Kick-off: 0905, 19/03/2020
Venue: ANZ Stadium
TV: Sky Sports
Canterbury and North Queensland both kicked off the 2020 NRL campaign with defeats, but the latter will have taken more out of their first effort.
The Cowboys showed some promise in attack when going down 28-21 to Brisbane, whereas the Bulldogs failed to fire going forward in an 8-2 loss to Parramatta.
Points make prizes in rugby league, so we’re siding with North Queensland to prevail at 7/10 for our initial Bulldogs vs Cowboys prediction.
A Look At Canterbury Bulldogs’ Betting Odds
Canterbury finished strongly last season with five wins from their last six games to end up in 12th place, but memories of a torrid start resurfaced against the Eels.
Although defensively resilient, the Bulldogs just couldn’t get going with the ball in hand and we need to see more creative flair before jumping on board.
Second row stalwart Josh Jackson, experienced centre William Hopoate and full-back Dallin Watene-Zelezniak stand out in this side, but some of the emerging talents need to do more.
Dean Pay’s side should be competitive, but home advantage is reduced by this game being played behind closed doors.
Looking at the Bulldogs vs Cowboys odds, we like 19/10 for North Queensland to oblige by 1-12 points.
A Look At North Queensland Cowboys’ Betting Odds
Brisbane proved party poopers when beating North Queensland in the opening NRL match at their sparkling new stadium in Townsville.
Missed tackles and trying too hard to force the pass in attack were the major problems for the Cowboys that day.
However, despite a disappointing 2019 campaign, head coach Paul Green still has a strong squad at his disposal, five years after claiming Grand Final glory.
Key half-back Michael Morgan can run the show behind a powerful pack featuring Josh McGuire, Jordan McLean and superstar Tongan Jason Taumalolo.
Valentine Holmes had a mixed game on his return from a crack at NFL fame against Paramatta but the lightning-quick full-back hinted at better things to come.
Getting back to the level which brought an incredible 12 tries for Australia during the 2017 World Cup will take time, but the magic is still clearly there.
Let’s finish off our Bulldogs vs Cowboys betting tips by taking 10/1 for Holmes to score the opening try.
Additional stats
Last result:
Eels 8-2 BULLDOGS
COWBOYS 21-28 Broncos
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