NRL Betting: Under 43.5 Total Points could be value bet in Canberra Raiders v Penrith Panthers clash

Recommended bet: Total Points – Under 43.5 Points @ 19/20 (1.95) with bet365

It’s a huge clash at the GIO Stadium in the nation’s capital on Sunday afternoon, as Canberra Raiders and the Penrith Panthers do battle in an absolutely crucial game for both teams’ play-off aspirations.

For the Raiders, nothing less than a win will do if they are to keep their hopes of a place in the finals alive, whilst the Panthers could potentially break into the top four with a win or drop outside the top eight with a defeat.  With the match being the penultimate one of the round, the teams will be even more aware of the consequences of the result come kick-off.

Canberra come into the match on a decent run, with Sunday’s 36-16 win at the New Zealand Warriors being their third victory on the spin.  The Panthers are on an even more impressive run of results, with the 24-16 win over the North Queensland Cowboys at the Penrith Stadium on Saturday being a sixth consecutive victory.

With regards to team news, the Raiders have named an unchanged 17 after defeating the Warriors in Auckland last weekend.  The Panthers will be without Peter Wallace, who is ruled out after undergoing minor surgery for a broken hand. Young hooker Sione Katoa comes in for the former NSW veteran in the No.9 jersey, whilst Trent Merrin is on the reserves list, although unlikely to play.

There’s nothing to choose between the teams historically on the head-to-head record, with 35 wins apiece and one draw in 71 previous encounters.  They last met back in early June in Game week 14, with the Panthers grabbing a late 24-20 victory in a feisty encounter at Bathurst.  This game promises to be equally closely fought and hard to call.

The Canberra Raiders are the favourites going into the game, although this is largely down to their home advantage and the belief that they have no option other than to go for the win.

However, with so much at stake, the best NRL bet here might be to look at ‘Total Points’ market being on the low side, with Under 43.5 Points on offer at 19/20 (1.85) with bet365 looking appealing.