Lions vs Western Province
The only two teams in this season’s competition that have almost no chance to qualify meet when the Golden Lions host Western Province at the Emirates Stadium. The home team are without a win in their 10 matches this season and are in bottom position on the table with just five points while the visitors are in sixth position with 13 points. The Golden Lions have had a season that they would want to forget as they had an exodus of players in the last two seasons which meant they had mainly U23 players in this competition as the senior players were playing in the URC.
TIP: This has been a steep learning curve for them and they will be desperate to pick up their first win of the season. Their early exit from the URC competition will mean they have a much stronger team for this match. Western Province have only won two of their nine matches as this has been a disappointing season for the Cape Town side. The bookies have the Lions as favourites and I also tip them for the win. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Worldsportsbetting 1.33, Playabets 1.35 and Sunbet 1.33
HEAD TO HEAD STATS
Lions vs Western Province
- The Lions have won three of the last four matches against Western Province.
- WP have won the last two matches against the Lions.
- The home team has won the last four matches between the sides.
Latest results for both teams
The Lions lost their last match 43-37 against the Bulls while WP lost 23-17 to the Pumas.
PREDICTION
The Lions have also been involved in the URC competition therefore they have fielded largely inexperienced sides in this competition. Despite this they have been very unlucky as they lost a few matches by very narrow margins which was down to lack of experience. They have a mathematical chance of a semi-final spot but that will entail them winning their remaining three matches and both the Lions and the Pumas losing their remaining games which is a very unlikely situation. I am predicting a Lions win by more than 10 points
- Probable Starting XVs
Lions
15 Quan Horn, 14 Stean Pienaar, 13 Wandisile Simelane, 12 Burger Odendaal (captain), 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Jordan Hendrikse, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Francke Horn, 7 Ruan Venter, 6 Sibusiso Sangweni, 5 Reinhard Nothnagel, 4 Ruben Schoeman, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Jaco Visagie, 1 Sithembiso Sithole.
Western Province
15 Tristan Leyds, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Mnombo Zwelendaba, 12 Cornel Smit, 11 Rikus Pretorius, 10 Kade Wolhuter, 9 Godlen Masimla, 8 Keke Morabe, 7 Marcel Theunissen, 6 Nama Xaba (captain), 5 Ben-Jason Dixon, 4 Connor Evans, 3 Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, 2 JJ Kotze, 1 Kwenzo Blose.
Odds for this bet
The best odds on the Lions victory are as follows:
Worldsportsbetting 1.33
Playabets 1.35
Sunbet 1.38
Odds comparison on the Lions handicap :
The complete odds on the Lions handicap:
Worldsportsbetting (-8.5) 1.91
Sunbet (-8.5) 1.89
Playabets (-8.5) 1.81
Predictions and Odds in details
The Lions will be playing for pride and will be hoping that their senior players are all available for this match. Western Province will need a minor miracle to make the knockouts but they too will want to end the season on a roll by winning their final three matches. The Lions will be banking on a strong second half performance as this is when the altitude becomes a problem for visiting teams in Joburg. I suggest the Lions on the handicap for better odds. . The best odds on this bet are as follows: Worldsportsbetting (-8.5) 1.91, Sunbet (-8.5) 1.89 and Playabets (-8.5) 1.81
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.
