Gallagher Premiership Title Up For Grabs
The 2020 Gallagher Premiership has been one of the strangest in history. The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted all regular routines and the traditional rounds of games have been dispersed into a later finish for the season as a whole.
Now that the season is finishing behind closed doors, the title is still up for grabs – but who are the favourites for the various accolades that the showpiece event has to offer?
Exeter Chiefs are favourites in the outright market – a general 4/5 with most bookies, although bethard are offering a bonus code and are generally slightly longer at 10/11. But is this indicative of value? Are the Chiefs rightly odds on favourites? With an embarrassment of riches at their disposal, and in a fine run of form – you wouldn’t find many betting against them. Having lost just 4 games all season, and amassing a joint top 11 bonus points, their relentless pursuit of success gives them every chance of not only reaching the Twickenham showpiece event but going all the way.
That said, the form of the Bristol Bears is enviable. Losing the same amount of games so far – just 4 – as Exeter Chiefs – the Bears sit just 8 points behind them in the table with 7 games left to play. Whilst they’re not blowing away teams like Exeter Chiefs – a modest points difference of just 38, compared to the Chief’s 183 demonstrates this – they’re getting the job done. A general price 7/2 to win the showpiece event looks value, especially as the each way terms are 1/3 odds for the first 2 places. 7 points clear of fifth placed Bath, and 4 clear of third placed Wasps – the Bears are big favourites to not only qualify for the play-offs, but are 10/11 to finish in the top 2 and guarantee a home semi-final. This would likely be against Wasps, Sale, Bath or Northampton.
Sale have strengthened their squad with the marquee signing of England powerhouse centre, Manu Tuilagi – and this acquisition could be one that spurs them on to success. 7/1 to win the event again looks reasonable value if Tuilagi and co can fire, and fire quickly. Such is the confidence in punters, pundits, and bookmakers alike, Sale are second favourites to win the regular season gong – a general 7/2 behind the 1/4 favourites, Exeter Chiefs.
Given Saracens’ untimely demise, this season is more open than one could have imagined. One thing’s for sure – the competitive nature of the Gallagher Premiership is only going to increase.
