Cowboys vs Knights Prediction: Dark Knights to continue at 2/1

Two slumping sides bring Round 24 to a close in the NRL Premiership on Sunday as the North Queensland Cowboys and Newcastle Knights meet at the Queensland Country Bank Stadium (16:05 local, 07:05 BST) with all hopes of finals football extinguished.

The Cowboys were looking a decent play-off bet until a run of two wins in 10 which leads them into this clash with a Knights team with five straight losses to their name. My Cowboys vs Knights predictions will look at who is most likely to buck the trend, helped by the latest team news and Betfred’s match odds.

Cowboys vs Knights Odds

The Cowboys are backed by the oddsmakers to collect a third win in 11, with the home win priced at 4/9. The struggling Knights can be backed at 19/10 for the success in 80 minutes.

The draw is 20/1, while the two-way handicap bracket sees the Knights given an 8.5-point start.

Against that backdrop, Newcastle are 4/5, with the Cowboys at 20/21 to overcome the deficit.

Team News

Todd Payten is having to work without Coen Hess for the rest of the season due to suspension, so the returning Jordan McLean will come straight back in after a calf problem.

Karl Lawton is back from a two-match ban, while Thomas Mikaele and Harrison Edwards also return from a knee injury and an infection respectively.

To allow for those three, Nicholas Lenaz, Kaiden Lahrs and Marly Bitungane are left out of the initial 17.

While Kalyn Ponga remains unavailable with the foot injury he sustained seven weeks ago, there’s an NRL debut for the Knights’ young full-back Connor Votano.

Dane Gagai switches back to the centres, so Fletcher Hunt drops out. There’s also no Phoenix Crossland due to concussion protocols, and Tyson Frizell returns at loose forward in his place.

Rugby League Odds

Cowboys by 1-12 @ 2/1

I really want to see the best in the Knights, but they are a club reeling at the moment.

They’ve not recorded a win since losing Kalyn Ponga midway through the loss at Canberra in Round 17, and now there is talk that the superstar is itching for a move away from the Hunter Region.

Up against a Cowboys side whose season has truly fizzled out, there should be hope abounding for the Knights. But, in truth, they don’t look anything close to being ready to give North Queensland a proper fight.

I can see the home side having a bit too much, and it’s only the Cowboys’ own frailties which are likely to keep this game from running away from the visitors.

The 2/1 odds imply a 33.3% probability of such a scoreline, but I think that’s on the light side.

Cowboys to win both halves @ 6/4

Being the better team in most departments, I’m backing the Cowboys to get on top early and keep the Knights at arm’s length.

The strike in the pack of the likes of Jason Taumalolo, Jeremiah Nanai and Reuben Cotter gives Payten’s side plenty to play off, and as long as they set their stall out from the early stages I can’t see the Cowboys having too many issues.

To that end, I’m backing North Queensland to win both halves at 6/4, which implies a 40% chance.

There’s just not enough spirit in the Knights’ ranks right now to suggest they’ll have a rearguard action in them should the Cowboys take that half-time advantage.

You can read all our latest Rugby League Betting Tips at our dedicated Betfred Insights Rugby League content hub.