NRL Round 5: Raiders vs Eels preview, betting picks & top odds

Canberra Raiders v Parramatta Eels best bets

Round 5: Raiders vs Eels match preview

Round five of the NRL Premiership wraps up in Canberra on Sunday evening with the Raiders hosting the Parramatta Eels at GIO Stadium.

The Raiders started the season in red-hot form with two wins in a row before dropping games to the Warriors and Sharks in the last two weeks. On the other side of the field, the Eels have won twice and lost twice without having two wins in a row.

Parramatta Eels coach Brad Arthur has made two changes to his starting side, dropping Brendan Hands and Morgan Harper back to the reserves. Bailey Simonsson will start in the centres, with Wiremu Greig coming onto the bench for his first match of the season.

Raiders coach Ricky Stuart will be without Zac Hosking (concussion), with Ata Mariota starting in the second row. Simi Sasagi has been named to make his club debut off the bench.

Canberra Raiders v Parramatta Eels predictions

The Canberra Raiders have won their only home game of the 2024 season, beating the Tigers by 20 points. Canberra also won their last match against the Eels in Canberra, while they’ve shown this season they’re a gritty side that can hang in games and come away with a win. The home side’s forward pack is arguably stronger than the visitors’, and the Raiders look a great value bet at -125 to win in front of their home fans.

Canberra winger Xavier Savage struggled at times against the Sharks, but not before crossing the try-line in the 17th minute. He has three tries to his name this season from 10 tackle breaks and five line breaks. Eels flyer Maika Sivo will struggle to match the speed and agility of his opponent, making Savage a good bet to continue his tryscoring streak at +125 with top NRL betting sites.

Ethan Strange has been growing in his role as five-eighth for the Raiders this season, scoring a try against the Tigers in his first home game in Canberra. His ball-running is improving game-by-game, and his ability to attack outside of structure makes him incredibly difficult to defend. Look for Strange to score his second try of the season at $4.60 with Bovada.

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