An intriguing clash between the Manly Sea Eagles and Parramatta Eels at 4 Pines Park wraps up Round 8 of the NRL this Sunday.
Manly Sea Eagles vs Parramatta Eels
The Sea Eagles are red-hot, riding a three-match winning streak after head coach Anthony Seibold was shown the door at the end of a dire March.
They most recently put the Cowboys to the sword 38-6, moving up to sixth on the ladder.
Parramatta also come into this off a big win, having stunned the Bulldogs 38-20 last Sunday to snap a three-game losing streak.
Leg 1 - Over 53.5 Points
Manly, under fill-in coach Kieran Foran, have been playing with zero expectation and it’s worked a treat.
But returning home brings pressure, and without Tom Trbojevic, backing them to keep winning is a risk. The safer angle is the total.
Manly have scored 28+ in their last three, while five of Parramatta’s seven games this season have gone over this number, with the other two falling just short.
Leg 2 - Lehi Hopoate to Score
Hopoate is in a rich vein of form, scoring five tries in his last three matches, including a double last week against North Queensland.
The Eels are vulnerable on the edges, which suits Hopoate perfectly. Expect him to get his chances again here.
Leg 3 - Reuben Garrick to Score
Garrick has a strong record against Parramatta, with 13 tries from 14 games.
With Trbojevic out, Garrick shifts into the centres and should see more ball than usual.
He was held scoreless last week, but had a double the week prior and also scored against the Dolphins in Round 5.
Same Game Multi
Over 53.5 / Hopoate to Score / Garrick to Score = $4.90
Value Bet - Sea Eagles 1-12 @ $3.25
If you’re taking a stance on the result, Manly are the side to lean towards.
Outside of last week, Parramatta have struggled, conceding over 35 points per game and sitting near the bottom of the ladder.
The last six meetings have gone the way of the home side, but don’t expect a blowout. Trbojevic’s absence should keep this tighter than expected.
