Australia vs. Cook Islands Predictions

Starts in 3d 0h

Match Details

Date: Saturday, 31 October 2026
Start Time: 8:05 PM (AEST)
Stadium: Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville

Australia looks to remain unbeaten in the group stage, and if they get past the Cook Islands, they’ll be the only unbeaten team in the competition, with Tonga and Samoa playing each other on Sunday. They’re -71.5 favourites to beat the Cook Islands, and after a dull showing against Fiji, they could explode with a one-sided victory.

Best Bet

Australia -71.5 @ $1.90

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Covering a -71.5 spread is not easy, but this should be a one-sided game from the outset, and Australia has a point to prove.

They didn’t look good against Fiji last week, and despite beating New Zealand in the opening game, they didn’t look good then either. They relied mostly on intercepts to win that game, so they need a confidence-building win this week.

It’s likely to come against Cook Islands, who showed some fight early against New Zealand, but they were well and truly pumped after that. They led 16-12 at one stage, but they lost 82-16, so they allowed 70 unanswered points.

Something similar could happen on Saturday, and Australia should run in plenty of tries to cover the -71.5 spread.

Same Game Multi

Australia -71.5, Bradman Best 2+ Tries, Liam Martin Anytime Try Scorer, Total Points Over 79.5 @ $6.00

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We have Bradman Best scoring 2+ tries, and scoring tries against Cook Islands won’t be hard. He’s a tough player to stop close to the line, and he’s due for a big performance in the try-scoring department.

We also have Liam Martin scoring a try at $1.79. Those odds are better than expected for the Penrith Panther’s forward who has a knack of scoring tries, and we have him busting through the line for a four pointer.

We haven’t seen a 79.5-point line for some time, but we’re backing the over, as Australia could score 80+ points.

Best Value Bet

Jack Bostock First Try Scorer @ $5.00

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Jack Bostock has been a force to be reckoned with this World Cup, and he could leap over defenders to score the opening try.

He dominated New Zealand in the air, and he looked good against Fiji, so Australia should kick to his side of the field early in the game.

The $5 odds are short, but worth taking for some value.

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Editor-In-Chief

Daryl Curnow

After graduating from the University of Auckland (BA - English), Daryl Curnow was thrown into the world of sports and horse racing journalism.

Having worked as a racing journalist for two years, he decided to move into the online world of horse racing and sports writing. After years of honing his craft, Daryl became a professional punter in 2009 - with a focus on horse racing, NRL, AFL, NBA, Rugby, NFL, and US college sports.

Daryl's tips have been featured on various websites around the world before joining the GoBet team. When he's not working, Daryl tries to avoid making bogeys on the golf course.