Canterbury Bulldogs v Brisbane Broncos: NRL Friday preview

Canterbury Bulldogs and Brisbane Broncos get Round 18 of the NRL underway with a blockbuster showdown on Friday night.

The Bulldogs slipped to second on the ladder following a defeat to Penrith Panthers and will be desperate to bounce back.

The Broncos are a team on the up after winning their last three NRL games to take them up to fifth spot on the ladder.

They are looking to close the gap on the top four and another two points will be the order of the day for them.

Both sides will be affected by State of Origin call-ups and the outcome of the game could depend on who copes the best without some big stars.

Even so, there will be heaps of quality on show and an explosive game looks to be on the cards at Accor Stadium.

Canterbury Bulldogs v Brisbane Broncos betting preview

Bulldogs looking to bounce back

The Bulldogs will have been licking their wounds after slipping to an 8-6 defeat against Penrith Panthers at the weekend.

With Canberra Raiders winning, it means that Cameron Ciraldo's side have relinquished top spot on the ladder.

They will be desperate to get it back and cannot afford back-to-back defeats when the Broncos arrive on Friday night.

The Bulldogs will be missing Origin stars Stephen Crichton, Jacob Kiraz and Max King, but they will keep Matt Burton, who has been overlooked by New South Wales.

Canterbury do have plenty of strength in depth, but it will be tested once again.

They will also be out for revenge after suffering a heavy 24-point defeat against the Broncos back in April.

The Bulldogs can be backed at 2.55 to bounce back in style and win by 13+ points.

They have been averaging 24 points a game this season and are priced at 1.85 to score over 24.5 points against the Bulldogs.

Broncos missing key quartet

Like the Bulldogs, the Broncos will be missing key players due to Origin call-ups.

Gehamat Shibasaki has earned a surprise call-up for the Maroon and will make his debut, while Reece Walsh and Pat Carrigan will also figure for Queensland.

Payne Haas will represent New South Wales, so there are some big holes to fill in the Broncos side.

They came through the last Origin period okay and have now won their last three games on the bounce.

A trip to Accor Stadium is a tough test, but they have a solid record at the venue, winning 16 out of 37 games they have played there.

If the Broncos are to win, it is likely to be tight, and they can be backed at 4.00 to win by 1-12 points.

They did pull off a shock earlier in the season though and another win by 13+ points is 7.00.

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Canterbury Bulldogs v Brisbane Broncos odds

Canterbury Bulldogs - 1.48
Brisbane Broncos - 2.65

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.