Harlequins v Gloucester
Premiership Rugby – 1.00 pm
BT Sport
It’s going to be tough to not stay glued to the TV all weekend. I’ll start the Sunday best bets of the day preview with a look at this huge Premiership Rugby clash. It will be third-placed Harlequins taking on fourth-placed Gloucester, with seven points separating the two of them. Home advantage counts for a lot in rugby and the Quins are 8/13 odds-on favourites with the top bookmakers to win this.
They have the form with a five-match winning streak in the Premiership going. They are unbeaten now at the Stoop as well since early October. Another factor in favour of the Quins is that they have lost only one of their last five against Gloucester. But while Gloucester have yet to win an away game since the turn of the new year, they have beaten the top two of Exeter and Saracens in recent league action. If the Cherry & Whites can find that form at the Stoop on the weekend, they could be in this.
Chelsea v Wolves
Premier League – 2:05 pm
Sky Sports
It’s off to Stamford bridge for an interesting Premier League fixture on Sunday afternoon. Earlier this season the Blues paid a visit to Wolves and left with their tails between their legs in a 2-1 loss. Will Chelsea be able to exact some revenge back on home soil against them on the weekend? The Blues are 11/20 odds on with leading bookmakers to take all three points from the game. Chelsea do have some home form with only one defeat at the Bridge all season in the league. They have conceded just two goals in their last eight EPL home fixtures.
But Wolves have only lost one of their six away games this season against teams currently in the top ten. That lone defeat was at Manchester City when Wolves played two-thirds of the game with just ten men. With just the one defeat in their last seven games home and away in the top flight, and with them having scored in all but one of those seven, there is every reason to expect Wolves to turn up and challenge. This may well end up being a tighter game than expected. Could Wolves be one of the best bets of the day as 6/1 underdogs to pull off another upset against the Blues?
Ireland v France
Six Nations – 3.00 pm
ITV
It has been steady progress forward from Ireland after having lost their Championship opener against England. They responded to their setback in Dublin by posting a superbly controlled 22-13 success at Murrayfield over Scotland. They then recorded a 26-16 win in Rome last time out over Italy. Granted it wasn’t the greatest of performances from the Irish, but they were never in danger of not winning the match really. The bonus point earned helped keep them within two points of Championship leader Wales heading into the weekend.
The Irish are strong odds-on favourites with the top bookmakers in this one back on home soil against France. The French have not looked anywhere near being a cohesive unit. They did manage a win at home over Scotland in their last fixture, their first victory of the tournament. But as a whole, they have looked defensively fragile. It is going to take something very special from them on Sunday to upset the men in green. Such is the favouritism on Ireland the French are at even money to defend a +14 handicap with top bookies.
Arsenal v Manchester United
Premier League – 4.30 pm
Sky Sports
If the great rivalry between these two giants of English football was not enough, then the three points in this one are highly precious for both of them. That is because there is just one point separating them in the race for a top-four finish. A four-way race between Spurs, Man Utd, Arsenal and Chelsea for two spots is what is going on at the moment. So there is little margin for error. There was a 2-2 draw between these at Old Trafford earlier this season. This rematch has the look of goals about it too.
Arsenal average 2.3 goals per home game this season and the Gunners have won eight consecutive home fixtures in the top flight. That’s some powerful form laid down. But how will it stack up against the six-match winning sequence that Manchester United have put together on the road? The Red Devils have averaged two goals per away game this season. This should be a mighty battle at the Emirates. Will either crack? Will the draw at 13/5 odds that the top bookmarks have out there, be one of the best bets of the day? There’s so much at stake, here’s hoping that attacks deliver the entertainment.
