Premiership winner odds and outright Predictions: Gloucester can make their mark

Free rugby union tips, best bets and analysis for the outright market in the 2022-23 Premiership.

Best bets

Gloucester to finish in the top four
3pts each-way 5-2 Betfair, Paddy Power

Gloucester to win Grand Final
0.5pt each-way 16-1 general

Premiership outright preview

Leicester topped the Premiership table and won the Grand Final last season but Saracens head the betting for the new campaign, which kicks off on Saturday afternoon.

Sarries were back in the top flight last season after their enforced relegation and finished a comfortable second before being edged by a late drop goal by Leicester in the final.

The London outfit also have a stable squad after a fairly quiet summer of transfer activity, while the big change in the Leicester line-up is the arrival of fly-half Handre Pollard to replace George Ford.

Ford’s tactical kicking was a key part of the Tigers’ success last season and while Pollard, a World Cup winner with the Springboks, is clearly an outstanding talent, he is new to the Premiership.

The Tigers have also lost prop Ellis Genge, a real leader on the pitch, and powerhouse winger Nemani Nadolo, and while they are far from depleted, they look set to find last season’s remarkable haul of 20 wins beyond them.

Harlequins and Northampton made up the playoff places last year and they were the league’s great entertainers with the two highest try tallies.

Northampton start life without shrewd Kiwi coach Chris Boyd - assistant Phil Dowson steps up to take charge - but both squads are showing plenty of continuity with no major changes in key positions.

Both clubs could go well again but rollercoaster rugby isn’t always a signpost to success and other teams in the top half show more potential for consistency.

The pick could be Gloucester, who just missed out on the top four last season but impressed over the campaign through their strong forward pack and sharp finishers, including international wingers Jonny May and Louis Rees-Zammit.

The Cherry & Whites picked up seven losing bonus points - the most in the division - from their ten defeats so it won’t take a huge swing in fortunes to get them into the top four.

Exeter and Bristol had poor seasons in 2021-22 and a season of consolidation looks to be in store, while Sale have lost some big names and have more rebuilding to do than most.

It’s hard to see the remaining teams who finished in the bottom half last season making an impact on the playoff places. Given the financial uncertainty surrounding Worcester there is no betting on who will finish bottom, but the Warriors look set to fight it out with Newcastle and Wasps, who have both turned over a lot of players in the summer, along with Bath and London Irish.

Saracens look rightful favourites ahead of the champion Tigers but there’s not a huge amount of value in the prices, so siding with Gloucester to break into the top four - and maybe even make it to Twickenham - is the preferred option.

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