We have expert betting tips for Super Rugby AU Preliminary Final, which takes place on Saturday between the Brumbies vs Force.
A spot in the final against the Queensland Reds awaits and bookmakers expect the Brumbies to force a repeat of the 2020 final.
Western Force has done well to make this stage, but pulling off the win would be an incredible upset.
Super Rugby Preliminary Final Predictions
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7:45pm Brumbies vs Force @ GIO Stadium
The Brumbies have clearly been the second-best team in Super Rugby AU. They have lost just two games, which both came to the Queensland Reds.
Despite losing twice, the Brumbies have a better points differential than the top side, which should give the home side plenty of confidence for the Preliminary Final.
Punters shouldn’t count out the Western Force, despite the odds suggesting to do so. The Force won some important games to secure the third spot, especially when beating the Reds by three points last week.
It was a must-win game, and although the Reds half handed the game to the Force, they still played well in the second half. It has been a big turnaround after their shocking reintroduction into Super Rugby, so the Force should be proud.
The Brumbies and Force haven’t met since Round 6 when the Brumbies scored an emphatic win. The 42-14 result was one of the biggest margins of victories for the Brumbies, but a lot of water has gone under the bridge since.
It was a better result for the Force in Round 1, which saw the Brumbies win 27-11. The Force are 0-2 and they will need to improve out of sight to beat the Brumbies, but punters have 15.5 points to work with.
Bookmakers have set a big line and rightfully so, given past performances. However, the semifinal should be a closer and more hard-fought contest.
We understand why the Force are $6.05 to win the game outright, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be a competitive game. The Force carry plenty of momentum and it could be a close game at the half.
Senior players like former All Black Richard Kahui and Jeremy Thrush have helped. They have added some stability to this unit, which isn’t overly inspiring on paper.
There is no doubting the Brumbies have the better team on paper, with the likes of Folau Faingaa, Tom Banks, Nic White, and James Slipper. However, the Force have grown as a team and that can’t be overlooked.
We like the Force to cover the +15.5-point spread. It could be a tied game at the half before the Brumbies pull away late, but we have more than enough points up our sleeve.
Betting tip: Force +15.5 @ $1.90
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Brumbies vs Force Tryscorer Bets
We all love a first tryscorer bet and Sportsbet has excellent value available for the Preliminary Final.
The Brumbies should strike first as we expect the majority of the Force’ points to come via penalty kicks. One player on our radar is Tom Wright, who has had an enjoyable season.
Wright is a winger, so he’s naturally going to get plenty of chances to score. The Brumbies and Australian representative has the rugby world at his feet after transferring from league where he played for Manly.
Wright is paying $8.50 to score the first try of the game, which is value worth taking.
For the Force, we like a forward to crash over the line from close range. Bernard Strander is our man and the flanker could peel off a scrum and be too strong for the defense.
The South African is built tough and although he has only four tries to his name in the six years at Western Force, what better time to score?
Take Strander to score at any time, which pays $5.50.
