St George Illawarra Dragons vs Melbourne Storm Prediction: Back-to-back wins on the cards for Storm at 2/1

Following a golden-point defeat under the bright lights of Las Vegas, the St George Illawarra Dragons return to Australian soil in the NRL Premiership on Saturday when they host the Melbourne Storm at Win Stadium (17:30 local, 06:30 GMT, Watch NRL).
The Storm blasted through the Parramatta Eels first up, and many see them as huge favourites to win the comp in 2026. My St George Illawarra Dragons vs Melbourne Storm predictions are below, alongside full team news and Betfred’s match odds.
St George Illawarra Dragons vs Melbourne Storm Betting Tips
*odds correct at time of publishing
St George Illawarra Dragons vs Melbourne Storm Odds
The Red V are not fancied to get off the mark following their 15-14 reverse to the Bulldogs in Nevada two weeks ago.
Shane Flanagan’s side are 2/1 for the win against the Storm, while Melbourne can be backed at 4/9 to get the job done in 80 minutes. It’s 16/1 about the draw.
The Storm give up 8.5 points on the two-way handicap market and are 10/11 to overcome the difference. St George can be backed at 5/6 to make the most of the two-score advantage.
Team News
The Dragons have a familiar look about their side, with Blake Lawrie coming in for Mat Feagai on the bench in the only change from the 19 which went down to the Bulldogs.
Moses Suli and Setu Tu are both now clear of niggling issues and are named in the outside backs.
Alec MacDonald is out due to concussion, with Melbourne boss Craig Bellamy including Tui Kamikamica at lock in his absence.
Jack Hetherington is added as a substitute following his return from suspension. Meanwhile, Shawn Blore is back from an ankle injury and has been listed as one of the three reserves.
Storm by 1-12 @ 2/1
Melbourne were ultra-clinical in their 52-4 win over the Eels in Round 1, and while they won’t score a half-century every week they definitely served notice to the rest of the country.
The Dragons gave it a real go at Allegiant Stadium against the Bulldogs, but can they really deliver a similar threat to the Storm?
Going up against the likes of Cameron Munster, Harry Grant and Jahrome Hughes, much of the attention will be on Damien Cook, Kyle Flanagan and Daniel Atkinson to step up in the six, seven and nine roles. Meanwhile, Clint Gutherson will have to be on it out the back.
I just like the look of the Storm outside backs too much to tip a Dragons win, and I think Melbourne take this by a couple of scores.
Odds correct at time of publishing.
Dragons Under 17.5 Points @ 11/10
While Parramatta broke through early when down to 12 at AAMI Park, as soon as the Storm got ahead they simply refused to let up.
Defensively, they were on the top of their game, and anything approaching a repeat of that should see them keep St George down to three scores or fewer.
The 11/10 odds are generous here, especially given the difference in quality between Melbourne’s defence and the Dragons’ attack.
Odds correct at time of publishing.
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