Panthers vs Eels FW1 betting tips & top odds – 2022 NRL Finals

Finals football for the 2022 NRL season kicks off with the defending-premier Penrith Panthers taking on the Parramatta Eels at BlueBet Stadium this Friday night.

There has been controversy surrounding which stadium should host this match, but it’s no shock to see the game being held in Penrith with the stadium selling out before team lists are even named.

The Eels come into this having won four of their last five games, including huge wins over the Bulldogs and Broncos before putting the cue in the rack against the Storm last weekend.

For the Panthers, they have suffered two losses in their last five games; however, one of those came at the hands of a red-hot Storm side, while the other came last weekend when fielding a reserve-calibre side against the Cowboys in Townsville.

All the big stars are back for the Panthers this week, but will that be enough to book themselves a week off? Or will the Eels get their third win in three games against the Panthers in 2022?

The Panthers have named a host of stars to come back from both rest and suspension, including Dylan Edwards, Jarome Luai, Nathan Brown and Apisai Koroisau. The Eels have the privilege of naming an unchanged lineup from the side that beat the Storm last weekend.

Over the journey, this western suburbs battle has been one of the closest rivalries in the NRL. In 47 clashes, Penrith have won on 24 occasions. Most notably, the Panthers have been beaten by the Eels in their two matches this season. However, their last post-season match was in the semi-finals last season, where the Panthers won by two points in a highly controversial finish to the match.

Prior to this season, the unbeaten streak the Panthers had at BlueBet Stadium was enormous. With all their stars coming back fresh and firing, they’re definitely the ones to beat in Penrith. However, the Eels will be expected to put up a fight and make it a close match. The Panthers will still win, but by a margin of 1-12 points, which pays $2.75 at Marantelli Bet.

Taylan May has enjoyed one of the great rookie seasons. Sitting on the left edge outside of Izack Tago and Viliame Kikau, May has found himself on more than one occasion in plenty of clear air and finding the corner. That space is created by the great running games both Tago and Kikau have, as well as the ability Jarome Luai has to hold up the pass and force opposition defences to move early. It’s the defensive edge of Waqa Blake and Tom Opacic that will be targeted, and May is almost a lock to score at any time in the game at $1.95.

Much like the semi-final in 2021, this game will be won on defence. In addition, there is horrendous weather predicted for Penrith on Thursday and Friday leading up to this match. The wet weather will play a huge role in the difficulty to score points, keeping the total match points below 40.5 at $1.90.

Key matchup: Nathan Cleary vs Mitchell Moses

The matchup of these two halfbacks will be the clear defining point of this match. Nathan Cleary is coming back from a five-week suspension, meaning he may not be at 100% for a majority of this match. Mitch Moses is battle hardened and has become one of the more well-rounded halfbacks in the NRL. With the wet weather predicted, it’ll be the kicking games of these two that will be on show. Whoever makes life more difficult for the opposition back three to bring the ball out of their own end will surely win the field position battle and go a long way to winning this match.

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