Rabbitohs vs Eels Preview by Dean McHugh

Even at this early stage of the season, it feels that both these teams are playing for pride rather than building towards a shot at the playoffs. Granted, the Eels are a couple of wins away from being in contention but not even a die hard Parramatta fan could even convince me they have a realistic chance.

Both teams don’t know how to defend, so expect plenty of points as the team with the worst defensive record in the NRL battles the team with the second worst record. Most of both these teams’ games this season has gone over the points total set by the bookmakers and this one should be no different. History also favours the scoreboard taking a beating as four of the last six games between them has gone over the total too.

Bet – Overs in the Totals Market

Looking at the defensive struggles outlined in Dean’s preview, this clash shapes up as a genuine loose, high-scoring shootout. When you have the two leaky backlines matching up, traditional structures usually go right out the window, leaving plenty of room for creative attacking players to exploit the gaps.

Recent head-to-head history heavily backs up this trend. These two sides love to trade blows rather than grind out low-scoring affairs, making the overs a very logical angle. Tracking the current NRL tournaments form, both squads have struggled to find consistent footy, but they still pack enough point-scoring punch to punish poor positioning.

For punters digging into the latest NRL betting odds, the line for total match points is going to be the major talking point leading up to kick-off. Factoring in the lack of defensive grit on both sides, sneaking a look at the alternative total markets could offer some value if the game opens up early. Our NRL Expert Tips lean towards a frantic affair where the last team with the ball might just steal it. Keep a close eye on the late mail and team changes before locking in your NRL Betting Tips.