Eels v Sea Eagles NRL betting tips & multi picks – Rd 16, 2023

Eels v Sea Eagles NRL predictions & best bets

Eels v Sea Eagles R16 match preview

Super Saturday NRL action continues in Parramatta with the Eels hosting the Manly Sea Eagles at CommBank Stadium. Both sides are coming off impressive round 15 wins, who will bring more confidence and better form into this match?

The Eels have lost Junior Paulo and Mitchell Moses to the Blues camp for State of Origin game two. Ryan Matterson will return from injury at five-eighth with Daejarn Asi moving to halfback after a brilliant club debut against the Bulldogs, while Joe Ofahengaue returns from injury on the interchange bench.

The Sea Eagles have lost Tom Trbojevic and Daly Cherry-Evans to Origin duty, with Kaeo Weekes moving to the fullback role. Former Eel Jake Arthur will start at halfback in his first game back at Parramatta since leaving the club.

The Sea Eagles’ record at CommBank Stadium is not flattering, but this weekend shapes to be different. The Eels are playing with a brand-new halves pairing, while the Manly side is far more stable. Coming off the back of their 40-point win over the Dolphins, the visitors are a great value play at $2.45 with BetOnline.

Jason Saab’s try-scoring double against the Dolphins showed just how dangerous he can be when his opposition winger ‘jams in’. Simple ball movement by the Sea Eagles to Reuben Garrick with time and space should force Eels winger Sean Russell to come from his wing, creating space for Saab to find the corner. The Manly speedster will not need much space or time to score a try on Saturday evening ($2.08).

The hat-trick of tries to Garrick and a double for Tolutau Koula will have the Eels defensive line on high alert, which will only create chances for players attacking on their inside. Josh Schuster has scored just four tries in his short NRL career and the last time he did score was against the Raiders in round 12. On that day, Schuster was in incredible touch, recording a further three try assists. The overcompensation of defensive efforts on players like Garrick and Koula should see Schuster score a try at any time during the game ($4.90).

The losses of Moses, Cherry-Evans and Trbojevic for these two sides will drastically change the ability these two sides have to complete their sets and attacking plays correctly. All three players have arguably been the best for their respective sides and their losses should be clearly reflected in the scoreboard. Look for this to be a low-scoring game with fewer than 43.5 total points on the board ($1.90).

Key matchup: Hopgood v Keppie

J’maine Hopgood vs Sean Keppie

The role these two lock-forwards play on Saturday evening will be crucial to their sides success. The modern lock is the ‘link man’ in the middle between the halves, playing a key role in shifting the ball laterally in attack. The balance and execution of this role, along with their ability to gain metres and make tackles in the middle, could be the defining factor between these two sides.

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