An abbreviated NRL Round 18 kicks off on Friday with the Panthers hosting the Rabbitohs at CommBank Stadium in Sydney.
Penrith Panthers vs South Sydney Rabbitohs
Penrith sit top of the table while South Sydney are down at seventh, but the two sides have converse form in recent weeks.
The Panthers have suffered rare back-to-back defeats, falling to the Titans and Cowboys, before which they were on a seven-win streak.
For the Rabbitohs, it's the opposite: two wins from their last two matches, preceded by a three-match losing run.
There are plenty of Origin absentees for this match, with Nathan Cleary, Isaiah Yeo, Isaiah Papali'i and Liam Martin out for Penrith, while Sydney are missing Cameron Murray as well as Latrell Mitchell and Alex Johnston to injury.
Leg 1 - Panthers -3.5
Two losses in a row is rare for the Panthers; three is almost unheard of.
There's a reason they've won four of the last five titles. Penrith know how to turn things around and scratch their way through this stage of the season.
Though the hosts are also without plenty of stars, the Rabbitohs will severely miss the direction of Murray and the finishing of Johnston.
Expect the Panthers to put them away comfortably in front of a home crowd.
Leg 2 - Under 46.5 Points Total
Penrith have the best defence in the NRL with just 209 points conceded across 15 games, an average of just under 14 per game.
Without Cleary at the helm and the go-forward of Yeo, Papali'i and Martin, they'll struggle to pile the points on South Sydney.
The result is this should be a gritty, low-scoring affair.
Leg 3 - Thomas Jenkins to Score
One player who hasn't been shy of points this season is Jenkins, who again crossed twice last week to take his 2026 tally to 22 tries.
He's simply too clinical and core to Penrith's attack to leave off any bet sheet.
Same Game Multi
Panthers -3.5 / Under 46.5 / Jenkins to Score = $5.25
Value Bet
Walker has a habit of stepping up in big games, which is what the Rabbitohs' five-eighth will need to do in this clash.
Absent Mitchell, Murray and Johnston, Walker will know that a big shift is required if his side are to prevail.
Expect him to play with a lot more ball in hand, making him a good chance at crossing over, as he did twice last round against the Eels.
