NRL Thursday: Broncos v Panthers betting tips, prediction & odds, round 6, 2021

Read on for our Brisbane Broncos v Penrith Panthers match preview, prediction and odds update for their NRL clash at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, on Thursday, April 15.

This opening match of round six looms as a one-sided contest with the hottest team in the competition travelling to take on the once mighty Broncos, who are struggling to conjure much more than 40 minutes of passable football per game.

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The bookies have made it clear how they think the Broncos-Panthers clash will unfold, making the Panthers among the shortest favourites for the year, and also setting the points line at a mammoth 26.5. We don’t recall the Broncos ever starting as such massive outsiders on their home deck.

We tend to shy away from betting on teams to cover such large points lines, given the tendencies for some teams to take the foot off the gas when they have a match all but parcelled up.

Penrith won the only 2020 meeting between these teams 25-12 at Suncorp Stadium in round 17. But the Broncos had won the previous four meetings between the teams by an average of 15.25 points.

The fact that the Panthers are $1.03 favourites and the Broncos $12 outsiders illustrates just how fast and far the Brisbane team has fallen, and how quickly Penrith have risen.

The Panthers are most pundits’ early tip for the NRL title, and if they can avoid major injury and keep rolling as they are, they won’t lose too many games on their seemingly inevitable journey to another grand final.

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Broncos v Panthers team news for round 6

Broncos coach Kevin Walters has made the massive call to drop five-eighth Anthony Milford, who has earned big money since joining the club in 2015 and has not yet reached the heights the club and fans had hoped for.

Amazingly Milford is only 26 yet has played 146 games for the Broncos and 188 NRL matches in total. The club hopes his axing from first grade will be the spark he needs to return to his dynamic best.

Milford is replaced in the No.6 jersey by Brodie Croft, but the changes don’t stop there. Centre Tesi Niu has also been dropped to make way for Jesse Arthars.

Veteran back-rower Ben Te’o (biceps) is out for three months after having surgery and his spot on the pine is taken by Ethan Bullemor.

The Broncos regain lock Patrick Carrigan from suspension, meaning Tevita Pangai jnr switches to second row and Jordan Riki moves back to the bench.

The Panthers have named the same 17 who took care of Canberra last round. The big names still missing from Penrith’s best line-up are dynamic fullback Dylan Edwards and ace hooker Api Koroisau, but both those players are due back within a month.

Read on for our Broncos v Panthers tips and winner prediction for their NRL clash on Thursday, April 15.

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Broncos v Panthers

Kick-off: 7.50pm local time
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Head to head odds: Brisbane $12, Penrith $1.03
Line betting: Brisbane (+26.5 points) $1.90, Penrith (-26.5 points) $1.90
Match total: 43.5 points: over $1.85, under $1.95

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Broncos v Panthers free betting tips

Below our NRL betting expert has highlighted his free Brisbane-Penrith betting tips for Thursday’s game.

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Brisbane Broncos v Penrith Panthers prediction 15-4-2021

These are two teams at very different stages of development. The Broncos are trying to rebuild after decades of success and they are struggling, but they need to look to youth to rise again, rather than trying to buy their way out of the slump. Brisbane have plenty of young potential stars in their squad but it is going to take time. Penrith have already put in the hard yards of rebuilding and have a squad packed full of stars, most of whom the club has developed from their junior days. They should win this and win it easily. They are too big and strong in the forwards and too quick and classy in the backs. Our Broncos v Panthers prediction: Penrith by 24 points.

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