Penrith Panthers vs Melbourne Storm Predictions: 9/2 for champs to take over at the summit

One of the biggest games of the NRL Premiership regular season takes place on Thursday when the reigning-champion Penrith Panthers host the league-leading Melbourne Storm at BlueBet Stadium (10:50 BST, 19:50 local, live on Watch NRL).

The Panthers are in terrific form, having won five straight games to move within two points of the summit, and they could go top if they pick up a win here. And my Penrith Panthers vs Melbourne Storm predictions foresee that happening...

Penrith Panthers vs Melbourne Storm Odds

As the champions and form team, Penrith go off at 8/15 favourites, with Betfred offering 8/5 on a Storm victory. It’s 18/1 for this one to go to golden-point extra-time.

Meanwhile, Betfred have a price boost in this one, with the Panthers to win and over 43.5 total points to be scored in the match now available at 5/2, boosted from 2/1.

Team News

Panthers boss Ivan Cleary has to go without Jesse McLean, Scott Sorensen and Liam Martin, but Dylan Edwards is the star name among those back in contention this week.

Daine Laurie is set to continue at full-back, with Edwards named among the reserves, while James Fisher-Harris is another not slated to start just yet as Penrith look to time their players’ returns perfectly ahead of play-off season.

Eliesa Katoa comes back in for the Storm after a knee injury, with Tui Kamikamica moving to the bench to make way in a reshuffle that will see Trent Loiero switch to lock and Nelson Asofa-Solomona revert to the front row.

Craig Bellamy is without Joe Chan, Young Tonumaipea, Christian Welch, Xavier Coates, Bronson Garlick and Jonah Pezet.

Rugby League Odds

Panthers to win and over 43.5 total match points @ 5/2 (Price Boost from 2/1)

The last couple of times I’ve been tempted by the Price Boost it hasn’t quite come off, but this one is definitely worth a shout.

Penrith just know how to build a champion campaign, and they look particularly strong at this point in the season. They’re coming into this one off the back of five straight wins, and while the Storm have been the outstanding team in the comp until now, there is something foreboding about the Panthers.

The 5/2 odds imply a 28.6% chance of Penrith coming out on top in a high-scoring encounter, and I can see the champions making a huge statement a few weeks out from the finals beginning.

Panthers by 6-10 points @ 9/2

Although there ought to be points in this, I don’t see the Panthers coming home with a huge advantage.

Of their 15 victories this season, 10 of them have been earned by 10 points or fewer, and it is their ability to do just enough that sets them apart from the rest of the competition.

I can see that happening again at BlueBet on Thursday, with the big-game players against pulling the Panthers past the finishing post.

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