What a massive arvo of footy at Accor Stadium! Punters tuning into Finals Week 3 witnessed a genuine boilover on Sunday, 27 Sept, as the Newcastle Knights rolled up their sleeves and powered past the Penrith Panthers 22–14 to flip the script on the entire finals picture.
Coming into this clash, the market had the Panthers heavily fancied, though there was some movement on the boards in the lead-up. The Panthers drifted slightly from 1.29 to 1.42 in head-to-head betting, while the Knights saw solid support, firming from 3.5 down to 2.94. Punters who backed the outsiders were rewarded handsomely as the Knights put in a gritty display to claim a famous victory.
How the match unfolded
The Panthers entered this fixture following a strong campaign that saw them finish on top of the ladder with 18 wins from 24 games, alongside a solid at-home record of 10-2. Their most recent outing prior to this clash was a hard-fought W 19–12 v Sydney Roosters (H) on Sunday, 13 Sept. However, they simply couldn't get their usual attacking fluency going against a determined Newcastle outfit.
The Knights, meanwhile, arrived carrying momentum from their narrow W 12–10 v New Zealand Warriors (A) on Sunday, 20 Sept. Grabbing that tough win on the road clearly hardened them for the finals arena. Overcoming a -7.5 line, the Knights controlled the key moments of the match and ultimately sealed a brilliant 22–14 triumph to advance further into the finals series.
How the tips went
Looking back at the published selections for this Finals Week 3 fixture, it was a mixed bag for punters following the markets. The head-to-head tip on the Penrith Panthers at 1.27 resulted in a loss, as the minor premiers failed to get past a resilient Newcastle outfit.
However, supporters of the underdog got their money's worth on the handicap market. The tip for the Newcastle Knights +10.5 at 1.9 resulted in a win, comfortably covering the buffer as the Knights claimed an 8-point victory outright.