Round 24 of the 2022 NRL season gets underway on Thursday, with the Brisbane Broncos hosting the Parramatta Eels. Check the Broncos vs Eels prediction below.
Brisbane Broncos vs. Parramatta Eels
It’s a big rugby schedule weekend for both clubs, as Parramatta is trying to get into the top four while the Broncos control their own destiny sitting in eighth place on the ladder.
Brisbane was the only top-eight Rugby team to lose last weekend, suffering an ugly 60-12 defeat to red-hot Melbourne.
Round 23 featured five matches on Friday and Saturday that were decided by an average of 45.6 points, with Parramatta being part of that with their 42-6 win over the Bulldogs.
So, without further ado, let’s get right into our betting preview to find out the Broncos vs. Eels best bet.
NRL Performance Recap
These two clubs met up not that long ago, with Brisbane notching a 36-14 win on July 21st. Since then, though, the Broncos have looked horrible, dropping three of their last four.
It’s not just Brisbane losing recently that is concerning; it’s the manner in which they’ve lost. Their past month has featured a 32-18 defeat at home against the Wests Tigers – the worst team on the NRL ladder.
A Tough Matchup
The Broncos have a tough matchup this weekend against the Eels but finish against the Dragons, who have been eliminated from finals contention.
Brisbane is trying to hold onto a two-point lead over Canberra for the last finals spot, and the Raiders play #11 Manly and last place Wests Tigers to close out their season.
The Eels are an interesting squad, sweeping the season series against top-ranked Penrith this year. Parramatta had a nice bounce back last Saturday with a 42-6 throttling of the Bulldogs after getting shut out 26-0 by the Rabbitohs the weekend prior.
Teams’ Previous Scoreboard
Brisbane hasn’t played well lately, but they do come into this weekend’s rugby picks with the confidence of beating Parramatta on July 21st. That was a huge victory for mental purposes, as the Broncos had lost five straight in the series prior.
What makes it hard to find the Broncos vs. Eels best bet this Thursday is that the games between these two teams have been so different over the years.
Since 2019 in the head-to-head series, the Broncos have a 58-0, a 34-6, and a 46-6 loss, but then they go out and win outright in the first meeting of 2022.
Top Four
Brisbane was in the top four until their nightmarish recent stretch, and rugby legend Cameron Smith has described the Broncos as “falling off a cliff” with their recent play.
Melbourne’s 60-12 win over Brisbane last weekend was the largest ever margin of victory in the head-to-head series and was the Storm’s 12th straight win over the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium.
Broncos vs. Eels Analysis
Most experts seem to concede that this is the beginning of the end for the Broncos. They lost to the Wests Tigers two weekends ago at an absolutely critical time of the season, and the Eels are no cakewalk this week, and neither are the Dragons with nothing to lose next week.
Parramatta gets shutout two weekends ago and then drops 42 points last week, so they’re not exactly an easy team to read lately either.
While the Broncos are fighting for their season, the Eels are just playing for finals, seeding to close out the regular season, which is always a tough thing to analyze when betting on rugby.
Matchup Odds Breakdown
Broncos a Tough Wager Lately
It just seems like you can’t trust Brisbane down the stretch, and as much as you hate to go back to one game, the loss to the Wests Tigers on July 30th is just unacceptable.
Brisbane did pick up a H2H win earlier this season, but this is a series that has been owned by the Eels in recent years.
Can Eels Cover the -3.5?
Although the Eels sit in fifth place on the ladder, which would seemingly have them a lock for the finals, the Roosters, Rabbitohs, and Broncos are just two points back, while Canberra is looming at 12-10 as well.
Brisbane vs. Parramatta Betting Pick and Prediction
Parramatta doesn’t want to go into the finale against the streaking Storm needing a victory, so Thursday’s match could actually be a must-win for the Eels.
We expect an exciting bout, but for the Broncos vs. Eels best bet, it is hard to look past the Parramatta.
NRL Pick: Els -3.5 (-130)
NRL Pick: Over 47.5
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