We are down to the last 4 teams in Varsity Cup and we look at both semi-finals from a betting angle.
Let’s start with a look at the Outright Betting where we have the NWU Eagles trading as 4/6 favourites, the Maties are 27/20 and the Shimlas are 13/2 with the Ikeys priced at 17/2.
You can click here for the latest Varsity Cup Outright betting.
MATIES v SHIMLAS – Click here to bet
Maties finished second on the log with 6 victories and 1 defeat, that defeat came in their opening match against Pukke and they have a 100% record since that point. Last week they were pushed hard by CUT away, winning 26-20 and at home this season they lost that Pukke game, but beat Wits 23-12 and UJ 54-22 in what was perhaps their best performance of the season.
The Shimlas finished 3rd on the log with 5 victories and 2 losses and the fact that they were level on points with Maties was due to the number of 4 try bonus points they achieved. Shimlas last game was away at Wits where they came out on top, 24-12 in tough conditions. They were particularly strong on the road this season winning all 3 of their games at UJ, CUT and finally Wits.
Head-to-Head
Shimlas hosted Maties earlier in the season and it was Maties who came out on top, 38-29, but when Shimlas lasted visited Maties they won 44-12 in 2023.
Handicap: Maties -7.5
The handicap looks quite well set as Maties have really improved as the season has progressed, but they certainly won’t have things all their own way against Shimlas. I am going to wait for the Total Points Lines here, before placing a bet.
Update 12h00 15 April
The points line is 60.5 and although conditions are good and Shimlas are a side that plays running rugby I think unders is the play. This is a semi-final and the last time Maties hosted Shimlas in 2023 there were 56 points.
Suggested Bet: Under 60.5 points at 17/20
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NWU EAGLES v UCT IKEYS – Click here to bet
The Eagles, or Pukke as they are commonly known, topped the table with 6 victories and 1 loss in their 7 matches. They were at home to the same opponents, Ikeys, last week winning 30-18 on a field which had taken quite a bit of rain the previous couple of days. They have played 3 home matches this season winning each of them starting with a 34 point win over UWC, a 29 point victory over Wits and finally that 12 point win over UCT.
UCT finished 4th on the log with 4 wins, a draw and 2 losses. They went down by 12 points to Pukke last week and the week before that hammered UWC 91-9 on the road. They played 4 games away from home, losing 1, drawing 33-33 with Wits and winning the other 2 against UWC and Shimlas.
Head-to-Head
Pukke have won their last 3 meetings against UCT and that included last year’s Final where they won 27-25 at home.
Handicap: NWU Eagles -7.5
I have been impressed with the Eagles this season and why the Ikeys are a side you can never rule out, I think that the home team are going to be too strong in front of a passionate crowd.
Suggested Bet: Handicap, NWU Eagles -7.5 at 17/20
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Note: All prices correct at the time of writing but are subject to change
