Penrith Panthers vs Brisbane Broncos Prediction: Panthers to be crowned champions again

The 2023 National Rugby League Championship Game is finally here, and no two teams are more deserving of a spot than the Penrith Panthers and the Brisbane Broncos. It should come as no surprise that the Panthers are the favorites to win this match; yet, given that the outcome of this match could very well depend on any team, do you believe the Brisbane Broncos have a chance to claim this trophy?

The Melbourne Storm were unable to stop the Penrith Panthers from destroying them for the third time this season as the Panthers cruised to a 38-4 victory at Accor Stadium in their preliminary final match. Penrith Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary orchestrated the attack on both sides of the field and was engaged in every tryscoring opportunity for his team. The result of Cleary's efforts was a victory for the Panthers over the Melbourne Storm, in which Brian To'o scored a hat trick. To'o reaped the benefits of Cleary's efforts in the form of a try-scoring bonus. After defeating the Warriors by a score of 32-6 in week 1 of the finals, the Penrith Panthers were able to get plenty of rest before their preliminary final. The Penrith Panthers will use the same 17 players that prevailed against the Melbourne Storm in the preliminary final.

At Suncorp Stadium, the Brisbane Broncos breezed through the New Zealand Warriors 42-12 to win the preliminary final by a comfortable margin. In the second half, the Broncos scored three tries that the New Zealand Warriors were unable to counter. Once again, Reece Walsh was the difference-maker for the Brisbane Broncos. He tore the New Zealand Warriors apart on the margins of the field with one linebreak, six linebreak assists, and three try assists. After cruising to a 26-0 victory over the Melbourne Storm in the opening round of the finals, the Brisbane Broncos were able to take a well-deserved week off before their preliminary final. The Brisbane Broncos have named the same 17 players that they used in their game against the New Zealand Warriors a week ago after coming through their preliminary final without suffering any injuries.

Penrith Panthers hold the upper hand in recent head-to-head history versus Brisbane Broncos, having won five of the last seven games between the two teams. In the year 2023, the score was tied at one win each. Adam Reynolds kicked a field goal in the 70th minute of the first matchup, which proved to be the deciding factor as Brisbane Broncos came away with a 13-12 victory. The second time these two faced each other was in round 12, and it was another close fight between them. Once again, a full-on defensive battle was won by the Penrith Panthers, who were victorious this time, increasing their lead to 15-4. Six of the previous seven games between the Penrith Panthers and the Brisbane Broncos ended with a total score of under for the game.

Since the beginning of the season, the Penrith Panthers and the Brisbane Lions have been the teams to beat in the league, and it is going to be extremely difficult to choose between the two on Sunday. It is going to be a tremendous battle of territory, especially in the first half of this game, because both halfbacks control the game better than anyone else in the NRL. Both teams have the best defensive records in the league, with Penrith allowing just 12 points per game and Brisbane allowing an average of 16 points per game. In this matchup, I am going to side with the favorite and put my money on the Penrith Panthers on the moneyline to take advantage of the added value. These two teams have battled each other twice already this year, and both times it has been a close contest. We can expect the same thing to happen in this game as well. Even though the total for the game has been adjusted properly, I am still going to bet on under 38.5 points.