Dragons v Panthers NRL R21 tips & best odds | Sunday, July 28

Dragons v Panthers top picks

Round 21: Dragons v Panthers NRL match preview

The Dragons continue their NRL finals hunt this Sunday as they face the in-form Panthers at WIN Stadium in round 21.

Despite playing at home, St George Illawarra are long outsiders for this clash at $4 with BoomBet. Penrith are just $1.27 with Unibet, with the line set at 11.5 points.

The Dragons have been one of the most inconsistent sides in the NRL, alternating wins and losses over their past five games. Victories over the Broncos, Dolphins and Tigers have shown their quality, while poor performances against the Roosters and Sea Eagles highlight why they are outside the top eight.

With a tough run to finish the season, leading NRL bookmakers are giving St George long odds of $3 to make the finals.

Coming off the bye, Shane Flanagan’s side will be boosted by the return of State of Origin stars Zac Lomax and Ben Hunt. Second-rower Raymond Faitala-Mariner also returns to the side, with Mikaele Ravalawa, Jesse Marschke and Jack Bird all dropping out.

The Panthers continued their excellent season last Sunday, coming from behind to beat the Dolphins by two points. Despite missing most of their Origin players, Penrith overcame a 14-point deficit with just 20 minutes to go, with star halfback Nathan Cleary kicking the winning field goal in golden point.

With four wins from their last five matches, the Panthers have made it through the Origin period in second spot on the NRL ladder. As three-time defending champions, top rugby league bookies have Ivan Cleary’s men pegged as premiership favourites once again at $3.

The Panthers are also set to receive a huge boost this week, with Jarome Luai, Liam Martin, Isaah Yeo and Brian To’o all returning from NSW duty. Paul Alamoti, Luron Patea, Brad Schneider and Matt Eisenhuth make way.

Dragons v Panthers NRL R21 team lists

St George Illawarra Dragons

1. Tyrell Sloan
2. Zac Lomax
3. Mosese Suli
4. Max Feagai
5. Christian Tuipulotu
6. Kyle Flanagan
7. Ben Hunt
8. Francis Molo
9. Jacob Liddle
10. Jack De Belin
11. Raymond Faitala-Mariner
12. Jaydn Su’A
13. Tom Eisenhuth
14. Hame Sele
15. Luciano Leilua
16. Toby Couchman
17. Ben Murdoch-Masila

Penrith Panthers

1. Daine Laurie
2. Sunia Turuva
3. Izack Tago
4. Casey McLean
5. Brian To’o
6. Jarome Luai
7. Nathan Cleary
8. Moses Leota
9. Mitch Kenny
10. James Fisher-Harris
11. Scott Sorensen
12. Liam Martin
13. Isaah Yeo
14. Trent Toelau
15. Lindsay Smith
16. Liam Henry
17. Mavrik Geyer

Dragons v Panthers match predictions

Although the Dragons beat the Panthers back in round 13, it is hard to see them challenging here. With the return of all their Origin stars, expect Penrith to win by 13 or more points at $2 with top Australian betting sites.

As the top defensive side in the NRL this season, three of the Panthers’ last four games have gone under the total points line. Additionally, the Dragons average under 15 points per game against the top eight sides. Each of the last three meetings between these teams has gone below the total points line, so back this match to go under 47.5 at $1.91 with Bet365.

Panthers winger Brian To’o has 11 tries in 14 matches this season, including five in his last three games. He scored a brace when these teams met earlier this season, so back To’o to get over the line once again at $1.75 with top online bookmakers.

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