Newcastle Knights vs North Queensland Cowboys Predictions
Saturday, March 7, 2026
TBC @ Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas
Final Score Prediction
Knights
Cowboys
Honestly? This is one of those Round 1 games where you’re as much guessing as you are predicting.
We’re working off the back end of 2025 – a handful of games that don’t tell us much about where either squad actually lands in 2026.
What we do know is the Cowboys finished the year in better shape than Newcastle.
The Knights were rough late in 2025 and come into this with plenty of question marks, particularly around the halves. The Cowboys at least look settled. That’s about as far as I’d take it.
Best Bets
The Cowboys are favourites, and I don’t hate it, but I’m not piling on at $1.54 either.
That’s short enough that you need to be pretty confident – and I’m not, not in Round 1 in Las Vegas with two teams we haven’t seen play a competitive minute in 2026 yet.
The -4.5 line at $1.92 is more interesting to me as a punt goes. If the Cowboys come out firing and Newcastle’s attack looks as disjointed as it did late last year, that line gets covered without much drama.
But that’s a decent-sized if.
I’m having a small play on the Cowboys to win, keeping the stake modest. This is very much a wait-and-see game.
What to Watch
- Knights’ halves: How Dylan Brown’s combination with whoever lines up alongside him looks will tell us a lot about Newcastle’s 2026.
- Cowboys’ spine: If Dearden and Drinkwater look sharp and on the same page early, the Cowboys could put this one away before half time.
- Vegas factor: Neutral venue, electric atmosphere — sometimes Round 1 in Vegas produces weird footy. Don’t be surprised if it’s closer than the market suggests.
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