There are no fewer than six teams sat on 16 points in the NRL standings going into Round 14 and two of those, in the form of Manly Sea Eagles and South Sydney Rabbitohs, go head-to-head at 4 Pines Park on Thursday.
Keeping up with the NRL top four is essential for both of these teams and an intriguing encounter awaits in Brookvale this week.
Manly Sea Eagles v South Sydney Rabbitohs Tips Summary
Best Bet - Manly Sea Eagles -4.5 handicap @ 1.96
Alternative Bet - Clayton Faulalo anytime tryscorer @ 2.00
Bet Builder - Manly Sea Eagles to win, Lehi Hopoate, Jason Saab & Alex Johnston anytime tryscorers @ 7.00
Manly Sea Eagles v South Sydney Rabbitohs Prediction
Best Bet: Manly Sea Eagles -4.5 handicap @ 1.96
The Rabbitohs have been the dominant force in this fixture over recent years, with eight wins in their last 10 meetings with the Sea Eagles.
However, there is value to be had backing Manly to not only win on home soil on Thursday to secure the bragging rights, but also cover the handicap in the process.
The Sea Eagles have won all of their last three games at 4 Pines Park, while the Rabbitohs are on a run of three defeats in their last four away matches in the NRL.
Souths’ woes on the road might well continue on Thursday, against the Sea Eagles side who have won their last two home games against the Bunnies.
Alternative Bet: Clayton Faulalo anytime tryscorer @ 2.00
Sea Eagles full-back Clayton Faulalo is in superb form and will be a player this Rabbitohs defence will have to keep an eye on.
However, that might be enough to stop a player who has scored five tries in his last six matches and Faulalo is backed to bag another try on Thursday.
Manly Sea Eagles v South Sydney Rabbitohs Bet Builder Tip
Manly Sea Eagles to win
Lehi Hopoate anytime tryscorer
Jason Saab anytime tryscorer
Alex Johnston anytime tryscorer
Pays 6.00
Continuing with the expectation that Manly can make it three home wins on the bounce against South Sydney, three anytime tryscorers are selected in this four-fold bet builder.
Scoring in four of his last five appearances, Lehi Hopoate is tipped for another try on Thursday, as is his Sea Eagles team-mate Jason Saab, who has scored four tries in his last three matches.
It’s hard to look past Alex Johnston getting on the scoresheet, especially when the Bunnies star has scored nine tries in his last five appearances.
Learn more about how Bet Builders work in our Bet Builder guide.
Key Match Stats
South Sydney Rabbitohs have won eight of their last 10 games against the Manly Sea Eagles.
The Sea Eagles have won all of their last three games at 4 Pines Park.
The Bunnies have lost three of their last four away games in the NRL.
Manly have won their last two home games against South Sydney.
Read more rugby league betting tips and predictions on site.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
