Newcastle Knights v Canberra Raiders: NRL Friday preview

Newcastle Knights will look to keep their top-eight hopes alive by beating the high-flying Canberra Raiders on Friday night.

The Knights have won two of the last three NRL games to keep themselves in touch with the eight, but they now have a tough run of fixtures on the horizon.

That starts with a clash against the Raiders, who sit pretty in second spot after winning nine of the last 10 games.

The Green Machine continue to show their premiership credentials and they will face another stern examination at McDonald Jones Stadium.

However, Canberra have travelled well so far this season and a trip to the Hunter will hold no fear for them.

The clash occupies the Friday night prime-time slot, and there is a good chance it will live up to expectations.

Newcastle Knights v Canberra Raiders betting preview

Knights remain in the hunt

The Knights have managed to breathe some life into their season after a couple of gutsy wins in recent weeks and they need another against the Raiders.

They have won tight games against the Dolphins and Sea Eagles and sandwiched in between they lost another close one against the Roosters.

There is a good chance it could be close again on Friday night and the Knights are priced at 4.25 to win by 1-12 points.

Newcastle do have a good record against the Raiders, winning four of the last five meetings between these two teams.

However, the Raiders are in hot form in 2025, while McDonald Jones Stadium has not been a happy home for the Knights this season.

They have lost five of the past six games at the venue so will need to raise their game to get the job done.

Raiders are flying high

The Raiders showed their gritty side when beating Wests Tigers by just four points at Campbelltown Stadium.

It was their sixth consecutive win away from home this season, so they can travel to Newcastle full of confidence.

They also won on their last visit to McDonald Jones Stadium in March 2024, seeing off the Knights 28-12.

Canberra will be looking to do the same again and are priced at 2.35 to win by 13+ points.

The Raiders will be missing Hudson Young, who has scored five tries in his last seven games against the Knights.

But they still have plenty of firepower, including Xavier Savage, who has scored nine tries this season and who is 1.83 to score a try at anytime on Friday.

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Newcastle Knights v Canberra Raiders odds

Newcastle Knights - 2.90
Canberra Raiders - 1.42

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.