Rugby Predictions for Today 18 April 2025
Our TopBets rugby experts will provide you with the latest predictions on rugby from across the globe. The emphasis will be on the major leagues like the United Rugby Championship(URC), Super Rugby and of course our very own local Currie Cup. All the major international tournaments such as the Rugby Championships and the Six Nations will also be covered.
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Latest Betway Rugby odds
| Date and Time | Event Name | Winner Odds | Bet Now |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-04-2025 06:05 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs v South Sydney Rabbitohs | 3.7024.001.27 | Bet Now |
| 18-04-2025 07:05 | Crusaders v Blues | 2.8024.001.42 | Bet Now |
| 18-04-2025 10:00 | Dolphins (Nrl) v Melbourne Storm | 3.8026.001.25 | Bet Now |
| 18-04-2025 11:30 | Hull FC v Hull Kingston Rovers | 3.6024.001.28 | Bet Now |
| 18-04-2025 14:00 | Wigan Warriors v St Helens | 1.2625.003.80 | Bet Now |
| 18-04-2025 16:30 | Leeds Rhinos v Huddersfield Giants | 9.2040.001.03 | Bet Now |
| 18-04-2025 17:00 | Uson Nevers v Biarritz Olympique | 3.7522.001.27 | Bet Now |
| 18-04-2025 17:30 | US Oyonnax v Valence Romans Drome | 1.2025.004.40 | Bet Now |
| 18-04-2025 17:30 | FC Grenoble Rugby v Stade Nicois | 1.0135.0012.00 | Bet Now |
| 18-04-2025 17:30 | US Dax v Stade Aurillacois | 3.7023.001.27 | Bet Now |
1X2 Tips for Today
Crusaders vs Blues
Tip 1: Crusaders to win
Reason for the tip: The top of the league Crusaders take on the Blues in the opening encounter of the weekend. The home side have started to look like their former selves with both their attack and defence firing. The visitors on the other hand have not been able to reproduce the form that took them to the title last season although they did win their last match. The Crusaders have been bolstered with the return of Codie Taylor although his replacement Ioane Moananu has been one of the form players of the season. If the Blues are to cause an upset, they will need to match the home side’s physicality especially at scrum time.
The Crusaders attack has improved massively thanks in the main to David Havili who has rediscovered the form that made him an All Blacks regular. The Blues will be without Caleb Clarke who is injured so there will be added pressure on their backline to find a way to break down the Crusaders defence. The strength of the home side’s bench will see them claim the victory.
Edinburgh vs Sharks
Tip 2: Sharks to win
Reason for the tip: Edinburgh will be looking for a hat trick of victories of South African sides when they welcome the Sharks to the HIVE Stadium. The home side are fresh off wins over the Lions and Bulls in the Challenge Cup with the Sharks set to provide arguably their strongest test. The Durban side have named their strongest side in months with the likes of Eben Etzebeth and Andre Esterhuizen returning to the starting team. Grant Williams will make his return via the bench along with fellow halfback Siya Masuku.
The Sharks have proven to be an enigma as they can be unbeatable on any given day but then they can capitulate to a much weaker team on the next outing. They have no less than 12 Springboks in their team which suggests they will win this match.Edinburgh will be without their star winger Darcy Graham which will blunt their attack. I am predicting a win for the Sharks.
Newcastle Falcons vs Northampton Saints
Tip 3: Saints to win
Reason for the tip: The Newcastle Falcons play host to the Northampton Saints with both teams desperate to end their losing runs in the league. The home side are on a six match losing streak while the champions have lost their last three league games which has almost certainly put paid to any hopes of retaining their title. They are now 13 points behind the playoff places and have shifted their attention to the Champions Cup where they are into the semi finals. Newcastle will feel they got a chance of an upset win as the Saints have rested most of their regular starters.
The Falcons’ struggles got worse midway through the season when they lost their best player Adam Radwan to the Tigers which means their already poor attack was further worsened. The Saints despite making a raft of changes should be too strong for the bottom club on the table.
Handicap Betting Tips For Today
Crusaders vs Blues: Home team (-5.5)
Reason for tip: The Crusaders will be delighted with how their attack has improved this season with Will Jordan and Sevu Reece providing a deadly combination from the back. The Blues will need to be accurate with their out of hand kicking as any wayward kicks will be punished by the home side.
A hallmark of the Blues play last season was the way they dominated opposition teams with their pack but they have not been able to repeat that this campaign. The Crusaders will be stronger at set piece and it is for this reason I am backing them to win and cover the -5.5 handicap.
Edinburgh vs Sharks: Home Team(-3.5)
Reason for tip: The Sharks will be the fresher of the two teams as they had last weekend off while Edinburgh came through two very physical encounters over the last two matches. Despite this, the home side have made minimal changes to the team which could make them vulnerable late in the match.
The Sharks will first look to dominate Edinburgh in the forwards especially at scrum time as they have an all Springbok front row. The Hendrickse brothers will have a key role to play, if they can ignite the dangerous backline of the visitors, then the home side could be chasing shadows. I am backing the Sharks to win and cover the handicap of -3.5.
Newcastle Falcons vs Northampton Saints: Home side (-13.5)
Reason for tip: The Falcons will be looking to attack the Saints from the onset as many of the visitors players could be rusty due to the changes made. The home side will need a fast start as they will not want to play catch rugby against a dangerous team like the Saints. I am backing the visitors to win the match and also cover the handicap of -13.5 as they have the likes of Alex Mitchell and Finn Smith to come off the bench in the second period.
Accumulator of the Day
Crusaders vs Blues – Home win
Edinburgh vs Sharks – Home win
Newcastle Falcons vs Northampton Saints – Away win
Nevers vs Biarritz- Home win
US Dax vs Aurillac- Home win
Brive vs Provence Rugby – Home win
Yesterday’s Results
- Bath vs Gloucester -Home win✅
- Toulon vs Toulouse– Away win✅
- Kubota Spears vs Suntory Sungoliath- Home win✅
- Black Rams vs Toyota Verblitz- Away win❌
- Scotland(W) vs Italy(W) – Home win✅
Understanding Rugby Betting
It is crucial that players understand the different types of rugby betting. If a player places a wager on a handicap bet with fully understanding it, he could think they won the bet but instead they lost the bet as they did not understand how it works.
Different types of Rugby bets
Match Winner
The most self-explanatory of bets to take on a rugby match. This is the most common and oldest type of rugby bet in which you select Team A or Team B to win. The odds on this type of bet may be low especially if your team is the favourite.
Draw No Bet
The draw is quite rare in Rugby Union, but it does happen from time to time. If you’re worried about the draw messing up your bet then take a Draw No Bet market. Your bet will be refunded if the match result ends in a draw.
Handicap Betting
The most popular bets on rugby are handicap bets. This is often where some of the best value is to be found. The handicap is an advantage that bookmakers give one team to make the game more balanced. The team given the positive handicap can win, draw or lose the game by less than the handicap to cover the bet and win. The team with the negative handicap must win the match by more than the points set out in the handicap to win their bet.
Total points over/under
The over/under betting market involves predicting whether the total number of points scored in a match will be above or lower than a certain predetermined number. For instance, if you bet on the over/under 50 points market and you bet on under, the combined score of the two teams shouldn’t exceed 50.
First Try Scorer
Rugby fans know the excitement that comes when a player breaks through the defence to score the first try. Betting on the first-try scorer is about predicting which player from either team will cross the try line first. This bet type carries higher odds as it’s challenging to predict, making potential payouts more lucrative.
Anytime Try Scorer
Less specific than the first-try scorer bet, the anytime try scorer wager involves picking a player you believe will score a try at any point during the match. The odds are typically lower than for the first-try scorer but offer a better chance of a payout.
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