Back-to-back losses for the ‘Saders during their Australian road trip from Brisbane to Perth. Both games were lost 31-26… wonder if that’s worth a punt this weekend?
If you look at this game, though, the Crusaders really should be winning by a big margin. New stadium, home crowd and ending a losing streak couldn’t be any more motivating.
The Tahs got pumped by the Chiefs two weeks ago in Hamilton, and I’m expecting a similar result to the 42-14 scoreline.
Best: Crusaders -15.5 @ $1.87
Next: Betcha Boost – Sevu Reece, Macca Springer & Codie Taylor All Anytime Try Scorers @ $6.00
Tryscorer: Codie Taylor @ $1.80
Despite falling to the Chiefs last week in a Super point showdown, the Hurricanes are still one of the, if not the best, teams in the competition. Certainly to watch anyway.
Even though the Brumbies sit fourth on the table, I’m not overly convinced they’re one of the top teams at this midway point of the season.
After last week’s result, the ‘Canes will be wanting to redeem themselves. The line for this game isn’t big enough and could be an overreaction to last week’s loss.
Getting the ‘Canes at -13.5 when they’ve been putting 50 points on almost crazy. And they’re sound defensively too.
Best: Hurricanes -13.5 @ $1.85
Next: Over 62.5 Total Points @ $1.92
Tryscorer: Cam Roigard @ $1.88
This one feels a lot tighter than the other two on the slate. The Blues haven’t quite hit the heights we expected this season, but back at home, they’re still a completely different beast. Physical, direct, and they love turning it into a grind.
The Reds, though, are no pushovers. They’ve been one of the more improved Aussie sides and actually look dangerous with the ball in hand. The issue is consistency, especially away from home, where things can unravel pretty quickly.
If the Blues get on top up front, this could get away from the Reds late. But if the Reds can hang around early and move the ball, they’re every chance to cover.
Best: Blues -9.5 @ $1.90
Next: Under 57.5 Total Points @ $1.92
Tryscorer: Bradley Slater @ $1.98
This has all the makings of a classic “who shows up?” type of game. The Highlanders have been gritty but not exactly convincing and they’re hanging in contests without really putting teams away.
Moana Pasifika, on the other hand, are chaos. When they’re on, they can score from anywhere… but they leak points just quickly. Defence is a real concern.
You’d expect the ‘Landers to control the game here. Territory, set piece, and tempo. If they keep it structured, they should get the job done.
Feels like points either way, but the spread is quite large, so backing Moana with the points might not be a bad option
Best: Over 66.5 @ $1.90
Next: Moana Pasifika +16.5 @ $1.90
Tryscorer: Timoci Tavatavanawai @ $2.20
Simply put, back the Chiefs to win by as many as you can.
The Drua away from home and different gravy, and not in a good way. Also, the Chiefs are top of the ladder now after knocking off the Hurricanes last weekend.
They’ll be rolling and wanting to pile on the points to finish off this years Super Round.
There is value in the Chiefs covering the large spread as well as them scoring a boat load of points.
Expect a similar scoreline to when the Chiefs played Moana Pasifika (62-17)
Best: Over 65.5 Total Points @ $1.90
Next: Chiefs Winning Margin 31-40 @ $4.60
Tryscorer: Leroy Carter 2+ Tries @ $2.70