European Champions & Challenge Cup predictions & rugby betting tips: Bath should be too strong for Gloucester

Best bets

Toulouse -3.5
2pts 10-11 bet365

Bath to win by 11 to 20 points
1pt 3-1 general

European Champions Cup predictions

Toulon vs Toulouse predictions

Premier Sports 1, 3pm

Toulon famously won the Champions Cup three years in a row in the last decade while Toulouse are the holders after lifting the trophy last year for a record sixth time, so there is no doubt that this is a real heavyweight clash.

Visitors Toulouse are narrow favourites to inflict a first home defeat of the season on Toulon, who have won all ten of their Top 14 games at the Stade Mayol and sealed their place in the quarter-final with a remarkable 72-42 victory over Saracens last week. 

It won't have gone unnoticed in Toulouse that Sarries led 35-13 shortly after the half-hour mark before the hosts went on a second-half scoring spree.

Toulouse already have a 57-5 victory over Toulon under their belts this season although that came at home. However, the visitors picked up away wins at Exeter and against the Sharks in Durban in the pool stage so won't be fazed by this short trip.

Even without injured scrum-half Antoine Dupont, Toulouse have been in strong form, overcoming a spirited defensive performance from Sale in their last-16 clash.

Home advantage counts for a lot in domestic French rugby but much of that is down to mentality and Toulouse have the European pedigree to buck the trend and claim an away victory.

European Challenge Cup predictions

Bath vs Gloucester predictions

Premier Sports 1, 5.30pm

Premiership leaders Bath had a disappointing Champions Cup pool campaign against some tough opponents but dropping to the Challenge Cup offers a chance of redemption and they should feel confident as they prepare to face West Country rivals Gloucester at the Rec.

Bath claimed a 55-31 Premiership victory at Gloucester in October before a 42-26 success on home soil last month and they are just 1-5 to make it three out of three with the handicap set in the low teens.

Gloucester scraped into the knockout stage of the Challenge Cup as 15th seeds of 16 but they beat Montpellier in France last week to set up this clash.

The Cherry & Whites have picked up their scoring rate in the Premiership to push into the playoff places and their last four league games produced a total of 40 tries.

It may not be enough to overcome the firepower of Bath but Gloucester can keep the margin of defeat down so backing a home win by 11 to 20 points appeals.

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