A place in the United Rugby Championship semi-finals is at stake at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday afternoon, when Leinster take on the Lions in a highly anticipated clash.
Leinster take to the field a week on from their 41-19 European Champions Cup final defeat to Bordeaux Begles and the Irish province will be desperate for an immediate response to that disappointing defeat.
As for the Lions, who have had an extra week to prepare, they have lost their last two URC assignments and may find life tough in Dublin.
Leinster v Lions Tips Summary
Best Bet - Leinster -11 @ 1/2
Alternative Bet - Rieko Ioane anytime tryscorer @ 21/20
Bet Builder - Leinster to win either half, James Lowe anytime tryscorer & Henco van Wyk anytime tryscorer @ 9/1
Leinster v Lions Prediction
Best Bet: Leinster -11 @ 1/2
Leinster will be hurting after their European defeat and that could spell trouble for the Lions, who lost 31-7 on their last trip to the Aviva Stadium just three weeks ago.
The Irish province had won seven of their last eight fixtures before going down to Bordeaux, registering notable victories Sale (43-13) and the Ospreys (68-14) during this period.
The Aviva Stadium has been a fortress for Leinster, who have not lost a URC clash at this stadium since a 16-15 defeat to Munster back in May 2023 and have also won all five quarter-finals in Dublin.
It will not be an easy task, though, given the Lions were the second-highest scorers in the regular season, but they also had the fourth-worst defensive record and that is a worry coming up against a Leinster side packed with attacking quality.
Leinster have covered a -11 handicap in their last two victories - one of those coming against the Lions - and the hosts look capable of ensuring this bet lands again in front of an expectant crowd.
Alternative Bet: Rieko Ioane anytime tryscorer @ 21/20
New Zealand ace Rieko Ioane has been moved to the midfield for this contest and he can put in another telling performance for Leinster.
The 29-year-old touched down in the round 17 win over the Lions, taking his tally for the season in all competitions to four, and his explosive pace and power can cause more issues to the visitors.
Leinster v Lions Bet Builder Tip
Leinster to win either half
James Lowe anytime tryscorer
Henco van Wyk anytime tryscorer
Pays 9/1
While Leinster are expected to pick up the win, a safer play for this bet builder is to back them to win either half, something they have managed to achieve in their last nine fixtures.
There could be plenty of tries in Saturday's contest and one player capable of crossing the whitewash is Leinster wing James Lowe, who has been recalled to the starting XV for his 100th appearance for the club.
The Ireland international touched down in his last outing against the Ospreys and he can mark this special occasion by grabbing his third try of the season.
Another player who can dot one down under the posts is Lions centre Henco van Wyk, who has scored four tries in his last four appearances to take his tally to the campaign to six.
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Key Match Stats
Leinster finished second in the regular season (W12 L6)
The Lions ended up in seventh with a win-draw-loss record of 10-1-7
Leinster were the third-highest scorers in the league with 5151 points
The Lions' tally of 532 points scored was bettered by only the Bulls (576)
Leinster have won all five URC quarter-finals they have hosted in Dublin
The Irish province have won four of five meetings against the Lions
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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.
