Round 5 of the VURC kicks off on Friday with the Bulls taking on the Scarlets in Wales. Saturday sees the Lions play Zebre in Italy while the Sharks and the Stormers return home to take on the Glasgow Warriors and Munster respectively.
We look at these four matches from a betting angle.
Leinster remain firm favourites at 1.61 to win the URC with the Vodacom Bulls 2nd in the betting and the top South Africa team at 5.50.
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FRIDAY
Scarlets v Vodacom Bulls – Click here to bet
The Scarlets managed to get their first win of this season last weekend causing a minor upset as they beat Cardiff 19-25 away from home to move up to 10th on the log.
The Bulls have continued their perfect start to the season, beating the Ospreys last 19-29 on the road and they sit 4th on the table with a game in hand over the top 2 teams.
Head-to-Head
The teams have faced each other three times over the past few years with the Bulls winning both of their fixtures at home but losing to the Scarlets when they played away.
Betting and Verdict
The Bulls are favourites to win and are trading at 1.16 while the Scarlets are trading at 6.50 for the win and the draw at 41.00. Although the Bulls are in my opinion the stronger side, the Scarlets are playing well and I don’t think the Bulls will run away with this one.
Handicap: Scarlets [+12.5]
BET: Winning Margin Bulls under 12.5 points at 14/10
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SATURDAY
Zebre v Lions – Click here to bet
Zebre have only managed to win one of their four matches so far this season with their only win coming in the second round at home to Munster. They travelled to play the Glasgow Warriors last weekend and ended up losing the match 33-3 and they are 15th on the log.
The Lions have now won 3 from 3 beating the Dragons 19-23 away from home last weekend and they sit 3rd on the table with a game in hand over the 2 sides above them.
Head-to-Head
The Lions have played Zebre three times and have won all three matches, beating them by 12 points or more on every occasion.
Betting and Verdict
The bookies have the Lions as favourites to win and have them trading at 1.14 while Zebre are trading at 7.00 and the draw at 41.00.
The Lions look to be genuine playoff contenders this year and I am backing them to beat the handicap.
Handicap: Lions [-13.5]
BET: Handicap, Lions [-13.5] at 1.95.
Sharks v Glasgow Warriors – Click here to bet
The Sharks are coming off the back of a 38-10 defeat to Benetton last weekend in Italy a result that leaves them 14th on the log.
The Glasgow Warriors are coming off the back of a 33-3 win against Zebre and they have now won their last three matches since an opening weekend loss to Ulster.
Head-to-Head
The two sides have played each other three times with Glasgow winning the two encounters in Scotland while the Sharks won the only match in Durban.
Betting and Verdict
The Sharks are favourites to win this weekend and are trading at 1.40 while Glasgow are trading at 3.50 and the draw is 23.00.
The defending champions have had a really good start to the season, only losing their first match by one point away from home then going on to win the next three in a row. They have also shown that they know how to win in South Africa, beating the Bulls in Pretoria in last years Grand Final. Although the Sharks will be glad to be playing at home, I can see Glasgow giving them a run for their money.
Handicap: Glasgow [+6.5]
BET: Handicap, Glasgow [+6.5] at 1.90.
Stormers v Munster – Click here to bet
Both teams are coming off the back of losses last weekend away from home as the Stormers lost 38-7 to Edinburgh to sit bottom of the log.
Munster lost 26-12 to a very strong Leinster side on the road and they are sitting in 7th spot on the table with a 50% win/loss record.
Head-to-Head
The two sides have played each other four times in the URC with Munster winning all four of those matches. Two of the matches were played in Cape Town with one being the 2023 URC Final.
Betting and Verdict
The Stormers are favourites to win this weekend and are trading at 1.35 while Munster are trading at 3.70 and the draw at 29.00.
Although the Stormers are at home, the fact that they have never beaten Munster puts the pressure on them and I see this as an opportunity to back the underdog.
Handicap: Munster [+7.5]
BET: Munster to win at 3.70.
Note: All prices correct at the time of writing but are subject to change
