Rugby League

2025-05-10 - Canberra Raiders vs Canterbury Bulldogs

A Sports Betting Pick by Stu

Canberra Raiders v Canterbury Bulldogs
Rugby League : Australia : NRL Season 2025
Saturday 10th May 2025 - KO 1730 AEST

Canberra Raiders

The Canberra Raiders have had an impressive start to the 2025 season, romping through the Warriors in round one in Vegas and opening the season 3-0, impressively through 9 rounds the Raiders are 7-2 placing them in second on the NRL ladder.

Under the guidance of crafty coach Ricky Stuart, the Raiders have developed a balanced team, their youth ranks finally delivering some much-needed talent too, with a strong defensive structure and an effective attacking unit that can more or less score from anywhere.

Key players like captain Joseph Tapine and Hudson Young up front and Jamal Fogarty guiding them around the park have been superb to date, can they keep it up in the toughest match of 2025 against the number one ranked team, Canterbury?

The Raiders defence has been exceptional and is certainly their strongest notable attribute this season. Conceding 198 points for an average of 22 ppg – 2 blowouts vs Manly and Cronulla each scoring 40 points shows how well their defence in other matches has performed.

Their recent victory over the Melbourne Storm, where they claimed a 20-18 win in golden point after coming from 6 points down late on to force extra time, then slotting the penalty at their first opportunity was a huge upset and again shows that Canberra is a force to be reckoned with in 2025.

Canberra Raiders Team news – no team changes announced.

Canterbury Bulldogs

The Canterbury Bulldogs have also had a superb start to the 2025 season, well ahead of predictions and currently sitting atop of the NRL ladder losing just one match through 8 matches played 7-1.

Since arriving at the Club from Penrith, Cameron Ciraldo has the Bulldogs firing and they have developed a formidable team with a strong defensive structure. Key players like Matt Burton and Viliame Kikau have been instrumental in their performances, and with captain Stephen Crichton on fire form wise, its just a matter of where Canterbury finish in the top 4, not if.

Just like Canberra, the Bulldogs defence has been solid, but they will need to maintain their consistency to counter the Raiders attacking threats. Their recent victory over the Gold Coast Titans, where they claimed a convincing 38-18 win, showcased their attacking prowess, albeit against a team that is struggling to gel.

The inclusion of Harry Hayes in the back row and the return of Matt Burton from suspension will add depth to the squad, easily making this the match of the round.

Canterbury Bulldogs Team news – Burton returns, and Preston has been suspended for 4 weeks, Hayes will be the likely replacement although at time of writing this is not official, Hopoi most likely coming on to the bench.

Odds

The Raiders at home will start as slight favourites, $1.75 to $2.10, the line is 2.5 points and combined points 44.5

The Betting Verdict

Canberra lead the H2H 24-19 from the 43 matches played and with matches between the Canberra Raiders and the Canterbury Bulldogs generally being closely contested, we should in for an intriguing, physical encounter. The Raiders have had the upper hand in recent years, winning 9 matches in a row before the Dogs got one back 22-18 in round 22 last season, returning the favour for Canberra’s victory earlier in 2024 also by 4 points, 24-20.

Key matchups to watch include the battle between Joseph Tapine and Viliame Kikau. Both players are crucial to their teams forward packs, both have a great offloading ability and attract multiple defenders which can create scoring opportunities. Additionally, the battle between Jamal Fogarty and Matt Burton in the halves will be a contest of playmaking abilities and goal kicking that could determine the outcome in this fixture.

This match is super close, we have 1 v 2, close recent results and two strong defensive teams with ability to score from anywhere. Either team could win, but the match should remain close, ie 1-12 for your choice of team.

For me, the return of Burton, makes a big difference for Canterbury but this is tempered with Preston being out, on the flip side, Canberra are aiming for 7 wins in a row and have the same 17 announced again. Given the high probability this match remains close, taking the points head start for Canterbury is my best choice here in what is also a probable low scoring match under 40 points.

Dogs to win by 6 points in a close one