Bulls vs Scarlets Prediction: Bulls will run riot in this opener

In the opening encounter of the United Rugby Championship, which takes place at Loftus Versfeld, Bulls and Scarlets face off against one another. It should come as no surprise that the Bulls are a significant favorite to win this match, while the Scarlets are the underdogs. Let's take a look at the upcoming match and discuss the many betting options that are available before we get started.

Bulls - heavily favored to win here

In the previous year's United Rugby Championship, the Bulls accumulated 53 points over the course of 18 games, which allowed them to finish in sixth place. Despite this, the team's performance in the postseason was nothing to write home about, as they were defeated by Stormers in the quarterfinals in a match that ended with a score of 33-21. However, in their most recent matches for the Currie Cup, the Bulls were defeated in the semifinal by a score of 39-10, which was a devastating loss. The Bulls have a winning record of four out of their previous six matches as they head into the new season of the United Rugby Championship. Jake White, the Director of Rugby, has opted to give Wilco Louw, Sebastian de Klerk, and Devon Williams their first opportunities to play for the team. According to SuperSport, the newly signed players Akker van der Merwe and Jaco van der Walt will begin the game on the bench.

Scarlets - a tough test for Scarlets

The previous season of the United Rugby Championship saw the Scarlets finish in the 14th slot overall. Scarlets were only able to generate 34 points over the course of 18 matches, during which they scored 435 goals while surrendering 506 goals. In the meantime, this team was unable to qualify for the playoffs; nonetheless, qualifying for the postseason will be an absolute priority for them this year. Recent encounters leading up to this match saw Scarlets pick up just two wins, coming against Clermont and Barbarians. Other matches ended in defeat for Scarlets, including losses to Glasgow Warriors twice and Dragons. Taine Plumtree, Ioan Lloyd, and Alex Craig will make their debuts for Scarlets due to the unavailability of several of their major players, including Tonga international Vaea Fifita and their other stars for Wales.

Expert Betting Tips

The competition is going to be highly entertaining, but there is no room for error at this point in the game. The Bulls were victorious over the Scarlets when they played the first leg of their matchup at home during the previous season, and now that they will be playing on their own field once more, I think they will do well. Additionally, Scarlets won't have a number of their important players available, giving the home team a significant advantage in terms of their potential point total.