Panthers vs Raiders Prediction: Panthers to land 19/10 play-off punch

When the Penrith Panthers first announced that they would be taking this Friday’s clash with the Canberra Raiders on the road to Mudgee, the 11,000 inhabitants of the small country town could barely have dreamed of the NRL Premiership match-up awaiting them at 18:00 local (09:00 BST).

The four-time reigning champs are looking to bounce back from a first defeat in 10 on their relentless charge up the table. But they come up against the league leaders and the most dangerous side in the whole competition. My Panthers vs Raiders predictions will reflect the high anticipation for possibly the biggest game of 2025 so far, and they follow with full team news and Betfred’s match odds.

Panthers vs Raiders Odds

It’s the champions who have the favour of the bookies, with Penrith a 4/6 shot to collect the two vital league points for a 10th time in 11 fixtures.

Ricky Stuart’s league-leading Raiders can be backed at 13/10, with the draw an 18/1 chance.

Handicap-wise, we’re looking at a 4.5-point leg-up for Canberra in the regular two-way bracket. They’re 4/5 with the one-try start, with the Panthers 20/21 to overcome the difference.

The Panthers are 19/10 to win by 1-12 points, with the Raiders 5/2 to do likewise.

Team News

Club captain Isaah Yeo could be in line for a return after two weeks out nursing a shoulder problem. He’s included as one of the reserve options in the initial 22-player squad but if he can prove his fitness in time he should be promoted to the starting line-up.

The Raiders have the benefit of having had a bye last week, so they are able to run out the same 17 which took out Manly 28-12 a fortnight ago.

They go with Corey Horsburgh at loose forward for the fifth straight game, with former Wigan Warriors 13 Morgan Smithies again being left to make an impact from the bench.

Rugby League Odds

Panthers by 1-12 @ 19/10

Form is temporary, and all that.

The Panthers have overcome that dreadful first half of the campaign which had sent them hurtling to the foot of the ladder by the halfway mark.

Nine straight wins had seen them climb into the top four, only for Harry Grant’s extra-time try in that extraordinary clash with the Melbourne Storm last Thursday to put a temporary halt to their rise.

In the Raiders they face as tough an opponent as you could wish to find. ‘Sticky’ Ricky Stuart has managed to keep getting a tune out of a fairly settled side in 2025, and it’s no surprise to see him preparing to send out the same 17 again.

But the Panthers at their best are a better team than the Raiders, and if they can bring their ‘A’ game to Mudgee then I expect the champs to put on a treat for the locals in the first of two Panthers games to be played at the Glen Willow Oval across 2025 and 2026.

It should be tight whichever way it goes, and the 19/10 for Panthers to win by one or two scores is generous given the wide bracket. They are the dominant force of the modern game, after all, and with a reasonable chance of this also being a finals match-up they'll want to land a big blow with the play-offs coming into view.

Panthers-Panthers @ 11/10

The Raiders are certainly a side who can run over the top of teams in intensive periods of games. The Green Machine has the ability of scoring big points in short bursts.

But if the Panthers get an early advantage, they’re a difficult side to then overcome. What made the opening weeks of the season so marked was the regular loss of that foothold, but for the most part since the turn for home they have been fairly unbreakable once more.

They did give up an eight-point lead last week in the loss to the Storm, but with that fresh in the minds I don’t reckon they make the same mistake again. If they get ahead early and stay ahead, Betfred’s 11/10 chance at an implied 47.6% comes in for us.

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