Saracens v Leicester: match preview, tips & TV details

TV: BT Sport 2, 3pm Saturday

Premiership champions Saracens give up a whopping 16 points on the handicap for the visit of Leicester as international demands have forced both coaches' hands in terms of selection.

Sarries have the greater squad depth to cope but both sides have decent enough replacements. England captain Owen Farrell is missing for the hosts but a half-back pairing of Richard Wigglesworth and Alex Goode has international class stamped all over it, while Leicester can call on Aussie Matt Toomua to pull the strings at number ten.

And in the front row the Tigers have club captain Tom Youngs fit again while prop Dan Cole has been released by England to play, so there should be some parity in the early exchanges up front.

But resources thin out a little from there and the Leicester bench looks especially vulnerable. Saracens could pull away in the later stages as they have done domestically and particularly in Europe this season.

Two defeats in their last three league games represent a minor wobble for Sarries, although they are the only English team left in Europe and have reached the final of the Premiership Cup so there has been no lack of focus.

Sarries have won all seven of their home games in the Premiership but led by a double-figure margin at the break only once. They have been trailing twice, so backing the Tigers with an eight-point start on the first-half handicap presents itself as a sensible bet.

In the Pro14 Cardiff host Glasgow at the Arms Park (Premier Sports 1, 7.35pm) in the biggest game of the day.

A 9-3 victory over Ospreys at the end of January put a stop to a three-match losing streak for Glasgow, while Cardiff edged Connacht by a single point in their last Pro14 outing and most bookmakers make this a scratch contest.

Recommendation
Leicester +8 on first-half handicap
1pt 10-11 Coral, Hills, Ladbrokes

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