Ulster vs Edinburgh
Ulster welcome Edinburgh to the Kingspan Stadium for this final round match in the URC. The hosts were given a shock boost in the last round as the Stormers lost to Munster which enabled them to move into the lucrative second spot. The scenario is clear, if they win this match with a bonus point they will secure second spot regardless of the Stormers result against Benetton. If they win without a bonus point and the Stormers have a big bonus point win, the defending champions will reclaim the second spot. There are no such complications for Edinburgh who are out of the running for the playoff positions but they can still play the role of party poopers by upsetting Ulster.
TIP: The home side will stick to their winning formula and not make too many changes while the visitors may also be tempted to keep their changes to a minimum as they won their first match in six games. They will be disappointed how they fell away in the second half of the season as they once challenged for a top four spot. Edinburgh have a star studded team and will want to end their season on a high. The bookies have Ulster as favourites and I’m also tipping them for the win. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Betway 1.10, Gbets 1.11 and Hollywoodbets 1.12
HEAD TO HEAD STATS
Ulster vs Edinburgh
- Ulster have won the last seven matches against Edinburgh
- The last time Edinburgh beat Ulster was in 2018
Latest results for both teams
Ulster beat the Dragons 40-19 in their last match while Edinburgh beat Ospreys 45-21 in their last match.
PREDICTION
Both teams have their own try scoring machines but in vastly different positions. For Ulster hooker Tom Stewart has been in sublime form and is the leading try scorer in the competition after he scored a hat trick in the last match. For Edinburgh Darcy Graham uses his speed and guile to speed away from defenders. He scored two tries in the last match against the Ospreys. Ulster’s biggest weapon is undoubtedly their maul as they have arguably the strongest driving maul in Europe. For the visitors to have any chance of an upset win, they will need to find a way to defend the maul. I am predicting a home win by 20 points.
Probable Starting XVs
Ulster
15 Mike Lowry, 14 Craig Gilroy, 13 James Hume, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 11 Jacob Stockdale, 10 Billy Burns, 9 John Cooney, 8 Duane Vermeulen 7 Marcus Rea, 6 David McCann, 5 Sam Carter, 4 Alan O’Connor (captain), 3 Tom O’Toole, 2 Tom Stewart, 1 Eric O’Sullivan.
Edinburgh
15 Emiliano Boffelli, 14 Darcy Graham, 13 Mark Bennett, 12 James Lang, 11 Damien Hoyland, 10 Blair Kinghorn, 9 Ben Vellacott, 8 Viliame Mata, 7 Hamish Watson, 6 Jamie Ritchie (captain), 5 Sam Skinner, 4 Marshall Sykes, 3 Willem Nel, 2 Dave Cherry, 1 Pierre Schoeman
Odds for this bet
The best odds on the Ulster victory are as follows:
Betway 1.10
Gbets 1.11
Hollywoodbets 1.12
Odds comparison on the Ulster handicap:
The complete odds on the Ulster handicap:
Betway 1.85 (-14.5)
Gbets 1.87 (-14.5)
Hollywoodbets 1.89 (-14.5)
Predictions and Odds in details
There are decent returns on the Ulster outright win but if you looking for better odds then we suggest the home team on the handicap. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Betway 1.85 (-14.5), Gbets 1.87 (-14.5) and Hollywoodbets 1.89 (-14.5)
Other tips for the weekend (Predicted winners are in BOLD text)
Chiefs vs Drua
Cheetahs vs Sharks
Dragons vs Scarlets
Glasgow vs Connacht
Harlequins vs Bath
Griquas vs Griffons
Sports crazy fan that follows all major sport but the game with the oval ball is my real passion. Was an age level rugby coach and a huge supporter of the Springboks and diehard Liverpool man. I’m an experienced punter and sports writer whose predictions/tips are sure to stir up the emotions. I love the occasional wager on the underdog.
