Penrith Panthers secured a hard-fought victory over the Canterbury Bulldogs in Round 26 at CommBank Stadium, coming away with a 24–10 win under the Friday night lights. Heading into the clash, the pre-match markets had Pen positioned as clear favourites at 1.35 in the head-to-head, while the Bulldogs were handed a +9.5 line at 1.90. Penrith entered the fixture coming off a 22–14 win against the Melbourne Storm, whereas Canterbury made the trip across following a dominant 44–14 victory over the St George Illawarra Dragons.
The match played out under the night kickoff conditions where Penrith boast a strong 13-0-6 record for the season. Despite a gritty effort from the Bulldogs, the Panthers' defence held firm to protect their territory, restricting Canterbury's scoring and adding another two competition points to their season tally as they sit comfortably near the top of the ladder.
How the tips went
Our published head-to-head tip on the Penrith Panthers at 1.32 got up successfully as the hosts converted their favouritism into a 14-point victory. However, our line selection backing the Canterbury Bulldogs +9.5 at 1.95 fell short as the Panthers pulled clear by a 14-point margin at the final siren, surpassing the 9.5-point handicap.