Storm vs Eels NRL betting tips & multi odds – Round 3, 2022

Both the Melbourne Storm and Parramatta Eels have had rocky starts to their respective NRL campaigns, but in Round 3 they get a great chance to prove they can be there towards the pointy end. One interesting fact Melbourne will have to overcome is they’ve not beaten the Eels since 2006 without Cameron Smith in the team. The Storm lost four games all year in 2021, and two of them were against Parramatta, who have proven something of a bogey team in the last two years for the Melburnians.

Melbourne are already without Christian Welch, Brandon Smith, Tui Kamikamica and George Jennings, so the news that Harry Grant tested positive to COVID-19 would have had Craig Bellamy thinking, ‘What else can go wrong?’

Tyran Wishart is Grant’s housemate and could also be a late scratching, which would leave the Storm’s hooking depth at an all-time low. They haven’t been able to gain anything like the dominance in the middle that they are accustomed to, and they’ve played without their usual ruthlessness. Two wins from as many starts is about the only thing about this team so far that resembles a traditional Melbourne Storm outfit.

The history of this great club is just about the only reason they are a $1.50 favourite with online bookmakers. Any other club with their form line would be the outsider or at worst, the market would be much closer.

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A good value bet to look towards for the home team is Reimis Smith to score a try anytime at $3.40, having scored in each of the Storm’s last two games against the Eels. Xavier Coates is the first tryscorer favourite at $8 with Sportsbet, and the quirky stat with Coates is he has at least one try in five of his last six games when his team is the betting favourite.

The Eels at $2.60 are fantastic value. The manner in which they lost in Round 2 will have forced Brad Arthur to sharpen his axe a little quicker than he would have liked, but the focus in the group will rise to exactly where it needs to before a big game.

Usually when good teams lose because they try to go for quick fixes and play cute, they regress back to the mean in a dramatic fashion and pour all their energy into defence and one-percent areas. Parramatta have had the wood over the Storm in their most recent performances, so they should be confident in knowing what it takes to break down a Craig Bellamy-coached side.

Mitchell Moses has had terrific moments in both of the Eels games so far this season, and the $7 for him to score a try at any time is a big price that might be a fun one to flirt with.

Another big one to take a look at is Junior Paulo paying $11 in the same market. He scored a vital try in a Round 2 win over the Storm last year, and Reed Mahoney loves hitting his big men with flat passes close to the try line.

Storm vs Eels betting predictions

Parramatta will win a game they realistically should given the players missing for the Storm. Four points looks a likely margin, so Eels 1-12 at $3.75 is well worth a pop.

Storm vs Eels NRL same-game multi

The Eels to win head-to-head with Xavier Coates to score a try adds up to a quick $4.50 return many punters will load up on.

More NRL betting tips