The Penrith Panthers will aim to keep their perfect record intact when they face off against the Parramatta Eels at CommBank Stadium on Saturday evening.

The Eels ground out a 30-20 victory against the Dragons last week to make it back-to-back wins, but a knee injury to Jordan Samrani and season-ending ACL tear for J’maine Hopgood soured the result considerably.

Meanwhile, the Panthers dominated the Roosters 40-4 to continue their ironclad start to the season; Penrith have conceded just 10 points through three rounds.

The Panthers are bolstered by the return of Jack Cogger, who rejoins the bench after recovering from a knock. For the Eels, Brian Kelly is the man to cover Samrani in the centres, while Luca Moretti will play his first game of the season as he replaces Hopgood on the bench.

The Panthers will look to make it five straight wins over the Eels, showcasing just how one-sided the Battle of the West has been in recent times. Can the Eels reverse this curse? Or is more Penrith perfection on the cards?

For the latest news, odds and analysis ahead of the latest instalment of the Battle of the West, check out our Panthers vs Eels tips and predictions below.

Panthers vs Eels Prediction and Betting Tips

Head-to-Head Prediction

The Battle of the West takes centre stage in Round 4as the Penrith Panthers look to continue their impervious start to the 2026 season.

The Panthers are looking red hot, sitting at 3-0 and remaining one of only three undefeated teams in the competition. They are playing like the "Panthers of old," humming in attack after putting a clinical 40 points on the Roosters last week.

Club leaders Nathan Cleary, Isaah Yeo, and Dylan Edwards are all looking fit and in peak form, a dangerous sign for their Parramatta rivals.

The Eels have shown significant improvement under new coach Jason Ryles following a disappointing opening-round loss to the Storm.

J’maine Hopgood will miss the rest of the season for Parramatta, following an ACL injury sustained against the Dragons. However, the Eels have no shortage of front row stocks and should be well placed to find a replacement.

Another highlight of this clash is the world-class matchup between Mitchell Moses and Nathan Cleary; with both halves likely to be paired together for New South Wales this year, this fixture serves as an early Origin audition.

The Panthers haven't shown any weakness this season, remarkably conceding only two tries across their first three matches. They simply do not look vulnerable in games, and it might be a while before we see Ivan Cleary’s men taste their first loss of the year. 

We expect the Panthers’ defence to hold firm in the Battle of the West.

Betting tip: Penrith Panthers.

First Try Scorer Prediction

After officially breaking into the top 10 all-time highest try scorers in NRL history last week, Parramatta winger Josh Addo-Carr has caught our eye for this market.

Not only does the Foxx now have 160 tries and counting under his belt, but he has scored at least one try in each of Parramatta's last five matches at CommBank Stadium.

Betting tip: Josh Addo-Carr.

Over/Under Prediction

Ten of Penrith's last 11 home matches have gone under the total match points line.

Betting tip: Under (47.5) total match points.

Line Prediction

Penrith have covered the line in each of their last five matches when playing with a rest advantage.

Betting tip: Panthers (-14.5) line.

Panthers vs Eels Anytime Try Scorer Betting Tips

Thomas Jenkins

Thomas Jenkins has scored at least one try in each of his last four appearances.

Brian Kelly

Brian Kelly has scored at least one try in each of his last four appearances against opponents that were ranked higher on the ladder.

Casey McLean 

Casey McLean has scored at least one try in five of Penrith's last six matches against opponents that were ranked lower on the ladder.

Dylan Edwards

Dylan Edwards has scored at least one try in each of his last three home appearances against opponents that were ranked lower on the ladder.

Panthers vs Eels Teams

Penrith Panthers Team List

1. Dylan Edwards 

2. Thomas Jenkins

3. Paul Alamoti

4. Casey McLean

5. Brian To'o

6. Blaize Talagi

7. Nathan Cleary

8. Moses Leota 

9. Mitch Kenny

10. Lindsay Smith 

11. Isaiah Papali'i

12. Liam Martin

13. Isaah Yeo (c)

14. Jack Cogger

15. Billy Phillips

16. Scott Sorensen

17. Luke Garner 

18. Izack Tago

Parramatta Eels Team List

1. Isaiah Iongi 

2. Bailey Simonsson

3. Brian Kelly

4. Sean Russell

5. Josh Addo-Carr

6. Jonah Pezet

7. Mitchell Moses (c)

8. Jack Williams

9. Ryley Smith

10. Junior Paulo

11. Kelma Tuilagi

12. Kitione Kautoga

13. Dylan Walker

14. Tallyn Da Silva

15. Sam Tuivaiti

16. Matt Dorey

17. Luca Moretti

18. Charlie Guymer

Panthers vs Eels Match Details

Date: Saturday, March 28, 2026.

Kick-off: 5:30pm AEDT.

Location: CommBank Stadium, Sydney.