Three Rounds Left
There are three rounds left in the 2022 NRL regular season, one that has belonged to the Penrith Panthers.
At 18-3 Penrith has locked up the top spot on the ladder, making them somewhat vulnerable to upsets as they try to rest up and stay healthy for the finals.
CFL Performance Record
The South Sydney Rabbitohs can not afford to relax heading into round 23 rugby betting picks. The Rabbitohs are 13-8 and in a tie with the Broncos and Eels for the fifth through seventh spots on the ladder.
The Roosters are 12-9 and Raiders 11-10 so they are right in the mix as well with three matches to play. The Rabbitohs vs Panthers betting predictions come in a rematch of last year’s Grand Final.
Penrith returned from an opening round loss to South Sydney to beat them 14-12 to win their third premiership. Souths championship drought reached seven years with the loss.
Teams Previous Scoreboards
South Sydney continued their strong play with a 26-0 road win against Parramatta last Friday. That’s a huge victory as the Eels are one of the teams tied with the Rabbitohs on the ladder, and since South Sydney also beat Parramatta 30-12 in early July they own the season sweep and the tiebreaker.
With last Friday’s victory, the Rabbitohs have now won six of their last seven matches, the only defeat over that span coming by a golden point 21-20 at Cronulla.
NRL Ladder
That’s not a bad road loss considering the Sharks have climbed to third on the NRL ladder at 15-6.
It’s somewhat interesting that South Sydney has beaten Parramatta twice this season, while the Eels have handed Penrith two of their three defeats this season.
Until last weekend Parramatta had been the only team to defeat the Panthers this season until Melbourne won a big clash 16-0 in the premiere match of the round. Last Thursday’s loss was the first time Penrith was shut out in four years.
Penrith did pick up a 26-12 win over South Sydney earlier in the year, their seventh win in the last eight meetings between these two clubs.
Finals Last Season
The Bunnies actually beat Penrith in week one of the finals last season after being swept in two games during the year but of course, the Panthers would bounce back and ultimately beat South Sydney 14-12 in the Grand Final.
Rabbitohs vs. Panthers Matchup General Info
Rugby Betting on this week’s rugby schedule has South Sydney as -2.5 favorites, somewhat surprising since the Panthers have been so dominant for all of this season.
Penrith looked very flat against Melbourne last week though, and they’re likely more focused on the finals and just want to get there to attempt their third straight trip to the grand finals.
South Sydney is a -143 moneyline favorite in round 23 betting picks. They are at home, and the Rabbitohs are in must win situations the last three rounds as far as seeding is concerned.
Rabbitohs vs. Panthers Betting Analysis
Rabbitohs With a Tough Draw
The Bunnies are going to be in a dogfight on Thursday and their remaining schedule is not very favorable overall. If South Sydney can get past top-seeded Penrith this weekend.
They get the second seed North Queensland Cowboys next Saturday and then finish things up with the Roosters, who are currently in a battle for the eighth seed and the last finals berth.
The Rabbitohs did get a scare early in match week as superstar Latrell Mitchell failed to finish training after apparently suffering a groin injury.
Rabbitohs Caution
Coach Jason Demetriou did comment that the team was just being cautious at this point in the season, and especially with the short turnaround for a Thursday match.
What Effort to Expect from Penrith
Technically the Panthers haven’t clinched the minor premiership with their three-game lead and three games to play because they meet up with the second-place Cowboys in the season finale.
Penrith does just need one win in the last three matches though and faces the #13 Warriors next weekend which is virtually a lock win.
Penrith is vulnerable in this one though, especially with Nathan Cleary suspended until the finals and Jarome Luai sidelined with a knee injury.
Rabbitohs vs. Panthers Betting Preview
The Souths can get a measure of revenge after last year’s two-point Grand Final loss, but what the Rabbitohs are really trying to do is get the wins to secure a berth in this year’s finals.
South Sydney being favored by -2.5 against the top seed in the NRL is telling.
South Sydney vs. Penrith Betting Prediction
It wouldn’t be a shocker to see Penrith lose three of their last four matches of the season, getting the win they need next week against the Warriors to secure the grand premiership.
South Sydney is at home and the losses of Cleary and Luai are very significant for the Panthers. Taking the Bunnies seems to be the way to go when betting on rugby this week. Take South Sydney -2.5
CFL Pick: Rabbitohs -2.5 (1.91)
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