Fourth placed Leicester Tigers host eighth placed Gloucester at Welford Road on Sunday in the next round of Premiership Rugby matches. Leicester sealed a first home win for new coach Michael Cheika last time out while Gloucester lost to rivals Bath. Vegas Betting previews the match and finds some value in the betting markets.
What? 2024 Rugby Union Premiership: Leicester Tigers vs. Gloucester
Leicester Tigers claimed their first home win under Michael Cheika in impressive fashion, defeating reigning Gallagher Premiership champions Northampton Saints 24-8 in a fiery East Midlands derby.
The victory lifted Leicester to fourth in the Rugby Union Premiership standings, while Northampton slipped to sixth. Cheika, back in charge after serving a one-game suspension for an October 5 incident involving a match-day doctor, had his squad fired up from the opening whistle.
Freddie Steward got the hosts on the board early, scoring a try within the first three minutes. Handre Pollard and Fin Smith exchanged penalties as Leicester took a 10-3 lead into halftime. The opening 40 minutes were heated, with both teams reduced to 14 men at different points. Tigers’ Tommy Reffell was yellow-carded for a tackle that left Northampton’s Sam Graham stretchered off, while Saints’ Curtis Langdon was also sin-binned for a high challenge on Harry Wells.
The second half saw more disciplinary issues as Leicester’s Pollard was sent to the sin-bin for a high tackle. Despite being temporarily down a man, the Tigers extended their lead with a second try courtesy of Olly Cracknell. Northampton’s Tom Pearson then became the fourth player to be shown a yellow card after holding onto Joseph Woodward during a counter-attack. Leicester capitalized further, with Ollie Chessum powering over the line to push the score to 24-3. Northampton managed a late try from Tommy Freeman in the final moments, but it only reduced the margin of defeat.
Gloucester Rugby
Bath secured a thrilling 55-31 victory over Gloucester in a high-scoring West Country derby at Kingsholm Stadium on Saturday. A dominant second-half display, featuring five tries from the visitors, propelled them back into the Premiership’s top four.
Gloucester held a 24-17 lead at halftime after a strong opening 40 minutes, with Tomos Williams orchestrating the attack. The Welsh scrum-half added to the home crowd’s excitement with a try of his own, darting over from close range.
However, Bath completely shifted the momentum early in the second half. Beno Obano crashed over the line in the 43rd minute to level the score, and just three minutes later, Charlie Atkinson’s yellow card for offside handed Bath a penalty try, swinging the game in their favor.
Bath continued to pile on the pressure, with Josh Bayliss charging down the wide channels to score their third try of the half, taking advantage of a slick offload from Ollie Lawrence. By this point, Gloucester struggled to respond, barely threatening Bath’s defense.
Tom de Glanville sealed the win in the 65th minute, intercepting a pass from a desperate Zach Mercer and sprinting the length of the pitch to score Bath’s sixth try. Though Gloucester’s Ollie Thorley managed a late consolation try, weaving through multiple defenders, George Barton’s improvised drop-kick conversion was a mere footnote in the match.
Bath still had time to add two more tries, with Lawrence and Jaco Coetzee crossing the line to cap off a remarkable 55-point haul.
One of the best options for betting on Rugby is the half time/full time bet. This means you are picking the team to be leading at half time and the eventual winner. Picking a draw at half time could sky rocket the odds, however, I am backing Leicester to be winning at half time and to win at full time.
Half Time/Full Time – Leicester/LeicesterLeicester Tigers vs. Gloucester
Bovada has a great range of betting markets available on Rugby. Feel free to check them out. Our Bovada.lv sportsbook review 2024 has more information about this betting site.
Starting out in the betting industry, Henry later found his calling in sports writing. Specializing in soccer, golf, and darts, he also offers insights into a wide array of sports across the globe. After earning a BA Honors degree in Business and Management, Henry advanced through the ranks at William Hill in England. His career isn't just limited to sports; he's also made a mark in Property and Finance, fields in which he remains engaged. Henry now resides in Barcelona, where he enjoys playing golf year-round as part of the Real Federacion Espanola de Golf.