Bath vs Sale Sharks
14th May 1945hrs
Rugby – England – Premiership
Pick Sale -5 handicap
Bookmaker William Hill
Odds: Even money odds taken 05:49 GMT on April 23rd, 2021
Bath are back on the slide having lost their last three first team fixtures. Will they avoid slumping to four in a row?
They don’t have an easy task on their hands at The Rec on Friday night as the Premiership rugby weekend kicks off.
Top-four bound Sale Sharks are arriving and they have put together a terrific run of form. Will the visitors grab a rare win at The Rec?
Table of Contents
Bath Preview – Can Bath stop their slump
It’s three defeats in a row for Bath in all competitions after a heavy loss at home against rivals Bristol in league action last weekend.
Bath had done very well in the first half of that fixture but then ran out of steam. It was a 20-40 loss that they went down by.
They have a tough one as well to come this weekend against Sale.
Bath are the 17/10 underdogs in the match outright for rugby betting* (odds recorded 05:49 GMT on April 23rd, 2021).
It has been back to back league defeats for them.
The overall home record from Bath this season in the Premiership is W3 L5.
In just two of those fixtures, they have managed to produce more than 21 points in a game.
Of their five losses, only two have been by a margin of single figures.
Never before have Bath suffered six home defeats in a single Premiership campaign.
Earlier this season Bath did get a win at Sale. That was a surprise 27-22 victory.
But can they pull it off back at home?
They do have a big home form going against Sale Sharks. Bath have not lost at home against that opponent since March 2014.
Home and away Bath have won three on the spin against the Sharks as well.
It does seem hard for Bath to put together a full strong 80 minutes in a fixture at the moment.
A Bath +5 handicap option for rugby betting on Friday night is at a 10/11 quote* (odds recorded 05:49 GMT on April 23rd, 2021).
But that looks to be a tenuous line. Bath haven’t covered a +5 handicap in any home defeat.
That is just worth noting as they are underdogs for Friday.
Sale Sharks Preview – Can Sale continue their strong push?
Sale finished the last round of action holding down third place in the Premiership.
They have a nice cushion now so look well set to run to the Premiership semi-finals.
It has been a hugely positive W13 L5 record from Sale this season.
They have been defeated once only in their last eight rounds of action.
So it is understandable that they are the 1/2 odds-on favourites to collect a victory in this one* (odds recorded 05:49 GMT on April 23rd, 2021).
Last weekend they played host to Leicester Tigers and put in a convincing 26-10 win.
Their away form has been there recently as they have suffered just one loss in their last four road games.
That was in European action at La Rochelle in the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup.
Really the only negative we can see from Sale’s perspective is their lack of wins at The Rec.
But they have to be a good option to snap their winless streak there.
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Sale Sharks have produced a fantastic W6 L3 record out on the road in the top flight this season.
The losses were against Harlequins, Newcastle and Northampton.
Looking at their margins of victory away from the AJ Bell, the trend has been single figures.
Only in one of their away victories did Sale win by a margin of at least 10 points.
Looking at that, a Sale Sharks -5 handicap looks a pretty handy option at a quote of even money* (odds recorded 05:49 GMT on April 23rd, 2021).
Sale made three changes from last weekend, with the big news that flanker Ben Curry makes his return after five months out. He will be on the bench.
Bath vs Sale Sharks Betting Advice
We think that Sale are good enough to get their first win at The Rec since 2014.
They have posted a very good away record this season in the Premiership and have proven hard to beat.
So the Sale -5 handicap looks a good spot to go to for rugby betting* (odds recorded 05:49 GMT on April 23rd, 2021).
Key Facts – Bath vs Sale Sharks Betting Tip
- Bath are undefeated at home since March 2014 against Sale
- Sale have only lost one of their last eight fixtures
- Sale Sharks have won 6 of 9 away games this season
We don’t expect a huge margin of victory for them. A Sale Sharks 1-10 winning margin looks a good pick at 23/10* (odds recorded 05:49 GMT on April 23rd, 2021).
Bath have had a better second half of the season.
But they will be digging deep to snap this current losing streak.
They undid a lot of good work with a sloppy second-half performance against Bristol last weekend.
The best betting odds for Bath vs Sale Sharks
Bath to win: 12/1 at Bet365
Draw: 13/5 at Bet365
Sale Sharks to win: 10/11 at Bet365
