Melbourne Storm vs Gold Coast Titans prediction and odds: NRL 2023 Round 26

With the Melbourne Storm sparking into life across the past two rounds, can they continue sprinting into the playoffs with a big performance against the Gold Coast Titans on Saturday in the NRL? Read on for our Storm vs Titans predictions.

Melbourne Storm vs Gold Coast Titans – Match Predictions

This clash sees two teams sitting in very different positions on the NRL ladder, with Melbourne fourth and Gold Coast 13th. Here are our top predictions ahead of the Storm vs Titans this Saturday:

Melbourne Storm to Win by 22+ @ 1.91 (10/11)

The Melbourne Storm have had a different feel about them the past fortnight. After receiving a dour beating at the hands of the Panthers three weeks back, the Storm put on a clinic to defeat fellow top four rivals Canberra 48-2, before seeing off a spirited challenge by the Dragons 38-28. 

We say this momentum is going to overflow on Saturday against the lowly ranked Gold Coast Titans, with Melbourne handing out a good old-fashioned hiding. It’s simply how the Storm roll–at this stage of the season, they find their best footy, and with a top four spot still up for grabs, expect them to turn on their best and put the Titans to the sword.

Melbourne Storm to Score 2+ Converted Tries in Each Half @ 3.60 (13/5)

See above–it’s not at all unrealistic to expect this match to be a blow out. This bet is a little riskier, as it depends on the Storm playing good rugby across both halves, and nailing their kicks, but since we’re expecting plenty of points to be scored, this feels like a reasonable bet given the return.

Melbourne Storm vs Gold Coast Titans preview

Heading into this match, here’s a look at how both teams’ seasons have gone so far in the NRL 2023:

Melbourne Storm

The Storm have had a solid season, if not outstanding by their standards. With 14 wins and eight losses, currently the Melbourne-based outfit are sitting fourth on the ladder, with the Warriors four points ahead of them and the Sharks two points behind. A win here would likely lock up a home game in the first week of the finals.

Gold Coast Titans

The Titans, on the other hand, have had another luckless season. Currently sitting 13th out of 17 teams, the Gold Coast have claimed just eight wins this year, to their 14 losses. It wasn’t looking all bad, however, with the Titans still a shot at making the top eight until recently, when they lost five of their past six to well and truly see their season slip through their fingers.

Last week, the Gold Coast Titans were thoroughly beaten by the Penrith Panthers, going down 40-14 after losing 36-6 to the Cronulla Sharks the week before.

Melbourne Storm vs Gold Coast Titans head to head

The Melbourne Storm dominate this head to head, leading 19-7 across the two sides’ 26 encounters in the NRL.

• Date and time: Saturday 26 August, 5am GMT
• Venue: AAMI Park, Melbourne, Australia
• How to watch: Sky Sports