The Brisbane Broncos and Canterbury Bulldogs will both be looking to break their respective losing streaks when they square off in their round 9 matchup on Saturday. With the two teams combining for just three wins this season and now, completely desperate to make a move up the standings, let’s find out which one of these underachieving clubs is offering the best betting value against their round 9 NRL odds.
NRL Bulldogs Vs Broncos Round 9
Why Bet On The Broncos
Brisbane is sitting in 14th place in the 16-team NRL standings with an uninspiring four points. The Broncos have scored 108 points this season while allowing 235 points defensively (-117), good for the second most in the NRL so far behind North Queensland. Brisbane has gone an uninspiring 1-3 at home and on the road this season. More importantly, the Broncos have lost a shopping six consecutive games including a 26-16 road loss against the New Zealand Warriors on Saturday. Xavier Coates scored a pair of tries and Herbie Farnworth added another. Jamayne Isaako went 2-for-3 on conversions, but it wasn’t enough as Brisbane gave up five tries and three conversions in their most recent defeat.
Now, heading into round 9, the Broncos will see star Kotoni Staggs back in action after dealing with a hamstring injury. Back-rower David Fifita is at least two weeks away from returning. Staggs’s return will push Herbie Farnworth from center to the wing with Jamayne Isaako dropping out of the lineup. Bench utility player Cory Paix returns from injury and Tom Dearden drops out of the lineup. Tevita Pangai Jr. has been shifted to prop, Thomas Flegler to the bench and Corey Oates to starting in the second row.
Why Bet On The Bulldogs
Canterbury is sitting in last place in the 16-team NRL standings with a paltry two points. The Bulldogs have been limited to a paltry 86 points this season while allowing 188 points defensively (-102). Canterbury has gone 1-4 at home and a winless 0-3 on the road this season. Canterbury has dropped four straight including a 26-10 home loss against the South Sydney Rabbitohs on Sunday. Marcelo Montoya and Raymond Faitala-Mariner scored tries while Nick Meaney went 1-for-2 on conversions. Still, it wasn’t enough as the Bulldogs gave up four tries, four conversions and one penalty goal in the loss.
Now, heading into round 9, lock Adam Elliott is out with a dislocated shoulder, with British recruit Luke Thompson making his club debut in the No.13 jersey. Canterbury was granted a player exemption on Thursday with Chris Smith joining the squad for Dean Britt.
General Match Info Canterbury Bulldogs (1-0-7) vs. Brisbane Broncos (2-0-6)
- When: Saturday, July 11, 2020 at 2:30 AM AEST
- Where: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
- Bulldogs Vs Broncos Live: Nine/Fox Sports
- Hnadicap: Broncos -3.5
- Money Lines: Broncos -153 / Bulldogs +129
Expert Analysis and Prediction
The Broncos haven’t suffered seven straight losses since 2005 and the Bulldogs have not beaten the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium since 2015. Despite those two facts, I genuinely believe that Canterbury is going to show up with a solid effort to at least cover the chalk as a 3.5-point road dog. Brisbane has the statistically better offense in this matchup, having scored 20 points more than Canterbury, but the Broncos have been an absolute mess defensively in allowing the second most points in the NRL this season. Not only that, but the Bulldogs have won two of the last three meetings in this rivalry including an emphatic 30-14 home win the last time these two met on September 7 of last year. Simply put, I just can’t bring myself to back Brisbane, seeing as how they’ve looked almost completely inept in dropping their last six games. Canterbury covers the chalk – by getting the outright road win!
Pick: Bulldogs 26 Broncos 22
Telstra Premiership 2020 Round 9 Matches
- Roosters vs Cowboys – Thursday 9th July, 05:50 AM | Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville
- Warriors vs Titans – Friday 10th July, 04:00 AM | Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast
- Wests Tigers vs Rabbitohs – Friday 10th July, 05:55 AM | Bankwest Stadium, Sydney
- Panthers vs Sharks – Friday 10th July, 01:00 AM | Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Sydney
- Storm vs Raiders – Saturday 11th July, 05:35 AM | GIO Stadium, Canberra
- Eels vs Knights – Sunday 12th July, 02:05 AM | McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
- Sea Eagles vs Dragons – Sunday 12th July, 04:30 AM | Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Sydney
