Rabbitohs vs Panthers NRL Thursday betting tips – Rd 23, 2022

A grand final rematch kicks off round 23 in the NRL as the South Sydney Rabbitohs host the Penrith Panthers at Accor Stadium this Thursday night.

Three months ago, no one would have predicted the Rabbitohs to be starting favourites over the Panthers. However, a glorious cocktail of circumstances has resulted in a mouth-watering matchup just a few weeks out from finals.

For the first time in what feels like an eternity, the Panthers were held scoreless last weekend as they were beaten in Penrith by the Storm. For the Rabbitohs it was the complete opposite scenario, as they travelled to Parramatta and kept the Eels on nought. Will the Panthers respond this weekend, or will the Rabbitohs keep elevating themselves towards a top-four finish?

The two clubs have met on 38 occasions and the Panthers have won 22 of those games, including eight from the last 10. However, the Panthers have not yet faced this version of Latrell Mitchell. His recent form has been likened to that of Jarryd Hayne in 2009, when he dragged the Eels all the way to a grand final and almost a premiership.

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The Panthers are still without Nathan Cleary, Jarome Luai and James Fisher-Harris – three players that have been the backbone of Penrith’s success. Those absences are clearly reflected in their head-to-head price, which has drifted out even further since Mitchell was named to start for the Rabbitohs. South Sydney are the clear on top pick here; however, it will not be easy, as they’ll extract revenge for the 2022 NRL Grand Final to win this match by 1-12 points.

The Rabbitohs have one of the most lethal left-edge attacks in the NRL, but that side may not be their target come Thursday. Campbell Graham returns to partner Jaxson Paulo on the right edge for the Rabbitohs, and he will be running at Izack Tago and Sunia Turuva, a relatively inexperienced pair defensively on the left for Penrith. Look for heavy traffic on the Rabbitohs’ right edge and expect both Graham ($3.05) and Paulo ($2.50) to score at any time during the match.

Both of these sides are capable of scoring plenty of points. The incredible defensive effort by Melbourne last weekend overshadowed just how good the Panthers were, while the Rabbitohs were better than convincing against the Eels. Defensive efforts will be present in this match, but a total score of more than 41.5 points is not off the cards.

Key matchup: Damien Cook vs Api Koroisau

The battle between these two hookers will be fantastic to watch, as both have been in the NSW side this season and will arguably have the best understanding of how the other best operates. Both players spend roughly an hour on the field, using their ball-playing skills from dummy half and their incredibly strong defence to impact the game on both sides of the ball. The key difference will be who is able to bring his forwards onto the ball and over the advantage line more, creating more ruck speed for his team as well as time and space for the outside backs to score points.

Rabbitohs vs Panthers NRL match prediction

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