The final has arrived, and it’s a sold-out crowd at Apollo Projects Stadium in Christchurch on Saturday afternoon.
It’s quite clearly the two best teams in the competition going at it, which is exactly how you want it to be.
Could this be Otago’s year?
They haven’t won the NPC since 1998, but this year, they have the Ranfurly Shield, momentum on their side, and quite possibly the better team.
It’s just whether they have the experience to take on this Canterbury outfit at home, in a final!
Otago have scored 40+ points in four consecutive weeks heading into this final, but they have a tough ask here. Canterbury’s defence has been impeccable for most of the season, particularly on their own goal line.
But where Otago become a real threat is their ruck speed and ability to break away from anywhere on the park. Dylan Pledger has played a massive role in that regard. He’s a live wire and when he’s on the park, there’s always something happening.
Despite Otago’s attacking dominance, they’ve been leaking points too, which has ended up in closer games than they would’ve liked.
Whichever way this game goes, I think we’ll see a tight one. As long as you can get Otago within a penalty, I’d be happy taking them to cover the spread.
To all the Canterbury punters out there, I haven’t forgotten, and I know how good this side is.
Getting them at 1-12 at $2.90 is great value, and it’s largely due to players like George Bell and Sam Darry, who have played huge roles throughout the season and are deserving of their call-ups into the New Zealand squad that’s headed north.
Their experience in finals is what sells this for me, and the fact that there’s a spot where both my best and this bet could hit.
- Otago +4.5
- Over 53.5 Total Points
- Dylan Pledger Anytime Tryscorer
When you get in the betcha app, be sure to take advantage of the Same Game Multi Cover tool, so if the multi misses by one leg, you’ll get your stake back as bonus cash up to $50.