Edinburgh v Montpellier: European Champions Cup betting preview and tips

Edinburgh v Montpellier
BT Sport 2, 7.45pm Friday
Newcastle v Toulon
BT Sport 3, 7.45pm Friday

Montpellier were odds-on favourites to top pool five at the start of the European Champions Cup but to do that they will need to become the first team to beat Edinburgh at home this season.

Montpellier are not a typical French team given they have a host of overseas players plus a Kiwi coach in Vern Cotter, but their record on the road in Europe in the last three seasons reads played eight, won one and lost seven.

Hosts Edinburgh should be high on confidence after last week's landmark victory in Toulon and coach Richard Cockerill has named an unchanged team.

But what Cockerill can't yet gauge is how his team will react on the pitch with a quarter-final place on the line and a team packed with international talent up against them.

The Scottish side haven't been unduly tested on home soil in the Pro14 and are aiming to make an appearance in the knockout stage of this competition for the first time since 2012.

Montpellier's road defeats this season have come at Newcastle by three points and Toulon by ten, and a close-fought contest looks likely.

The visitors can be backed with a start of four points but that doesn't look especially generous and there may be better value in backing Edinburgh to win by a margin of no more than 12 points.

Also in pool five Newcastle host Toulon in a dead rubber - the Premiership side are ten-point favourites, while in the Pro14 Cheetahs give up ten points at South African rivals Kings (FreeSports 5pm).

Recommendation
Edinburgh to win by one to 12 points
1pt 13-8 Betfair

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