Bath v Exeter Chiefs: Prediction, Tips and Odds

From the thrills and spills of the Autumn Nations Series, stars from the Home Nations will get back to the bread and butter of the English Premiership this week and there's a West Country derby to look forward to on Saturday as Bath host Exeter Chiefs.

Winning five of their first six games of the season, it’s Bath who lead the way going into week seven of the Premiership campaign.

The Blue, Black and Whites will next be looking to pile more misery on Exeter, who have not earned a single win in the league so far this season.

Only ahead of Newcastle Falcons - whose only win this season was against Exeter - due to bonus points, it’s been a disastrous start to the campaign for Rob Baxter’s Chiefs that few would have foreseen before the start of the term.

Bath will only look to add to Exeter’s woes and, with some big names back in the starting line-up, it could be a long afternoon for the Chiefs at The Recreation Ground.

Bath v Exeter Chiefs betting tips and predictions

Bath -11 handicap - 10/11

Bath fans will have been delighted when the team news was revealed on Friday afternoon, with star half-backs Ben Spencer and Finn Russell named in the starting XV.

Spencer will skipper the side after returning from England duty, while Russell is straight back in at fly-half after guiding Scotland to victory over Australia with a try-scoring performance at Murrayfield.

With England’s Ollie Lawrence back in the centres and Red Rose stars Will Stuart, Charlie Ewels and Ted Hill back in the forwards, this is a formidable Bath lineup facing the Chiefs.

Exeter have decided to go with regular outside centre Henry Slade at fly-half and with that the Chiefs lose his creativity in the wider channels and his ability to create opportunities for star winger Emmauel Feyi-Waboso.

Bath have already beaten the Chiefs 26-14 at Sandy Park earlier this season and with this line-up they should fall on the right side of the handicap on their own patch at The Rec.

Bath to win both halves - 11/10

This is a match which could see the scoreline get away from Exeter pretty quickly.

The Chiefs have lost on all of their last three visits to The Rec in all competitions, with Bath scoring 34 or more points in all those three games.

Bath also won both halves in two of those three games at home, so there looks to be good value in siding with the hosts to win both halves again on Saturday.

Ben Spencer anytime tryscorer - 13/8

Bath skipper Spencer appears to have enjoyed this fixture of recent years and he will be a player to look out for in the anytime tryscorer market.

Spencer has scored tries in both of Bath’s last two Premiership games against Exeter and he is more than capable of adding to that tally this weekend.

An intelligent player who knows when to pick and go, Spencer is a real danger for defences around the breakdown.

Also capable of running smart support lines, the 32-year-old can add to his impressive try collection against the Chiefs on Saturday.

Read more rugby union betting tips and predictions on site

Bath v Exeter Chiefs odds

Bath - 1/5
Draw - 33/1
Exeter Chiefs - 7/2

View the full market and more odds for Bath v Exeter Chiefs on site

Read Bath v Exeter Chiefs how to watch, TV channel, head-to-head stats, team news and more 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.