NRL Round 2 Odds Preview: Cronulla the Betting Underdog Against Canberra

The opening round of the National Rugby League season produced its share of upsets, and oddsmakers are not confident about many of the matches heading into Round 2, with the lines for all eight games at a converted try or less.

Confidence in the Cronulla Sharks' title defence has certainly plummeted after they lost the season opener to the Brisbane Broncos, and they go into Saturday's clash with Canberra Raiders at GIO Stadium as $2.40 (AUD) outsiders.

The Raiders, who were also Round 1 losers, are $1.57 to bounce back with a win on home soil and consign the Sharks to a 0-2 start, according to AustralianGambling.com.au.

The round kicks off on Thursday night when the Sydney Roosters, who were big winners over the Gold Coast Titans last week, host the Canterbury Bulldogs at Allianz Arena.

The Roosters start the shortest-priced favourites of the round at $1.45 against a six-point line with the Bulldogs $2.75 having succumbed to the Melbourne Storm last week.

Speaking of the Storm, they travel to New Zealand for the early game on Friday to take on the Warriors, who beat the Newcastle Knights last week despite starting at a short price.

The Storm are $1.74 having won twice against New Zealand last season, while the home side are at $2.10.

The highlight of the round is the all-Queensland battle between the Brisbane Broncos and the North Queensland Cowboys. The Cowboys and the Broncos were both Round 1 winners, and there is a real confidence for big 2017s from both teams, who of course played out an epic 2015 Grand Final.

The oddsmakers can't split them. They are both $1.90, despite the Broncos having not lost to the Titans at Lang Park in five years.

The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles and the South Sydney Rabbitohs both lost their opening matches and will be desperate to get a win on the board when they meet at Lottoland on Saturday afternoon. The Sea Eagles are priced as $1.60 favourites with the Rabbitohs at $2.35.

Sunday's matches promise to be tight with little between both the Wests Tigers ($2) and Penrith Panthers ($1.80) and the St George Illawarra Dragons ($2) and the Parramatta Eels ($1.80).

Interestingly, both the Tigers and Dragons were the big winners of Round 1, but both are slight outsiders going into their Round 2 matches.