St. George Illawarra Dragons vs Newcastle Knights prediction and odds: NRL 2023 Round 27

UK: 18+ USA: 21+ | Begambleaware.org | T&Cs apply | Play Responsibly

After 27 weeks of hard-fought competition, the NRL heads into its final week of the regular season. For one of these sides, the year ends here; for another, it’s just getting started. Can the St. George Illawarra Dragons go out with a bang and cause an upset here against the Newcastle Knights? Read on for our Dragons vs Knights predictions.

St. George Illawarra Dragons vs Newcastle Knights – Match Predictions

Contents

1 St. George Illawarra Dragons vs Newcastle Knights – Match Predictions
- 1.1 St. George Illawarra Dragons to win by 1-12 @ 3.40 (12/5)
- 1.2 Match to be over 45.5 points @ 1.91 (10/11)
2 St. George Illawarra Dragons vs Newcastle Knights preview
3 St. George Illawarra Dragons vs Newcastle Knights match details

With this match having no implications on the NRL ladder, we could see some entertaining footy played on Saturday. With that in mind, here are our top predictions ahead of the Dragons vs Knights:

St. George Illawarra Dragons to win by 1-12 @ 3.40 (12/5)

That’s right, we say two streaks are going to end in Carlton this weekend. The Dragons have lost their last five, while the Knights are running hot at eight wins in a row. As unlikely as it may seem on paper, we’re picking the Dragons to get up here.

For the Knights, winning or losing makes no difference to their finals campaign. They can’t make the top four, and are certain to finish either fifth or sixth on the ladder. As a result, they’ve rested a host of players, and likely have an eye towards the playoffs already.

For the Dragons, while their only win recently has come against the woeful West Tigers, they also haven’t been properly thrashed since June. For a team at the wrong end of the table, this is a promising sign–they’re there or thereabouts, and we say at home, in the final game of the season, it will all come together for St. George Illawarra to end on a high.

Match to be over 45.5 points @ 1.91 (10/11)

Both these sides like to score points, and with no big pressure on either side, expect some free flowing rugby league. The Knights have scored more than 26 points in their last eight consecutive matches, while the Dragons put 28 on the Storm recently, and always manage to stay within a score or two of their opposition.

St. George Illawarra Dragons vs Newcastle Knights preview

Heading into this match, here’s a look at how both teams’ seasons have gone so far in the NRL 2023:

St. George Illawarra Dragons

It hasn’t been a great season for the Dragons. The side have only five wins, and are destined to finish the season in 16th place, above only wooden-spooners the Tigers. Most recently, they lost a scrappy 18-6 match to the Warriors.

Newcastle Knights

After looking underwhelming at the halfway point of the season, the Knights have powered to the finish line, winning their last eight to lock up a top eight spot. Most recently, they crushed fellow top eight team the Sharks, 32-6.

St. George Illawarra Dragons vs Newcastle Knights head to head

Surprisingly, the Dragons have a recent edge over the Knights, winning their past two matches and three of the last five. Earlier this season, St. George Illawarra won 21-16.