Only three weeks remain in the pool stages of this year’s Super Rugby competition, with everything on the line as the race for the 6 playoff places intensifies.
Just four matches take place this weekend, and we will look at all of them from a betting angle before laying down a few bets.
The Chiefs and Hurricanes top the betting boards at 2.50 and you can click here for the latest outright betting
FRIDAY
Chiefs V Highlanders — Click here to bet
The Chiefs have been in superb form, winning their last six matches in a row. Their home form has seen them claim their last four at Hamilton, with wins coming against the Drua, Hurricanes, Waratahs and Moana Pasifika. Their most recent result saw them pick up an impressive 21-31 win over the Reds away from home last weekend.
The Highlanders are coming into this weekend off the back of a solid win of their own, having beaten the Waratahs 31-26 at home. They currently sit in seventh place on the table and are looking to break into the top six.
Head-to-head
The Chiefs have been dominant against the Highlanders in recent seasons, winning all of the last five matches between the sides. The last time they met, the Chiefs pulled off a nail-biter, winning 26-23 away from home. The last time the Chiefs hosted the Highlanders, they ran out 46-10 winners.
Betting and Verdict
The bookies have the Chiefs at 1.11 while the Highlanders are out at 8.00.
The handicap is set at Chiefs -17.5.
The Chiefs have been able to cover a margin of 17.5 in three of their last five matches, as well as in the last fixture between the two sides in Hamilton. I think we will see them cover the handicap again this weekend.
Suggested Bet: Handicap, Chiefs [-17.5] at 1.95
SATURDAY
Fijian Drua v Waratahs — Click here to bet
The Drua have found some real form recently, winning three of their last five matches. Their big results have come against the Highlanders two weekends ago (24-14 at home), the Brumbies away from home and the Western Force at home.
The Waratahs, on the other hand, are heading into this fixture off the back of three straight losses. The match against the Highlanders last weekend saw them put up a brave fight away from home but they ended up losing 31-26. Their other two losses came against the Western Force and Crusaders.
Head-to-head
The Waratahs have the upper hand in the H2H, winning three of the last five, with the Fijian Drua winning one and the other ending in a draw. The most recent meeting saw the Waratahs win 36-13, while the last match hosted by the Drua saw them win 28-14.
Betting and Verdict
The Fijian Drua are favourites this weekend, trading at 1.33 while the Waratahs are out at 3.85.
The handicap is set at Fijian Drua -9.5.
The Drua have been on fire at home this season, winning four of their last five, and I think they should be able to cover the handicap against a bruised Waratahs side that hasn’t won an away match since March.
Suggested Bet: Handicap, Fijian Drua [-9.5] at 1.93.
Blues v Hurricanes — Click here to bet
The match of the weekend. The Blues come into this game off the back of a 36-20 loss to the Crusaders away from home. However, they were on a three-game winning streak before that, beating Moana Pasifika in the Super Round and the Reds and Highlanders both at home.
The Hurricanes have been on fire this season, winning nine of their eleven matches. They head into the weekend on a three-match winning streak, hammering Moana Pasifika 50-17 away from home and then beating the Crusaders and Brumbies both at home, all in the last three weeks.
Head-to-head
The H2H is tightly contested, as one would expect, with the Blues having the upper hand over the last five, winning three. The Hurricanes won the most recent fixture earlier this year, with the match ending 42-19.
Betting and Verdict
The Blues are at 2.60 while the Hurricanes are at 1.60.
The handicap is currently set at Hurricanes -4.5
This is the only match this weekend where we won’t look at the handicap as a bet, but rather the total points. In three of the last four matches between the sides, more than 56.5 points have been scored. The Hurricanes are looking devastating on attack this year, putting up 50, 38 and 45 points in their last three matches, while the Blues have scored 20, 45, 36 and 47 in their last four.
With Auckland predicted to have no rain this weekend, I think we are going to see a big-scoring match.
Suggested Bet: Total points over 56.5 at 2.00.
Western Force v Reds — Click here to bet
The weekend ends with an exciting Australian derby, with one side trying to hang on to their spot in the playoffs and the other trying to make the season look a little better with some late victories.
The Western Force enter the match having won three of their last five, a turnaround that came after they only managed one win in their previous six. They are, however, coming off the back of a 32-15 loss to the Brumbies last weekend.
The Reds, on the other hand, got off to a strong start this season but have slowly let that slip away in the later stages, winning only two of their last five. Their most recent match saw them lose 31-21 to the Chiefs at home.
Head-to-head
The Reds had been dominating the Force over recent years, winning four games in a row, but a remarkable 19-42 shock saw the Force end that streak just last month. To make it even more impressive, the Force were away from home.
Betting and Verdict
The Force are favourites to win this weekend, trading at 1.77 while the Reds are at 2.25.
The handicap is set at Western Force -1.5.
This is going to be the hardest one to call this weekend, but with the Western Force coming into the match in better form and on the back of their shock upset against the Reds last month, I think we will see them win again this weekend.
Suggested Bet: Handicap, Western Force [-1.5] at 1.83.
Click here for betting on all the weekend’s Super Rugby matches
Note: All prices correct at the time of writing but are subject to change
