Australian Rugby League may prove popular with U.S. sports bettors
The Melbourne Storm take on the Penrith Panthers in NRL action. (Photo by Sport the Library/Icon Sportswire)
The South Sydney Rabbitohs, Brisbane Broncos and Melbourne Storm may not be household names in the U.S., but in these uncertain times, that could quickly change!
Australia’s National Rugby League (NRL) competition has just commenced its 2020 season Down Under, and for now at least, it’s one of the few sporting events available anywhere in the world that Americans are still able to wager on.
Round 2 of the NRL commences this Thursday Mar. 19, when the Canterbury Bulldogs host the North Queensland Cowboys in Sydney at 5.00am Eastern Time.
The Cowboys are -135 moneyline road favorites at BetAmerica, with the Bulldogs at +115 and the line set at three points.
Canterbury Bulldogs vs. North Queensland Cowboys
| Canterbury Bulldogs | Draw | North Queensland Cowboys |
|---|
+115 | +1700 | -135 |
“The Doggies couldn’t even manage a try in their round 1 clash against the Eels, so there should be plenty of interest in the Cowboys to cover the spread considering they weren’t disgraced in a high-scoring loss to the Broncos last weekend,” said BetAmerica’s Andrew Brown.
The Cowboys (+2000) and Bulldogs (+4000) are considered outside chances of winning the 2020 NRL Premiership at BetAmerica.
Canterbury Bulldogs vs. North Queensland Cowboys
| Canterbury Bulldogs | Draw | North Queensland Cowboys |
|---|
+115 | +1700 | -135 |
Defending champion, the Sydney Roosters, top BetAmerica’s NRL futures market to go back-to-back at odds of +350, just in front of the Melbourne Storm (+450) and last year’s runner-up, the Canberra Raiders (+550).