The annual showdown of European rugby giants is set to get underway this weekend. With a new format but the same mouth watering rivalries, the European Rugby Champions Cup is sure to bring some new flavour as well as the usual excitement. Ahead of the tournament kicking off, there are plenty of opportunities for some great betting action this year.
The 2023-24 tournament will begin on Friday, with the Glasgow Warriors taking on Northampton and Connacht hosting the Bordeaux Begles. After a three-year period featuring two 12-team pools, a revised format has been introduced for the competition that sees four pools of six teams, two each from the English Premiership, French Top 14, and United Rugby Championship.
After the pool fixtures, the round of 16 will revert to the usual knockout format from early April onwards as a winner is determined. Can La Rochelle pick up their third title in a row, or will Leinster finally avenge their consecutive finals losses? We break down all the latest betting odds from bookmaker William Hill ahead of the European Rugby Champions Cup getting underway this weekend.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: December 7th, 6:30 P.M. (GMT)
Looking at the outright betting odds, it’s clear that yet again, Leinster and La Rochelle are the teams to beat in the European Rugby Champions Cup. Leinster have their noses in front at 3.50, with La Rochelle just behind on 4.50. Toulouse are also right in the mix at 5.00, before a big jump back to Saracens at 11.00 and Munster at 13.00.
In terms of which nation is most likely to win the tournament, yet again it’s the French sides who are expected to dominate, with bookmaker William Hill returning just 1.83 for a French winner. Ireland trails at 2.87 with England rounding out the top three betting favourites at 4.50.
The big question heading into this year’s European Rugby Champions Cup is whether or not Leinster can live up to the expectation placed on them after back-to-back finals losses. They’ve yet again fronted with a strong squad, and given the lessons they’ve learnt over the past two years, are our conservative bet for a winner this season.
However, the best bets we see sit instead with some of the outsiders, which deliver more value in the betting odds. Saracens may have struggled domestically with three losses in the Premiership already, but they could push on big in Europe this year. Mark McCall’s team has held onto its top talent, while most English teams have lost their stars.
Saracens has also bolstered their ranks with Argentine duo Juan Martin Gonzalez and Lucio Cinti and England’s Tom Willis. Considering their odds and chances and their knockout pedigree, we predict that they could surprise doubters and reward their faithful big-time.
