Knights v Raiders NRL betting preview, free tips & best odds

Knights v Raiders NRL best bets

Knights v Raiders NRL preview

Round one of the 2024 NRL season continues with the Newcastle Knights hosting the Canberra Raiders at McDonald Jones Stadium this Thursday night.

The last time these two sides met was in the 2023 finals seres, when the Knights eliminated the men from the nation’s capital in a tight, high-scoring affair. Will Ricky Stuart’s Raiders be able to exact revenge?

Joseph Tapine has been named to captain the Canberra Raiders after spending his first two seasons in the NRL at Newcastle. He will be joined by former Knights players Hudson Young and Zac Hosking in the forward pack. Morgan Smithies has joined the Raiders from England and will make his debut for the club as the starting lock.

Another Englishman, Kai Pearce-Paul, is set to make his NRL debut for the Knights via the interchange. Also on the bench is Jack Cogger, who returns to Newcastle after moving from the Panthers at the end of last season.

Knights v Raiders NRL predictions

The Raiders are expected to struggle this season after losing star five-eighth Jack Wighton, while their 26% winning rate in Newcastle bodes ill. Meanwhile, the home side have captain Kalyn Ponga at full fitness heading into the season, joined in the backline by Greg Marzhew and New South Wales centre Bradman Best. The +155 at Bovada is a fantastic price for the Knights to win by 13 points or more.

Marzhew will suit up on the left wing for the home team after scoring 22 tries in 2023, thanks largely to Ponga and his incredible ball-playing skills. The Newcastle Knights fullback is one of the best at throwing right-to-left cut-out passes in the NRL, putting Marzhew in the best try-scoring position in the country. The Raiders’ defence will only need to make one mistake for Marzhew to score a try at any time (-120.48).

Clear, dry conditions are predicted for Newcastle this week, which will play into the Knights’ favour. Their forward pack can dominate the Raiders, who should not be discounted for their ability to score points from anywhere on the park. The -111.11 for this match to have more than 41.5 points is great value.

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