Franco Smith has selected McDowall ahead of Lions centre Huw Jones for the visit of the South Africans.
McDowall has sometimes found himself on the fringes for major fixtures with Tuipulotu and Jones forming such a potent centre combination. However the 28-year-old has featured more frequently than either member of the 'Huwipulotu' partnership across Smith's four seasons in charge.
"I can't remember when Stafford's had a bad game for us," said Smith. "He's always played well. I think from an international perspective, the 'Huwipulotu' combination is very well known and very well respected.
"Stafford's missed out on some of those opportunities even if he played well, just because I agree, the other two are also playing well.
"He just has a different skill-set and he's contributed so much in a different role as a leader in this environment. I felt for this specific game, it was important to convert some of those qualities into a good performance."
Tuipulotu and Jones combined in last week's victory over Benetton, which kept Glasgow four points clear at the top of the URC table, but the midfield partnership lacked some of its usual fluency on that occasion.
Explaining his selection, Smith emphasised McDowall's current form and contribution to the squad.
"It is tough but it is not, you know. I think Stafford's been playing really, really well and Huw is just coming back into our environment.
"I just felt Stafford has contributed a lot during the Six Nations here for us as well and this allows Huw to get more back on par with what we are doing. But it is more about Stafford playing really well and also to have that extra left foot (kicking option) in this game was always going to be important."
The Bulls were the last team to win at Scotstoun, claiming a 26-19 victory in April, although Glasgow had already secured a home play-off by that stage. Earlier this season, the Warriors recorded a 21-12 win over the South African side, who remain the only team to deny them a four-try bonus point at home this campaign.
While the rivalry has grown since Glasgow's victory in Pretoria to secure the 2024 URC title, Smith insisted the focus remains firmly on the present challenge.
"No, not as much as they would have spoken about us beating them in that final," he added. "It's not what happens in our environment. It's about what needs to be done. This is about knockout rugby and delivering the best version of ourselves that we can.
"They've brought 14 Springboks on tour. They're finding form, they're determined. It's a quality team. Like us, they've got really good players. It's going to be a tough encounter and it should be like that."