Eels vs Bulldogs NRL Round 1 betting odds & predictions

Parramatta Eels vs Canterbury Bulldogs NRL betting preview

The 2020 NRL Premiership season kicks off this Thursday with a first-up grudge match between the Parramatta Eels and the Canterbury Bulldogs.

The Eels were the biggest movers last season, rising from bottom of the ladder to fifth place and a semi-final berth. Parra’s daring, all-action style won them plenty of fans and proved especially potent at Bankwest Stadium, where they racked up big numbers on several occasions.

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The Bulldogs enjoyed a solid finish to the 2019 campaign, but it was far too little and much too late. There is no love for Dean Pay’s men in 2020, as they start the season among the favourites for the wooden spoon.

As if Canterbury didn’t have enough problems already, the club confirmed earlier this week that both Jayden Okunbor and Corey Harawira-Naera had been stood down due to a sex scandal concerning a recent team event at a Port Macquarie high school. Both players have been issued show-cause notices for alleged breaches of the NRL’s code of conduct.

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Parramatta Eels team news

New boys Ryan Matterson and Reagan Campbell-Gillard will start in the forward pack, while Waqa Blake and Maika Sivo have both been named in the back half. Brad Takairangi headlines an impressive Parra interchange.

Canterbury Bulldogs team news

Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Christian Chrichton, Nick Meaney and Jeremy Marshall-King have all made the starting 13 after missing Canterbury’s last trial match. Brandon Wakeham edges out Jack Cogger for the five-eighth role alongside Lachlan Lewis.

Eels vs Bulldogs tryscorer betting tips

Sivo finished his maiden NRL campaign with a league-high 22 tries from 25 games. While the Fijian flyer has had his issues in the offseason, he is now cleared to play and will be hard to stop at Fortress Bankwest.

Meaney was a solid performer last year in a Bulldogs side that often struggled to create much for their wingers to work with. The 22-year-old Lismore native enters the 2020 season as Canterbury’s go-to guy on the flanks.

Eels vs Bulldogs NRL Round 1 predictions

This was a one-sided matchup to begin with, but recent developments at Belmore have only widened the gap. The Eels are fearsome on their home deck and should open the NRL 2020 season with a comfortable win.