Betting preview: European finals weekend
With the European Champions Cup and Challenge Cup finals taking place this weekend, we look at the best bets from the two matches.
Cardiff Blues v Gloucester
This Anglo-Welsh affair could be a thrilling encounter. Although finals are generally tense contests, with sides preferring pragmatism over being expansive, these teams do not seem to know any other way than throwing the ball around.
In particular, Gloucester, under the astute guidance of former Lions boss Johan Ackermann, have impressed with their willingness to run from deep and that was displayed in the last four of this competition when they defeated Newcastle Falcons.
They have, however, been caught out over the past two weeks and were subsequently thrashed by both Bath and Saracens. Ackermann decided to rest some players for the game against the Londoners but their form has been disappointing recently. Cardiff have a handicap of -8 at 10/3 with Spreadex and that is worth a punt following the Cherry and Whites’ performances in the Premiership.
The Kingsholm-based outfit do go into the match as favourites (8/11 at bet365) and the mere fact that it is a final should make them far more focused than they have been, but backing the Blues is certainly not the worst idea.
Danny Wilson’s men have ended the campaign in fine form and should be fresher following an extra week’s rest. The PRO14 regular season finished in late April and they have had longer to prepare for this encounter, so going 7/4 with Betway seems like the more prudent bet.
Leinster v Racing 92
The game which will decide who is the best team in Europe and what a great final it should be, even if the bookmakers see it as a foregone conclusion.
Racing may have lost Maxime Machenaud to injury, a player that has been crucial in their run to the showpiece event, but Teddy Iribaren – his likely replacement – is a fine scrum-half. They were also exceptional in the first half against Munster and, although their intensity decreased after the break, it would be a surprise to see that happen again.
Leinster should still be the fitter side but having them at 1/5 with various outlets seems a stretch, particularly with the Top 14 club having the more recent experience of reaching the Champions Cup showpiece event, losing to Saracens in 2016. While Johnny Sexton, Rob Kearney, Cian Healy, Sean Cronin and Devin Toner all featured in 2012, where they thrashed Ulster 42-14 at Twickenham in the ‘old’ Heineken Cup, it is a new path for the other players.
Leo Cullen’s men have yet to be fazed and have benefited from the experience of losing the last-four encounter to Clermont in 2017 but, at 4/1, the Parisians are a dangerous proposition and well worth backing.
Again, like in the Cardiff-Gloucester game, freshness could be a factor, with Racing only securing their place in the Top 14 semi-finals last week, and Racing/Leinster half-time/full-time at 6/1 would be a good bet, but the match should be much tighter than the odds suggest.