Exeter Chiefs vs Northampton
23rd February 1300hrs
Rugby – England – Premiership
Pick Exeter -9 Handicap
Bookmaker Unibet
Odds: 10/11 odds taken 18:26 GMT, Wednesday 19th January
Exeter are in control of their own destiny at the top of the Premiership. That will be even truer on Sunday if they come up with a victory at Sandy Park in this contest. They take on second-placed Northampton in the heavyweight duel of the Premiership weekend.
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Exeter can extend their advantage at the top
Exeter are W7 L3 this season in the Premiership. Heading into the eleventh round of action the Chiefs were boasting the best defensive record of the division and held a +77 points difference for the campaign.
Last time out in action, Exeter showed some excellent character to produce a 26-15 away win at Gloucester. That had been on the back of a shock home defeat against Sale.
But they managed to control things at Kingsholm against Gloucester very well in terms of game management, until the final ten minutes. Exeter won that match with just 35% of possession.
It should be relatively plain sailing for them towards the end of the season if they were to topple the Saints in this fixture. In their last two home games against the Saints in League action, Exeter have put at least 40 points on the board
The Chiefs have won four of the last five league meetings with Northampton, home and away combined. Only in one of those fixtures did they put fewer than 30 points on the scoreboard as well.
Surprisingly they have lost their last two home games in all competitions, but the last time that they lost three straight matches at Sandy Park was in 2014.
Can the Saints leapfrog Exeter?
This is the chance for Northampton to make their move at the top of the table. However, their form has just taken a little hit, having lost back to back league fixtures.
Those were against London Irish and Bristol and were both on home soil as well. It was back in April 2018 that Northampton last lost three straight Premiership matches.
They are underdogs for Sunday’s game and they are going to have a tough time avoiding that hattrick of losses.
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It has been two away wins that the Saints have secured this season in the Premiership. Those were at Saracens and Wasps.
What the Saints have going for them is that after 10 rounds of action they were the top scorers in the division, with only Saracens having produced more tries than them.
But earning and keeping possession as a visiting team at Sandy Park is never an easy thing. The Saints last won there in 2014.
Exeter Chiefs vs Northampton Betting Advice
This should be an engrossing contest. Exeter have had a couple of slips on home soil recently, but their league defeat against Sale came out of nowhere. That should have just galvanised them even more.
Key Facts – Exeter Chiefs vs Northampton Betting Tip
- Exeter Chiefs have lost just one of the last six league games against Northampton
- Exeter Chiefs hold a four-point lead over the Saints at the top of the division
- Northampton have lost their last two league games
Northampton are a good side when they get on the front foot, but they are probably not going to be allowed a lot of freedom to express themselves at Exeter. The Chiefs can come up big in this important battle for the top.
The best betting odds for Exeter Chiefs vs Northampton
Exeter Chiefs to win: 1/4 at Bet365
Draw: 3/1 at Bet365
Northampton: 3/1 at Bet365
