NRL Round 23 Betting Preview: Game Odds, Trends and Analysis for Week Ahead

The Melbourne Storm remain the team to beat at the top of the NRL ladder after getting past the North Queensland Cowboys last weekend. The team from the Victorian capital can now sew up the Minor Premiership with a win over the Sydney Roosters on Saturday.

The Roosters were one of two top-four teams who dropped their Round 22 fixtures last weekend, which has left Melbourne in the box seat to secure their second Minor Premiership in as many years.

Sydney travel down to Melbourne for a Saturday matchup at AAMI Park, a venue that the hosts have lost just two games at from nine starts this season. The Storm are assessed as a $1.40 AUD chance to get the two points, according to AustralianGambling.com.au, with the Roosters out at $3.

The other top-four club who lost last weekend was the Cronulla Sharks, which has left them hanging on to fourth place by point difference only. It doesn't get any easier for the reigning Premiers this week either, with a Friday night assignment against the third-place Brisbane Broncos.

The Broncos belted their Queensland neighbours, the Gold Coast Titans, by an incredible scoreline of 54-0 last week, so they've been installed as $1.42 favourites for this one, while the Sharks are out at $2.90.

The loser of that clash will be surpassed by the in-form team of the league, the Parramatta Eels, should they get the two points against the bottom of the table Newcastle Knights in the early game on Friday night.

Parra have now won six straight games and are at a line of $1.15 to make it lucky number seven against the Novocastrians ($5.60).

The Penrith Panthers also have a huge winning streak going and are heavily favoured to make it six wins on the trot when they host the North Queensland Cowboys at Pepper Stadium on Saturday night.

The Panthers are $1.45 for a win that would see them cement their position inside the top eight with just three rounds remaining. It won't be easy, though, against a Cowboys side who still harbour hopes of a top-four finish despite that home loss to Melbourne last Friday night.

St George Illawarra Dragons are the team that Penrith replaced inside the top eight, following their nail-biting loss at the hands of the South Sydney Rabbitohs. The Red V ($1.42) have a chance to bounce back into finals contention with a win over the Titans ($2.90) on Saturday.

Manly Sea Eagles steamrolled the Roosters last week and now find themselves a heavy favourite ($1.40) to be too strong for the 15th-place Wests Tigers ($3) on Sunday.

Round 23 kicks off at the Olympic Stadium in Sydney on Thursday night between two of the most disappointing teams of the season, the South Sydney Rabbitohs ($1.66) and the Canterbury Bulldogs ($2.25).