Our best bet for Thursday's NRL Round 20 clash between the Penrith Panthers and Brisbane Broncos is the Panthers -13.5 / Over 44.5 / Nathan Cleary to Score Same Game Multi at $6.25, with the Panthers expected to win comfortably at home against a Broncos side on an eight-game losing streak.
The table-topping Panthers host a hapless Broncos side this Thursday to kick off Round 20 of the 2026 NRL in Penrith.
Penrith Panthers vs Brisbane Broncos
This is a rematch of the 2025 Preliminary Final, but don't expect a load of suspense over who wins this one.
Penrith are yet again the pace setters in 2026, winning 13 of their 16 games so far this season for top spot on the ladder.
Brisbane, meanwhile, are down in 14th with their hopes of making the eight all but extinguished already.
Both sides come into this fixture off the back of a bye, with a host of Origin and injured players making their returns.
Leg 1 - Panthers -13.5
This column has previously backed the Broncos to come right in 2026, but there will be no such prediction this week.
The defending champs have lost eight in a row, and for the majority of those it's not even been close.
Yes, they get the likes of Adam Reynolds, Ezra Mam, Patrick Carrigan, Payne Haas and Reece Walsh back, but such widespread changes are more likely to translate into a lack of cohesion than an immediate shift in form.
Instead, back the well-oiled Panthers machine to take care of business at home and win this one by a healthy margin.
Leg 2 - Over 44.5 Points Total
The Panthers have scored 31.4 points per game on average this season, and that's including big chunks of the last six weeks without some of their big names on the pitch.
On the other hand, Brisbane leak upwards of 27.5 points per match.
An injection of individual brilliance for the Broncos but shaky defence are all pointing towards this one passing the 44.5 point mark.
Leg 3 - Nathan Cleary to Score
Cleary returns to the NRL after playing out of his skin and single-handedly winning New South Wales the Origin decider last week.
Buoyed by this success, and playing against a weak side that he'll be eager to assert his dominance over, expect Cleary to have plenty of snipes and cross over himself.
Same Game Multi
Panthers -13.5 / Over 44.5 / Cleary to Score = $6.25
Value Bet
Jenkins is the competition's most prolific try scorer this season, bagging 25 from 16 appearances.
In 11 of these, he's scored two tries.
Against a disjointed defence, and having bagged five tries in his last two matches, Jenkins is a strong chance at netting another brace.
