Title favourites Bath opened the new Prem Rugby season with a 33-17 win at Harlequins and they now host an Exeter side who were well beaten at home by Gloucester.
Bath are short-priced favourites for this clash on home soil but we may be in for a close battle under the lights at the Rec.
Exeter’s last trip to Bath in June ended in a one-point victory and secured them a place at the Prem Rugby final at Twickenham.
Revenge will be on the home side’s mind as the West Country rivals do battle again on Friday evening but Exeter will also be hurting from their opening defeat and these teams have been involved in some close meetings over recent seasons.
Bath v Exeter Chiefs Tips Summary
Best Bet - Under 61.5 points @ 5/6
Alternative Bet - Bath to win by one to 12 points @ 11/5
Bet Builder - Exeter +15.5, Under 67.5 points, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso to score a try @ 6/1
Bath v Exeter Chiefs Prediction
Best Bet: Under 61.5 points @ 5/6
All-out attack was the theme of round one of Prem Rugby action last week, when 52 tries were scored in five matches and eight of the 10 teams picked up a try bonus point.
The lowest-scoring game of the weekend was the opening clash between Harlequins and Bath, and while that was in large part down to Quins’ shortcomings in attack, Bath may also need a bit more time to get into gear.
Talismanic fly-half Finn Russell was back in the number 10 shirt after missing last season’s play-offs but his regular half-back partner Ben Spencer is missing - Tom Carr-Smith started at scrum-half last week while Bernard van der Linde, who came off the bench in that game, is the pick this time.
Other changes in the Bath backline include first starts of the season for Cam Redpath and Ciaran Donoghue, while Santi Carreras, who stole the show at the Stoop with a spectacular interception try, is missing from the 23.
Exeter have largely stuck with the team that were beaten at home by Gloucester making just one change as Tommy Wyatt comes into the back three as director of rugby Rob Baxter keeps faith with a group who he feels did not do themselves justice.
Expect a physical Chiefs side to come out and dig deep while Bath may be slow to find some fluency given the changes to their line-up.
Alternative Bet: Bath to win by one to 12 points @ 11/5
A low-scoring game is always more likely to be decided by a narrow margin and clashes between these sides have often been tight.
Exeter edged it by a single point in their shock semi-final victory while just weeks before that they overcame Bath by a convincing 35-12 margin.
But the four Premiership meetings before that were all won by Bath, by margins of seven, four, two and 12 points, and a derby encounter under the lights has the makings of a close-fought clash.
Bath v Exeter Chiefs Bet Builder Tip
Exeter +15.5
Under 67.5 points
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso to score a try
Pays 6/1
Exeter have not lost any of their last seven Premiership or European Champions Cup meetings with Bath by more than two converted tries and they look set to put in a big defensive effort after losing their opener at home to Gloucester.
Bath were a free-scoring outfit last season but looked slow into their stride at Harlequins last week and have made several changes to their line-up from that game so may lack some fluency.
Winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso was Exeter’s top scorer last season with 10 tries and is keen to catch the eye of the England selectors. The teams look well matched up front and Feyi-Waboso has the pace and trickery to inject a bit of magic into the game.
Learn more about how Bet Builders work in our Bet Builder guide.
Key Match Stats
Only one of the last six Premiership or playoff meetings between these sides has been decided by more than 12 points
Exeter prop Josh Iosefa-Scott has scored in his last two matches
Bath conceded the most turnovers in round one with a total of 22
Exeter were the handicap kings last season, rewarding their backers in 14 of their 18 regular-season games
Only one of Exeter’s six regular-season defeats last season came by more than seven points
Only one of Bath’s opening five home league games last season reached the 60-point mark
Read more rugby union betting tips and predictions on site.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
