Raiders vs Panthers Prediction: League leaders to be exploited in a Weekes spot

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New customers only. Deposit via Debit Card & place first bet £10+ (1/1+) on Sports in 7 days. £30 Sports & £20 Acca Free Bets within 10 hrs of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility, payment excl. & T&Cs Apply.

Raiders vs Panthers Odds

The Panthers are, naturally, big favourites to come out on top having ended Manly’s four-game winning streak last Sunday.

The leaders are 2/5 for the victory in 80 minutes at an implied probability of 71.4%.

Canberra are a 9/4 bet in regulation, while the draw is 16/1.

Team News

Ethan Strange’s recovery from an ankle problem shifts Kaeo Weekes to full-back in Canberra’s biggest piece of team news.

Hudson Young replaces the injured Joe Roddy in the back row, with the Kangaroo international having completed a suspension.

Morgan Smithies is named on the bench, but could start at loose forward having stepped in in a late change against the Titans last week. That would see Jayden Brailey again switched out to the interchange list.

Rugby League Odds

There are no changes in Ivan Cleary’s initial starting XIII, with Jack Cole replacing Jack Cogger on the bench in the most notable alteration to the matchday 19.

Liam Henry is fit again after a major knee injury and is named among the six subs so could make his first appearance since the Preliminary Final loss to the Broncos last September.

Handicap 3-way: Panthers -10 @ 1/1

I don’t particularly enjoying tipping against the Raiders at GIO, but they are a very streaky side within games. They’re just as likely to concede three back-to-back tries as they are to score in bunches.

The Panthers, meanwhile, have been close to machine-like so far in 2026. Sure, two of their last three wins have come by margins of one and two points. But their other six victories so far have all come in by between 20 and 40.

Here, they will have to ride out some difficult spells, but they have been turning on the quality with greater regularity this season. And the Raiders of 2026 have been far removed from the Minor Premiers of 12 months ago.

So the 10-point handicap doesn’t faze me in backing Penrith to come out on top with something in hand. The 1/1 price looks good from my seat.