The battle of the two non-Brisbane Queensland teams lights up Townsville on Saturday afternoon, as the Titans head north to try and snap their three-game losing streak against the surging Cowboys, winners of three straight. Surely a tough game ahead for the visitors, let’s dive in and find some value.
Also, don’t forget to head to our NRL tips page for more previews, analysis and betting tips for every NRL match of every round!
North Queensland Cowboys vs Gold Coast Titans
Location: Queensland Country Bank Stadium - Townsville
Date: Saturday, 26th April
Time: 5:30pm AET
Odds: Cowboys ($1.40) vs Titans ($3.00)
Line: Cowboys -8.5
Points: 49.5
Odds and lines provided with thanks to Ladbrokes. Note that odds and lines can fluctuate throughout the week and are correct at the time of writing.
Match Preview
The Cowboys come into round 8 fresh off the bye and should be full of confidence off the back of three straight wins heading into their bye. The last time we saw the Cowboys was in Perth, where they defeated the Rabbitohs 24-16. It was a tough back-and-forth for the most part, with a 10-minute window in the second half where the Cowboys scored three unanswered tries proving to be the difference. Jason Taumalolo was back to his destructive best, running for over 200 metres, whilst Scott Drinkwater continued his great run of form.
The Titans looked better last week, after two straight losses of 20+ points, but it ultimately wasn’t enough, as they went down 30-20 at home to the Raiders. Without David Fifita and Jayden Campbell, it was expected the Titans would struggle, but they showed early that they wouldn’t go down without a fight, leading 16-0 after 25 minutes. Four unanswered tries in 16 minutes to the Raiders was enough to turn the tables though, and the Titans fell away after the promising start.
These teams met twice last season, with the first meeting taking place at this very ground. The Cowboys closed massive 16.5-point favourites, and despite winning easily, did not cover the massive spread, winning 35-22. They probably should have covered, leading 28-
4 with just over 20 minutes left, before allowing three quick tries to the Titans to allow them back inside the number. The teams met again in round 10 at Cbus Super Stadium, with the Cowboys closing 3.5-point road favourites. This time it was the Titans who got off to the hot start, leading 20-0 at halftime, before allowing the Cowboys to score three unanswered converted tries in the last 20 minutes to create the grandstand finish, however the Titans held on to win 20-18.
This week, the Cowboys were listed as 6.5-point home favourites, before re-opening at 8.5 after last weekend’s games. Money has slowly filtered in on the Titans, however they still sport an 8.5-point start, however it is now heavily juiced at some books. I make the spread about 8, so don’t see a tonne of value in the spread, although I would lean towards the Titans. However, a small win to the Cowboys does show some value, and the Cowboys 1-12 in my favourite bet here.
As for the total, it opened 49.5 and it hasn’t moved all week. I’d make it slightly lower at 48.5, however don’t see enough value to bet the total here.
Cowboys (1-12)
$3.40 (1 Unit)
Same Game Multi
Throughout the 2025 NRL season we’ll be putting together a fun same game multi for every match at BoomBet using their BetShare feature.
To follow our multi, just click on the BoomBet BetShare button below and our same game multi selections will be added straight into your bet slip on BoomBet. You can then enter how much you wish to wager, and with a single click, your bet has been placed!
Leg 1: Cowboys ML – Cowboys at home, off the bye, should have too much for the Titans.
Leg 2: A Khan-Pereira (1+ try) – AKP has proven over several seasons now to be a try scoring machine. Never a bad idea to have him in your multis. Also, attacking the weaker right side of the Cowboys always helps.
Leg 3: M Taulagi (1+ try) – Like Khan-Pereira, Taulagi gets to attack the weaker side of the Titans defence. Five tries in six games is also a strike rate I can get behind.
SGM Odds: $4.75 at BoomBet
