Dragons vs Eels Prediction: Dragons to breathe life into their season

The St. George Illawarra Dragons and Parramatta Eels are both outside the play-off spots in the NRL as they prepare to meet at the WIN Stadium in Wollongong on Saturday (08:30am BST, Sky Sports Mix).

Dragons have not won since Round 13 and back-to-back defeats have seen them drop to 10th in the standings. Shane Flanagan's team have amassed 16 points from 15 games and that is only two points more than the Eels, who sit in 15th. The two teams last met in Round 5, with the Eels winning 23-22 after scoring a drop goal in extra-time. Below you can find my Dragons vs Eels predictions.

Team news

St. George will be boosted by the return of wingers Corey Allan and Christian Tuipuloto, with both men recently recovering from hamstring injuries.

Centre Val Holmes is also back after missing the recent 30-18 defeat to the Cronulla Sharks due to his State of Origin commitments.

Dragons forward Jaydn Su'A is also back in contention and in the squad after recovering from an ankle injury.

Parramatta halfback Dylan Brown is back from suspension, meaning Joash Papalii is dropped to the bench.

Jordan Samrani will start in the centres, with Will Penisini starting a three-game ban for a Dangerous Throw, while Ryley Smith drops out of the squad for his own two-match suspension.

Dragons vs Eels Odds

Even though they have lost two games in a row, St.George are the favourites for Saturday's encounter at 4/6. The draw is 18/1, while the Eels are 13/10 to collect the two points.

The Dragons are priced at 1/1 to cover the -4 handicap, while the points line has been set at 46.5, with overs available at 5/6.

Dragons 1-12 points @ 21/10

The Dragons have a point to prove this weekend after a disastrous June so far. Flanagan's team have played one game fewer than some of their rivals, but they have lost their only two matches, conceding 86 points in total.

After losing 56-6 to the Dolphins three weeks ago, St.George showed some fight to only lose by 12 points to the Sharks last time out.

Parramatta ended a run of two defeats by beating the Gold Coast Titans 36-20 last week, but the Titans are the worst team in the NRL after only picking up 12 points in 14 games.

The Eels have lost five of their seven games on the road, and the Dragons should continue to have some joy at home, having won three of their last four home matches.

Under 46.5 Points @ 10/11

While Parramatta should fall short this weekend, it is highly unlikely that they will be outclassed.

The Eels have kept most of their games competitive all season and under 47.5 points has landed in six of their last seven encounters in the NRL.

Two of the last three meetings between the pair have also contained fewer than 47 points and neither team come into this weekend's clash in good form.

You can read all our latest Rugby League Betting Tips at our dedicated Betfred Insights Rugby League content hub.