NRL Panthers v Dragons tips & best odds – Round 14, 2023

Panthers v Dragons NRL predictions & best bets

Panthers v Dragons NRL R14 match preview

Round 14 of the NRL wraps up on Sunday evening with the league-leading Penrith Panthers hosting the cellar-dwelling St George Illawarra Dragons at BlueBet Stadium.

Penrith’s State of Origin stars have been confirmed to back up from Wednesday’s clash in Adelaide. Outside of them, the Panthers have named Izack Tago and Spencer Leniu in the reserves as possible late replacements for Tyrone Peachey and Lindsay Smith.

The Dragons have named captain and halfback Ben Hunt to start after his Origin win for Queensland. Jack Bird has been listed as ‘rested’ in the casualty ward with Jaydn Su’a named to return in the second row and Billy Burns replacing Ben Murdoch-Masila, who drops back to the interchange with Toby Couchman coming out of the side.

The Panthers have won 10 from 17 against the Dragons in Penrith, including the last three matches by a combined total of 86-60. The Panthers have several Blues players backing up from Origin — led by halfback Nathan Cleary, who has come under scrutiny for the NSW’s loss. Expect the Panthers to make a statement against the Dragons and secure a strong win by 13+ points at $1.70 with BetOnline.

Scott Sorenson has been in sublime form for the Panthers since shifting into the starting second-row position this year. In their last two matches he has carried the ball strongly, defended exceptionally well and provided the type of attacking upside former Penrith back-rower Viliame Kikau possessed.

Sorenson’s best performance was his try-scoring double in the Panthers’ thumping of the Roosters. Should the home side put on a similar performance, Sorenson should find the in-goal area again at some stage in the match ($3.40).

The potential for late changes to this Panthers side only makes them more dangerous. On their best day against sides like the Dragons, Ivan Cleary’s men have proved they can put cricket scores on their opposition — as they did against the Roosters. The Panthers alone could score enough points to cover the 42.5 line for match total ($1.90).

Key matchup: Edwards v Sloan

Dylan Edwards vs Tyrell Sloan

Dylqn Edwards is one of the most underrated fullbacks in the NRL, although he has been mentioned as a possible replacement for James Tedesco in the Blues side for State of Origin. His consistency and workrate are vital to the Panthers’ success. Tyrell Sloan’s biggest issue is those two aspects of his game. The greater the gap between these two players, the greater the margin could be on the scoreboard.

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