The penultimate round of Pool matches with teams battling for one of the places in the last eight in the Spring. All times UK, all prices from our green listed bookmakers.
Friday 12th January
Pool 5 Bath v Scarlets 7.45pm
Bath lead Pool 5 after beating Toulon at home 26-21 in a match before Christmas. The Scarlets are third in the pool having beaten Benetton home and away to get two wins from four matches
Bath won at Scarlets in terrible weather 18-13 earlier in the pool and despite Scarlets attacking flair should have too much for the Welsh team. Bath -5 at 10/11 is a point spread that should be taken. (at William Hill)
Saturday 13th January
Pool 1 Ulster v La Rochelle 1pm
Ulster are two points behind La Rochelle in Pool 1, the French side having earned two bonus points more in their higher scoring wins. Both teams have played four, won three and are at the top of the group. La Rochelle are the better team overall but Ulster have a home advantage here in front of a passionate home crowd and the French side, like many, can be poor travellers.
In those circumstances to see Ulster as marginal home underdogs, +1 at 10/11 is surprising. Ulster +1 is the bet (at Pinnacle)
Pool 3 Exeter v Montpellier 3.15pm
Exeter and Montpellier are 2nd and 3rd in the group behind likely winners Leinster, and this is a must win for both to have a chance at one of three best runners up spots
Exeter won 27-24 in Montpellier earlier in group in a surprise result and are top of the Aviva Premiership and Montpellier are top of the French Top 14 and this should be very close indeed
Exeter are quoted as six point favourites.I would argue that it is a closer match than that and Montpellier +6 at 10/11 is the value. (at Ladbrokes)
Pool 1 Harlequins v Wasps 5.30pm
Harlequins have lost four out of four in the Champions Cup while Wasps gave themselves a chance in the pool by beating La Rochelle 21-3 before Christmas. Wasps
now have ten points in the pool and will need to win their last two games to be in contention for a runner up spot in the last eight.
Unfortunately Wasps are severely injury hit at present but I would still expect them to win here but not as convincingly as Wasps -7 on the spread suggests. Harlequins +7 at 10/11 here for me.
Pool 2 Northampton v Clermont 5.30pm
Clermont beat Saracens home and away before Christmas to take control of this Pool. Northampton meanwhile have lost all four games in the pool and have changed coach over the Christmas period. This should be an easy win for the French side and Clermont -6 at 10/11 is one of the bets of the weekend
Pool 2 Ospreys v Saracens 7.45pm
Ospreys are second in what is the toughest of the five Pools and gunning for knockout stages as one of the three best runners up. They only lost 36-34 at Saracens in November then beat Northampton home and away to put themselves in the reckoning
Saracens are two times defending champions of this tournament but are only third in group after successive losses to Clermont during a bad run of form last month. A win here then against Northampton in their last game should see them to second in the Pool.
Ospreys +10 is a very interesting quote. Saracens are coming back to some form but -10 fully reflects the importance of the game for them and not the Ospreys prospects at home and +10 at 10/11 should be taken.
Sunday 14th January
Pool 3 Leinster v Glasgow 1pm
Leinster have played four, won four and are in charge of their group. Hosting Glasgow who have lost all four of their pool games this should be a comfortable home win as the Irish province moves towards one of the top seedings in the last eight
No bet for me, Leinster -16 fully prices in their prospects.
Pool 5 Toulon v Benetton 2pm
Toulon lost at Bath in a crucial game at the top of this pool, that result following three single point wins including against Benetton 30-29.
Benetton came close to winning at the Scarlets in December but have played four lost four in the pool and are highly likely to record another loss here.
I am tempted by Benetton +23 given Toulon only winning close matches in the competition this season but no bet
Pool 4 Racing92 v Munster 4.15pm
Munster lead pool 4 with three wins and a draw and here face one of their toughest games against a resurgent Racing side who are second in their pool. Munster are well equipped to battle this one out and at a minimum get a losing bonus point which should put them in prime position to qualify with Castres at home to follow in their last pool game
Prices here are Racing 8/13 Munster 13/8 and Munster +4. I will back Racing outright but like Munster to get a losing bonus point
Pool 4 Castres v Leicester 6.30pm
These two teams are 3rd and 4th in their pool, with one win each from their four games. Castres have a renowned home advantage and Leicester recently lost six domestic games in a row and the French side should win handily here
Castres -7 at 10/11 is a bet.
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