Scarlets vs Bristol Bears
22nd January 2022 – Kick Off 1500hrs
Rugby – England – Heineken Cup
Pick Scarlets To Win
Bookmaker William Hill
Odds: 9/5 odds taken 18:45 GMT on January 20th, 2022
There is an interesting clash coming up from Pool B of the Heineken Cup Rugby on the weekend.
The bottom side Scarlets have to come up with a home victory on Saturday to have a chance of joining the Bears in the next round.
With qualification already booked, will the visiting Premiership side take this game lightly?
Table of Contents
Scarlets Preview – Can Scarlets deliver?
The pressure is going to be on Scarlets, who are at least at home as they look for a crucial win.
They are at the bottom of Pool B with a D1 L2 record.
They’ve completed just the one match, with the loss being awarded against Bristol in the opening round, and then a declared draw against Bordeaux-Begles.
The Welsh region are four points out of the qualification spots, so a bonus point could come in very handy.
Scarlets paid a visit to Bordeaux-Begles last weekend and suffered a heavy loss.
That was a 45-10 victory for Bordeaux.
Scarlets don’t have a lot of current positive form to read into.
They have taken only two wins in their last nine matches in all tournaments.
In the match tonight for rugby betting, Scarlets are at 9/5 for a win on Saturday* (odds recorded 18:45 GMT on January 20th, 2022 at William Hill)
But there are some positives for them from their form against Premiership visitors.
Scarlets have won three of their last four matches against teams from the Premiership.
That’s in the Pool stage of the European Champions Cup.
This will be the first time that they have met Bristol Bears in Europe.
A Scarlets +5 handicap is at 4/5* (odds recorded 18:45 GMT on January 20th, 2022 at William Hill).
Can they get one over on Bristol Bears on Saturday which could get them through to the next stage?
Bristol Bears Preview – Will the Bears be strong?
Qualification is already booked for the Round of 16 by the Bristol Bears, so they don’t have to go hard at this.
They are likely going to finish in the top four regardless, giving them a home advantage for the draw.
The Bears are 1/2 underdogs in the match outright at the Parc y Scarlets* (odds recorded 18:45 GMT on January 20th, 2022 at William Hill).
It’s hard to honestly know what is coming from the Bristol Bears in Europe.
They have alternated between a win and a loss in their last seven road matches in the competition.
The last time they were away from home was in the knockout stage of last season’s tournament when Bordeaux-Begles got the better of them.
Bristol trip made over Stade Francais last weekend, posting a very good 28-17 win over the French visitors at Ashton Gate.
That was a qualification-booking victory.
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Bristol Bears have not had the most convincing of seasons by any stretch of the imagination.
They have won only two of their last seven matches in all competitions.
In just three of their last seven matches, Bristol produced more than 20 points on the scoreboard.
Given that this really is not a must-win game for the visitors, a narrow handicap should feature.
A Bears -5 handicap is at a quote of 10/11* (odds recorded 18:45 GMT on January 20th, 2022 at William Hill).
Scarlets vs Bristol Bears Betting Advice
Scarlets may be worth rolling with in this one at a quote of 9/5* (odds recorded 18:45 GMT on January 20th, 2022 at William Hill).
They have had some major disruption to this Heineken Cup campaign but could strike a win here.
Their record of three wins in their last four against English teams is notable.
Key Facts – Scarlets vs Bristol Bears Betting Tip
- Scarlets have won 3 of their last 4 against Premiership teams
- Scarlets have not successfully kicked a goal in this season’s competition
- Bristol Bears have already qualified for the Round of 16
Scarlets should be pumped up in front of their home crowd and have nothing to lose in the fixture as well.
Therefore the straight option of a Scarlets +5 handicap doesn’t look like an unreasonable proposition at 4/5* (odds recorded 18:45 GMT on January 20th, 2022 at William Hill).
They should give this a good go, and Bristol aren’t the most reliable of teams away from home in Europe.
The best betting odds for Scarlets vs Bristol Bears
Scarlets to win: 9/5 at Bet365
Draw: 18/1 at Bet365
Bristol Bears to win: 1/2 at Bet365
