Bulldogs vs Roosters Thursday night footy betting tips, April 19

7.50pm Thursday April 19, 2018, at ANZ Stadium

THURSDAY night footy presents an interesting match up as the Canterbury Bulldogs host the Sydney Roosters at ANZ Stadium.

After an ordinary start to the season, the Dogs could be ready to get their season rolling after recording a powerful 17 point win over the North Queensland Cowboys away from home. The away side lead from start to finish and have not looked better in 2018.

A win on Thursday night would confirm the Dogs are legitimate finals contenders this campaign.

The Sydney Roosters looked like they were back in business after recording a hard-fought win over the Sharks a fortnight ago, but the defeat last week to the Burgess-less Bunnies was arguably the Tricolours’ most disappointing loss of 2018.

Can the Chooks find the consistency required to be a true contender or will the Bulldogs finally get into the winning groove?

Players to watch – Bulldogs v Roosters

Bulldogs – Marcelo Montoya: Young gun Marcelo Montoya played well last week, opening the try scoring for the game in his side’s strong win over the Cowboys. The Fijian flyer has been dynamic this season, offering the team explosive pace and scoring ability. For the Dogs to win Montoya will need to have an impact.

Roosters – James Tedesco: The man they call ‘Teddy’ has yet to fully hit his straps this season, but it seems like only a matter of time before he takes the competition by the scruff of the neck. Tedesco said himself that his “best is yet to come” in 2018, and Thursday night would be the perfect time to show it.

Predicted Bulldogs team

1 Moses Mbye, 2 Brett Morris, 3 Josh Morris, 4 Will Hopoate, 5 Marcelo Montoya, 6 Jeremy Marshall-King, 7 Kieran Foran, 8 Aaron Woods, 9 Michael Lichaa, 10 David Klemmer, 11 Josh Jackson (c), 12 Raymond Faitala-Mariner, 13 Adam Elliott

Interchange: 14 Asipeli Fine, 15 Danny Fualalo, 16 Greg Eastwood, 17 Kerrod Holland

Predicted Roosters team

1 James Tedesco, 2 Reece Robinson, 3 Latrell Mitchell, 4 Joseph Manu, 5 Blake Ferguson, 6 Luke Keary, 7 Cooper Cronk, 14 Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, 9 Jake Friend (c), 10 Dylan Napa, 11 Boyd Cordner (c), 12 Ryan Matterson, 13 Isaac Liu

Interchange: 15 Zane Tetevano, 16 Mitchell Aubusson, 17 Victor Radley, 18 Nat Butcher

Bulldogs v Roosters – who wins?

Which Sydney Roosters side will go up on Thursday night?

At their best the Chooks have looked unbeatable, but after a shock loss to the Bunnies last week pundits are starting to lose patience with the star-studded Sydney.

The Bulldogs have looked gritty at times and listless at others. While their win over the Cowboys was terrific last round, North Queensland had hardly been setting the world on fire up until that point.

We’re tipping the Roosters, but not with a lot of confidence. The Tedesco and Cronk combination should be too classy for the Dogs, who have conceded 140 points across the opening six rounds – the fifth worst record in the league.

Tip: Sydney Roosters to win by 1-12 points ($3.10 at Sportsbet)