Wests Tigers vs Penrith Panthers Prediction: An intriguing match to watch

The Panthers' coach, Ivan Cleary, has decided to rest all seven of his Origin stars, including Nathan Cleary, Jarome Luai, Isaah Yeo, Brian To'o, Stephen Crichton, Api Koroisau, and Liam Martin.Despite their disparate ranks on the ladder, this match might be a close one. There are two reasons why the Tigers feel confident of pulling off a shock when they are having a bad season. First, since they beat the Panthers 26-6 in the Origin series last year, and second, because CommBank Stadium has hosted their two most memorable triumphs over the Rabbitohs and Eels. 

West Tigers - the bottom team faces a major struggle

The Wests Tigers, who are having a terrible season, will undoubtedly try to prove a point in the match that they play in round 18 of the competition. When one considers how well the visiting team has done in the NRL so far this year, it is evident that this will be a very difficult test for the home squad. The previous match between these two teams was won by the Panthers by a score of 30-16; however, since the Panthers have taken the bold step of resting their stars, it is possible that the outcome of this match will be different. The poor Tigers will try to prevail in what is expected to be a very difficult match.

Key players for West Tigers:

• David Nofoaluma;
• Fa'amanu Brown;
• Daine Laurie;
• Luke Brooks;
• Adam Doueihi.

Panthers - optimistic to win once more

The Penrith Panthers appear to be the team that will emerge victorious from this match. Penrith has won 18 of its last 19 matches, and in addition to that, Penrith has won each of its last six away matches by a margin of 13 points or more. Penrith's winning streak currently stands at 19 matches. Even though they are missing seven of their starters, the Panthers are still able to field a team that has a significant amount of first-year experience. This is a credit to the depth of the Panthers' roster. O'Sullivan and Falls, who play the halves together, are still under a lot of strain. Back in round 13, the two were able to steer their team to a victory over the Bulldogs, and if they put up a performance that is comparable to that, they should be able to do the same thing against the Tigers.

Key players for Panther:

• Sean O'Sullivan;
• Mitch Kenny;
• Taylan May;
• Izack Tago;
• Kurt Falls.

Expert Betting Tips

It is difficult to make an accurate prediction for this match given that the Panthers have used up so many outs. The Tigers are currently at rock bottom in the NRL after losing eight of their past nine games. Most clubs in the NRL would be confident in their chances against this Penrith outfit. Because the Tigers are having trouble scoring points and because Penrith has the strongest defense in the NRL, it is likely that this match will produce less points like the seven prior matches between these two teams up until their most recent encounter.

• Under 43.5 for 1.65
• HT-FT W2/W2 for 1.73
• Over 22.5 Total 2 for 1.75

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