensive records.
They may have seen some fine margins in their games recently, but they won’t be bowled over.
A Penrith Panthers -2 handicap in NRL betting is at even money* (odds taken 0617 GMT, Thursday, 22nd October).
Melbourne Storm Preview – Can the Storm call on experience?
While it has been a few years since Penrith were in the Grand final, Melbourne have had more recent visits to the big game.
The Storm have participated in four of the last five NRL Grand Finals, winning one of their last three.
This signals a return to the big game for them for the first time since 20018 when they were defeated by the Roosters.
They are likely going to be sending the same team that got past the Canberra Raiders last weekend in the Preliminary finals.
That was a convincing 30-10 win that the Storm took in that match to get back to the showcase fixture of the season.
Melbourne have won six of their last seven games now.
The only loss in that sequence happened against the Dragons in the final round of action in the regular season.
The Storm weren’t at full strength for that the game.
They bounced back to winning form immediately though by beating the Parramatta Eels in the Qualifying/Elimination round of the bracket, before going on to beat the Raiders.
Don’t miss out on other Betting Tips & Predictions
Click here for more Betting Tips
Melbourne Storm only scored three points fewer than Penrith did across the course of the regular season.
They are the 8/11 favourites to pick up the match win* (odds taken 0617 GMT, Thursday, 22nd October).
So the average points-per-game scored by both of these don’t really offer any clues.
But there was a considerable difference between the two of them in the defensive department.
The Storm conceded an average of 13.8 points per game this season, far inferior to the average of only 11.9 per game that Penrith conceded.
But Melbourne have only lost three games against Penrith since 2006.
Penrith Panthers vs Melbourne Storm Betting Advice
What a cracker of a match we have on our hands here. All of the experience is really with the Melbourne Storm here.
They have been regular Grand Finalists and that has to count for something. They were convincing in seeing off the Raiders in the preliminary finals.
But the Panthers have taken two of the last three in the head to head with Melbourne.
Key Facts – Penrith Panthers vs Melbourne Storm Betting Tip
- Penrith Panthers are on a 17-match winning streak
- Penrith Panthers are in their first Grand Final since 2003
- Melbourne Storm have been to 4 of the last 5 Grand Finals
Penrith have had a much harder route to the final in the bracket than Melbourne have. That accounts for the narrow-margins of success for the Panthers.
But they just keep on trucking.
The massive winning run that they are one, which smashed their club record of 9 consecutive victories, all started with a win over the Melbourne Storm in Round 6.
We still fancy the Panthers to come good as the 11/10 underdogs* (odds taken 0617 GMT, Thursday, 22nd October).
The best betting odds for Penrith Panthers vs Melbourne Storm
Penrith Panthers to win: 11/10 at Bet365
Draw: 16/1 at Bet365
Melbourne Storm to win: 8/11 at Bet365
Penrith Panthers v Melbourne Storm betting tip & predictions for Sunday’s NRL match. Find the latest odds & tips from betting experts.
