Two Round 17 fixtures are taking place on Friday the 7th of June with the Highlanders taking on the Bulls and the Reds squaring off with the Blues.
The Highlanders and Bulls will be looking to keep their hopes of reaching the play-offs alive when they lock horns in Friday’s opener. The second game of the day will see the Reds host the Blues. the New Zealanders have to win this one to leave themselves with an outside chance of qualifying for next phase of the tournament while the Reds are just playing for pride.
Highlanders v Bulls
Forsyth Barr
09:35
To Win (80 Mins)
Highlanders 3/10
Draw 25/1
Bulls 5/2
Handicap
Highlanders (-9.5) 9/10
Bulls (+9.5) 9/10
It’s do or die time for the Highlanders who have to win this one if they are to have a chance of making the play-offs. The men from Otago currently sit 12th place on the Overall conference standings – four points off the eighth-placed Sharks. The Bulls find themselves in a less perilous position as they currently reside in seventh-place on the Overall standings, and a victory here would ensure they would be in the driver’s seat for qualification to the play-offs come their final game against the Lions at Loftus next weekend.
Both teams head into this one off the back of disappointing results with the Bulls being held to a 22-22 draw with the Blues last weekend and going down 22-10 to the Brumbies the week prior. The Highlanders, who head into this one off the back of a bye, have also endured a tough previous two games going down 38-29 to the Lions in Round 14 and then suffering a 34-22 defeat to the Stormers in Round 15.
Verdict: Bulls (+9.5) 9/10
The Bulls may be facing a massive injury crisis but I still think they’ll run the Highlanders close here. My money is on the away side staying within the handicap.
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Reds v Blues
Suncorp Stadium
09:35
To Win (80 Mins)
Reds 13/10
Draw 25/1
Blues 6/10
Handicap
Reds (+1.5) 9/10
Blues (-1.5) 9/10
The Blues will be looking to keep their slim hopes of play-off qualification alive when they travel to Queensland to take on a feisty Reds outfit. The visitors currently reside in 13th position on the log with 33 points to their names. They would need to win this one and next week’s game with the Hurricanes to have any chance of securing a spot in the next round. The Reds, on the other hand, don’t have much to play for here but a victory could see them jump above the Blues to 13th-place on the Overall standings.
The hosts head into this one off the back of four consecutive defeats with their last victory coming way back in Round 12 where they beat the Sunwolves 32-26. Their latest fixture saw them go down 23-34 to the Jaguares. The Blues have also enjoyed a tough old run over the past few months and head into Friday’s fixture having lost three of their last five games while drawing 22-22 with the Bulls last Friday.
Verdict: Reds (+1.5) 9/10
I think the Reds may well win this one but I’m going to err on the side of caution and back them on the plus.
Written by Darry Worthington for Hollywoodbets
