The projected totals are getting lower and lower the longer we go without a win, but we’re confident about this week’s accumulator, which will return just shy of €150 if it comes good.
By Conor Heneghan and Sean Nolan
Montpellier v Leinster (Leinster to win by 1-12 points @13/10)
Winning on the road in France is no easy feat, but if you would want to be coming up against any French side at the moment it is Montpellier, who have had a disastrous start to the season, losing six of their first nine games in the Top 14.
Leinster may be without the talismanic Brian O’Driscoll, but it is a handicap they have had to cope with in the past and should do again this season, for the group stages at least. The likes of Johnny Sexton and Rob Kearney showed little sign of a World Cup hangover against Munster last weekend and we think that Joe Schmidt’s men will get their Heineken Cup defence off to the perfect start.
Ulster v Clermont Auvergne (Clermont Auvergne (-2) to win @10/11)
Ravenhill is a formidable venue for visiting teams, and although Ulster have won their last eight European games at home, the home side have their work cut out for them on Saturday afternoon. Clermont arrive in Belfast sitting second in the Top 14, with the highest points scored and the second lowest points conceded.
The French side were the only ones to beat Leinster in Europe last year and since then they have added David Skrela, Nathan Hines, Lee Byrne and Regan King to the mix. In short, they could be potential winners of the whole thing, and we expect them to beat a good, but not that good, Ulster team by at least three points.
England v Spain (Spain to win @5/6)
Far be it from us to wade into the poppy debate that everyone’s talking about across the pond, but as far as the England camp are concerned, it is providing a welcome distraction from the fact that they could be in for a tough time of it at Wembley on Saturday.
No Rooney, no Wilshere, no Gerrard and they just happen to be coming up against a side that have no peer in the international game at the moment. England like to talk a good game, but Xavi, Iniesta, Villa and company will relish taking them down a peg.
Houston Texans v Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Houston (-3) to win @4/5)
The Houston Texans have won three-in-a-row to storm to the top of the fairly rubbish AFC South. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have lost two-in-a-row to slide out of contention in the average NFC South. Neither side is great but the Texans have two top-class running backs in Arian Foster and Ben Tate.
The Bucs are terrible against the rush, and they have brought in Albert Haynseworth this week to stop some gaps. That won’t work either and the Texans all round game is just a step above the home team here. Texans to win by a TD.
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