Tigers vs Sea Eagles Prediction: 5/2 says it’s season over for Sea Eagles

The Manly Sea Eagles have the chance to inject one last bit of hope into their NRL Premiership season on Sunday when they face the Wests Tigers at the Allianz Stadium in Sydney (14:00 local, 05:00 BST).

Manly have dropped outside of the eight play-off positions on the back of three successive losses, and a win over the 12th-placed Tigers feels like a necessity with four games to play. Read on for my Tigers vs Sea Eagles predictions, the latest team news and Betfred’s match odds.

Tigers vs Sea Eagles Odds

Anthony Seibold’s Manly are the favourites despite their recent difficult form, with Betfred offering 4/6 about an away win.

The Tigers can be backed at 5/4, with the draw a 20/1 chance.

On the handicap front, the Sea Eagles are giving up a 3.5-point start to the Tigers. In that scenario, the home side are 5/6 and Manly are 10/11.

Team News

Benji Marshall has brought in Staford To’a in place of Brent Naden as the Tigers look to build on their shock win over the Bulldogs last time out.

Taylan May is free to play having suffered a head injury in the 28-14 success, sitting out his mandatory week on the sidelines during the Tigers’ bye week.

Alex Sayfarth is banned, so Alex Twal shifts to the back row as Fonua Pole starts at prop.

There’s no Jake Trbojevic for the Sea Eagles, with Jazz Tevaga coming in at loose forward. Jake’s absence through concussion is offset by his brother Ben returning from the same protocols, and the younger sibling comes into the second row.

Reuben Garrick is among the centres, with Tommy Talau switching to the bench as Seibold welcomes back Lehi Hopoate on the wing.

Rugby League Odds

Tigers by 1-12 @ 5/2

I’m normally one to back the Sea Eagles as an instinct, but I’m really finding it difficult to get enthused about Manly right now.

Their three straight defeats have included 19 tries, with only four of them scored by the Sea Eagles.

Daly Cherry-Evans is not the player he was, ‘Tommy Turbo’ Trbojevic hasn’t been able to affect games as much as previously and the Manly pack just doesn’t show the ability to control proceedings.

So, in a real departure from the normal order of things, I’m on the Tigers to get the two points on Sunday and effectively end Manly’s season.

The home side showed in their win over the Bulldogs that they have some moxey about them even in games against sides which ought to have too much for them, and the Sea Eagles haven’t been in that category of late.

I was considering the money-line bet on the Tigers at 5/4. But given that I don’t expect this to be a pushover, the 5/2 on offer for a win of two scores or less is really appealing.

Tigers to win first half @ 13/10

If the Tigers are to win this one, they have to be expected to get on top early.

In the more modern surroundings of the Allianz rather than their provincial Leichhardt Oval home, they might not feel the roar of the crowd in the same way if they are behind early.

But more than that, I expect some hesitancy about the Sea Eagles in the early knockings. And with that, the bet on Wests to lead at the break at 13/10 is a tasty one.

They’ve held eight half-time leads and gone in level in three more of their 20 matches this season, and many of those have come against sides in far better form than the current Sea Eagles.

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