The Canberra Raiders will look to hold down the fort at home when they host the Newcastle Knights in their Round 4 matchup of unbeaten championship hopefuls. With Canberra looking to build on their most recent win and Newcastle looking for a better result following their Round 3 tie the last time out, let’s find out which team is offering the best value against their NRL betting odds in this intriguing Knights vs Raiders showdown.
Canberra Raiders Host Newcastle Knights In Round 4 Battle of Unbeatens!
Why Bet On The Raiders at -188
Canberra is sitting in second place in the NRL standings with 66 points scored and just 18 points allowed defensively (+48). The Raiders are coming off a commanding 22-6 win over the Storm on Saturday that saw four players score on tries while Jarrod Croker went 3-for-4 on conversions. Despite controlling possession for just 45 percent of the match the Raiders compiled a 78 percent completion rate while managing to get the win despite being out-run 1,688 meters to 1,542. John Bateman (shoulder) and Bailey Simonsson (leg infection) will be assessed at training on Tuesday as they aim to return with Simonsson the most likely to be on the pitch in this affair.
Why Bet On The Knights at +152
The Knights are sitting in third place in the NRL standings with 76 points scored and 38 allowed (+38). Newcastle however, couldn’t pull away from the Penrith Panthers in their 14-14 Round 3 tie on Sunday. Jacob Saitifi scored one try and Bradman Best added a pair of tries while Tex Hoy went 1-for-3 on conversions. Newcastle lost the possession battle 59-41 percent while also losing in completion percentage and meters run. Kalyn Ponga is back from suspension, while halfback Mitchell Pearce should be on the pitch after taking a blow to the head in Round 3. Connor Watson is probable, but Andrew McCullough could make his debut for the Knights in this one.
Expert Analysis and Prediction
The Raiders have won two of the last three meetings against the Knights including a 17-10 home win in March of 2019. More importantly, Canberra is playing at home in this Round 4 matchup and they’ve been phenomenal defensively in allowing just 18 points through three games. I know Newcastle has scored 10 more points than Canberra so far this season, but they’ve been mediocre defensively and their ability to put points on the board didn’t look all that great the last time out. Keep it simple and back Raiders to take care of business in this Round 4 clash!
Pick: Raiders 22 Knights 14
General Game Info Newcastle Knights (2-1-0) vs. Canberra Raiders (3-0-0)
- When: Sunday, June 7 at 1:05 AM AEST
- Where: Campbelltown Stadium
- Knights vs Raiders Live: Nine/Fox
- Money Lines: Knights +152 / Raiders -188
Telstra Premiership 2020 Round 4 Matches
- Roosters vs Broncos – Thursday 4th June, 05:50 AM | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
- Rabbitohs vs Storm – Friday 5th June, 05:55 AM | AAMI Park, Melbourne
- Sea Eagles vs Eels – Saturday 6th June, 03:30 AM | Bankwest Stadium, Sydney
- Sharks vs Cowboys – Saturday 6th June, 05:35 AM | Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville
- Warriors vs Panthers – Friday 5th June, 04:00 AM | Campbelltown Stadium, Sydney
- Wests Tigers vs Titan – Sunday 7th June, 04:30 AM | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
- Dragons vs Bulldogs – Monday 8th June, 02:05 AM | Bankwest Stadium, Sydney
