Gallagher Premiership Predictions, Odds and Betting Tips for 28/03/2023

It is fair to say that this year’s Gallagher Premiership has been very different than previous campaigns. This 2022-23 season began with 13 teams in the tournament, but by the end of October, Wasps and Worcester Warriors had both gone out of business and were removed from the league.

However, we still have 11 teams in the top flight and plenty of Gallagher Premiership predictions still to be made before the season concludes with the Premiership Final at Twickenham on 27 May 2023. We are going to pick out the top teams and give you our Gallagher Premiership betting tips below.

No sides will get relegated from the top flight this season so let’s train our eyes on the upper reaches and look at who is looking good to win the Grand Final in late May.

These odds from William Hill were correct at the time of writing.

Grand Final Winner – Predictions

Over the last seven editions of Premiership Rugby, only three times has the team who have finished top of the table gone on to win the title. With this in mind, let’s take a look at our top three tips in more detail below.

Saracens to Win @6-4 (2.5)

With Saracens currently top of the pile, it is no surprise to see that they have the shortest Gallagher Premiership winning odds with the bookies. However, as we have highlighted above, being top of the table in late March, or even in early May ahead of the play-offs, there is never any guarantee of going on to win the top prize. Saracens have stumbled a little of late with two wins and two defeats from their last four games. England captain Owen Farrell is back from the Six Nations fully focussed on performing at the highest level ahead of the World Cup in the autumn. And with Max Malins and Alex Lewington both enjoying fine try-scoring seasons, Saracens are very much in the running.

Leicester Tigers to Win @7-2 (4.5)

Peak too soon and you won’t get your hands on the trophy, don’t peak at all and you can forget it! The latter is certainly not true for Leicester Tigers who have won five matches in a row. But is now the time to be planting win after win in the results column? Well it is as good as any and the Tigers are now up to third, although they have played a game more than some of their rivals, and look well placed to make the top four. They finished top of the table and went on to claim the title last year and they are not going to give up the trophy in a hurry. The Tigers have seen their leading points scorer, Freddie Burns, depart for the Highlanders in Super Rugby in New Zealand, but that has not stopped their current run of form.

London Irish to Win @10-1 (11.0)

Another team that we couldn’t resist from including in our Gallagher Premiership predictions is London Irish. It is their recent form which has caught our eye and has seen them climb the table into the final play-off position in fourth place. Their last two wins have been against teams in the top five and we all know that having the ability to beat the other top teams is a very useful skill to have in the camp when the play-offs begin in May. No player has scored more points in the 2022-23 Gallagher Premiership than Irishman Paddy Jackson. The fly-half has clocked up 175 points so far and his reliable kicking could well be the key to London Irish winning their first ever Premiership Rugby title.

As It Stands – 28.03.2023

1. Saracens (Played 17) 67 Points
2. Sale (17) 56
3. Leicester (18) 53
4. London Irish (18) 51
5. Northampton (18) 48
6. Exeter (17) 43
7. Bristol (17) 41
8. Harlequins (17) 41
9. Gloucester (17) 40
10. Bath (17) 32
11. Newcastle (17) 31

Format

With the league table above for us all to see, let’s remind ourselves of how the league season plays out before going into detail on the play-offs. And with the demise of Wasps and Worcester Warriors, the format and schedule has had to take a diversion this year.

The season runs from September to late May or June and typically includes 26 rounds of matches. It is played in a round-robin style with each team playing all the other teams twice – home and away. Initially, all teams were due to have two bye weeks but that soon increased when Wasps and Worcester Warriors lost their places in the league and in the schedule. As a result, Premiership Rugby announces a new set of fixtures for the second half of the season with the whole season now comprising of 24 rounds.

With no teams being relegated this year, the top four positions are all that matter! Those who finish in the top four places qualify for the semi-finals with the 1st placed team taking on 4th and the 2nd and 3rd teams also going head to head.

Let’s move to the points system. There are four points awarded for a win with two points picked up if the game ends in a draw. There are zero points on offer for losing a match unless the margin of defeat is by seven points or less and a bonus point is awarded. Furthermore, teams can also pick up a bonus point if they score four or more tries in a match.

History of the League

Premiership Rugby is now 36 years old after being founded in 1937. Leicester Tigers, the current champions, are the most decorated team in the history of the competition with 11 titles. Bath and Wasps are in joint second place with six titles, Saracens have five, Exeter Chiefs and Harlequins have two each, with Northampton Saints, Sale Sharks and Newcastle Falcons picking up a championship each.

FAQs

Q – The Six Nations have ended, will there be other internationals this season?

A – No, there are no more international fixtures before the end of the 2022-23 Gallagher Premiership Season.

Q – Who won last year’s title?

A – Leicester Tigers beat Saracens 15-12 in June 2022.

Q – Who were the leading points and try scorers last season?

A – George Ford scored 220 points with Max Malins scoring 16 tries.