Eels vs Dragons betting tips & tryscorer picks | Round 5, 2025

Eels vs Dragons NRL R5 best bets

NRL Round 5 preview: Eels vs Dragons

The Eels will be desperate to avoid a 0-5 start to the 2025 NRL season when they host the Dragons at CommBank Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Jason Ryles’ men have battled through a rough opening month, struggling for fluency in attack and leaking an average of 32 points per game.

While Dylan Brown and Dean Hawkins are doing their best to steer the side, the absence of Mitchell Moses has left Parramatta looking disjointed and lacking direction.

In contrast, the Dragons are riding high after a gritty win over the previously unbeaten Storm and seem to be finding form through a settled spine and much-improved defence.

St George Illawarra come into this clash with clear statistical edges — averaging more points, conceding fewer, and boasting a tackle efficiency of 91.3%.

They’ve also shown consistency against the spread in recent road games, while the Eels continue to battle with structure and confidence.

With Clint Gutherson returning to face his old side, the Dragons head to Parramatta as deserving favourites with NRL betting sites.

With both sides leaning towards defence in recent rounds, the top online bookmakers have set the line at 48.5 total points.

Eels vs Dragons Round 5 team news

Parramatta Eels

1. Isaiah Iongi
2. Sean Russell
3. Will Penisini
4. Zac Lomax
5. Josh Addo-Carr
6. Dylan Brown
7. Dean Hawkins
8. Joe Ofahengaue
9. Ryley Smith
10. Junior Paulo
11. Shaun Lane
12. Kitione Kautoga
13. J’maine Hopgood
14. Dylan Walker
15. Luca Moretti
16. Sam Tuivaiti
17. Dan Keir

Dylan Walker makes his club debut off the bench, while Luca Moretti returns to bolster the forward pack. Joey Lussick (thumb) and Charlie Guymer are the notable omissions for Jason Ryles’ struggling side.

St George Illawarra Dragons

1. Clinton Gutherson
2. Tyrell Sloan
3. Moses Suli
4. Valentine Holmes
5. Christian Tuipulotu
6. Kyle Flanagan
7. Lachlan Ilias
8. Toby Couchman
9. Damien Cook
10. David Klemmer
11. Luciano Leilua
12. Jaydn Su’A
13. Jack De Belin
14. Jacob Liddle
15. Blake Lawrie
16. Hamish Stewart
17. Dylan Egan

Toby Couchman replaces the suspended Emre Guler in the front row, with Blake Lawrie returning on the bench. Gutherson lines up at fullback against his former club in a near-unchanged Red V outfit.

Eels vs Dragons NRL Rd 5 betting predictions

The Dragons have found some rhythm after a gritty win over the Storm and bring that defensive confidence into this one. Parramatta, meanwhile, remain winless and are struggling to generate points or consistency. With the Eels conceding over 30 points per game on average, the line for the Dragons offers solid value in what could be another tough day for the hosts.

Lining up against his old side for the first time, Eels recruit Zac Lomax will be eager to leave a mark. The centre has shown glimpses of his attacking spark and will be determined to make his mark in this clash. At $2.50 with BetOnline, he’s a live chance to crash over.

Neither team has lit up the scoreboard in 2025, with the Eels averaging just 11 points per game and the Dragons playing a more conservative, defence-first style. With both sides ranking among the lowest-scoring in the NRL, this clash shapes as a grinding, hard-fought contest. Based on those trends, the under 49 points at BetOnline is the logical play.

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