NRL Preview: Bulldogs v Eels

NRL Preview
Canterbury Bulldogs v Parramatta Eels
Thursday, August 3, 7:50pm (AEST) at ANZ Stadium, Sydney

The once proud Bulldogs club have become a basket case of late and really need a win to lift morale around Belmore. They have the worst attack in the competition, and quite simply, their spine isn’t getting the job done. Meanwhile, the Eels showed that they’re a force to be reckoned with despite the loss of Clint Gutherson for the season. They shocked the Broncos 28-14 last week and plenty of teams will be looking over their shoulders for the charging Eels.

History
The Eels have won three straight against Canterbury including a 13-12 win five weeks back. Mitchell Moses was the hero on that occasion, kicking the match-winning field-goal.

Form
Canterbury are in dire straits and are set to miss the finals for the first time in the Des Hasler era, currently sitting 13th with a 7-12 record. They enter this off back-to-back losses to Brisbane and Penrith and have won just two of their last 10. The Bulldogs have the worst attack in the NRL and have not surpassed 20 since Round 7 and not 24 all year. Parramatta are one of the form teams of the premiership with five wins on the trot and 10 wins in their last 13 games. They have not conceded more than 16 points in five straight weeks and enter this off a dominant home win over Brisbane. The Eels currently sit sixth on the ladder with a 12-7 record.

Key Matchup
Josh Reynolds v Mitchell Moses: Reynolds has struggled for any consistency this season and has struggled in the absence of a dominant halfback playing alongside him. He’s a natural ball runner and showed some good glimpses last week against the Panthers, scoring a try and breaking five tackles. Moses kicked the match-winning field goal to give the Eels a 13-12 victory back in Round 17 and was excellent in last week’s win over the Broncos, setting up three tries.

Stats That Matter
– Canterbury are 9-10 ATS with a 15-4 under record while Parramatta are 10-9 ATS with a 13-6 under record.

– Parramatta have won three straight against Canterbury including a 13-12 win five weeks back.

– The last four matches have failed to break 32 points while six of the last seven have finished on 34 points or fewer.

– The Eels last pulled off back-to-back season sweeps against the Bulldogs in 2009-10.

– Parramatta are 16-6 under at ANZ Stadium since 2014 while Canterbury are 30-22 under with nine of the last 12 finishing south of the total.

– The Bulldogs have gone under in 10 of their last 12 after conceding 16 or fewer points.

Final Thoughts
The Wolf is keen to play the unders in this one, with the Bulldogs struggling to score points, while the Eels have not conceded more than 16 points in five straight weeks. The stats that matter backs up this position too!

How It’s Shaping Up
Parramatta by 6

Best Bet
Under 36.5 ($1.88)

Other Recommended Bets
Parramatta 1-12 ($3)