Finals footy delivered the ultimate twist at Accor Stadium as the Newcastle Knights pulled off a major upset, defeating the Penrith Panthers 22–14 in Finals Week 3. Coming off a hard-fought W 12–10 v New Zealand Warriors (A), the Knights tore up the script against a Penrith side that had closed as 1.42 favourites on the head-to-head market after drifting from 1.29→1.42 (drifted).
The Panthers entered this fixture with strong form behind them, coming off a W 19–12 v Sydney Roosters (H) and sitting proudly atop the ladder with an 18–6 regular-season record. However, the market movement told an interesting story in the lead-up, with Newcastle seeing support as their price moved from 3.5→2.94 (firmed), while the line settled with Penrith at -7.5 points where the price shifted 1.95→1.9 (firmed).
How the tips went
Looking back at our published selections for this Finals Week 3 showdown, the head-to-head pick on the Penrith Panthers at 1.27 resulted in a loss as the ladder leaders were bundled out by a determined Newcastle outfit.
On the positive side, our line selection backing the Newcastle Knights +10.5 at 1.9 delivered a win, comfortably covering the handicap as the visitors claimed a famous 22–14 victory at Accor Stadium.