Bulldogs v Cowboys NRL Rd 5 best bets & multi tips – 2/4/2023

Round five of the 2023 NRL Premiership wraps up in Sydney on Sunday when the Canterbury Bulldogs host the North Queensland Cowboys at Accor Stadium. The Bulldogs will be looking to bounce back from their narrow loss to the Warriors in New Zealand, while the Cowboys will be pushing for a second-straight victory having beaten the Titans.

Bulldogs lock Fa’amanu Brown has been ruled out indefinitely with an elbow injury, which brings former Canterbury premiership winner Josh Reynolds onto the interchange bench. Coach Cameron Ciraldo has also replaced Jayden Tanner with Franklin Pele.

The North Queensland Cowboys have made a number of changes as they welcome Peta Hiku back from suspension. They have also lost Murray Taulagi, Jeremiah Nanai and James Tamou, who have been replaced by Mitchell Dunn, Brendan Elliot and Riley Price, with the latter making his NRL debut.

With the number of losses to the Cowboys side, the Bulldogs have been backed from $2 into as short as $1.77 in the match markets. Playing at home and needing to respond after their disappointing loss last week, the Bulldogs should be able to secure a win. If you’re quick, you can still get $1.85 for the Dogs at BetOnline.

Jacob Kiraz has won fans the league over with his form to start the 2023 NRL season. A strong, athletic ball-runner who never gives up on a play, the Bulldogs winger has broken tackles and defensive lines for fun, scoring three tries in his last three matches – including a double against the Storm in Melbourne. Marking up on NRL journeyman Elliot, Kiraz will almost certainly be the target of the Bulldogs’ attacking structure, which should see him score a try at any time during the match ($2.50).

The Cowboys are missing key parts of their squad, including Kangaroos representatives Nanai and Taulagi. Meanwhile, the Canterbury Bulldogs continue to improve various aspects of their game week-on-week. Their strong forward pack, with the addition of Reynolds, should make the home side very tough to gain an edge over. Look for the Bulldogs to complete the half-time/full-time double en route to their win ($2.40).

Wet and rainy conditions are predicted for Sydney over the weekend, particularly on Sunday. Accor Stadium can be a difficult ground to score points on at the best of times, regardless of challenging weather. As a result, we see this match finishing below 39.5 total points ($1.90).

Key matchup: Viliame Kikau v Heilum Luki

Viliame Kikau vs Heilum Luki

The battle of the Cowboys defensive right-edge could be the deciding factor of this match, should Heilum Luki line up there. Luki is returning from an ACL injury suffered in 2022 and has just 77 playing minutes under his belt in 2023. He could struggle to contain Kikau, who will target his underdone opposite back-rower. Look for the much stronger Kikau to dominate this matchup, forcing Cowboys coach Todd Payton to make changes on that edge.

Bulldogs v Cowboys NRL Rd 5 betting prediction

Bulldogs v Cowboys NRL Rd 5 same game multi

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