Northampton Saints v Bristol Bears Prediction, Tips and Bet Builder

Northampton Saints might well feel like they owe their supporters a performance when they host Bristol Bears in the Gallagher Prem on Friday night.

Saints were shown three yellow cards as they were thumped 41-17 in the East Midlands derby last weekend by old rivals Leicester Tigers.

Boss Phil Dowson has made six changes to his side for the arrival of Saints legend Pat Lam and his Bristol Bears side on Friday night.

Two sides brimming with attacking talent, this showdown in the East Midlands might well be the pick of the week’s games in the Gallagher Prem.

Northampton Saints v Bristol Bears Tips Summary

Best Bet - Northampton Saints -11.5 handicap @ 10/11
Alternative Bet - Henry Pollock anytime tryscorer @ 20/21
Bet Builder - Tommy Freeman 2 or more tries & Archie McParland anytime tryscorer @ 17/2

Northampton Saints v Bristol Bears Prediction

Best Bet: Northampton Saints -11.5 handicap @ 10/11

Elliot Millar Mills, Alex Coles, Ed Prowse, Henry Pollock, Archie McParland and Tom Litchfield have all been brought into the Saints side after a what was a disappointing afternoon in the sun at Welford Road.

Northampton started strongly but struggled to turn the tide when Leicester took a grip on the game after the opening exchanges.

Freshening up the side looks like a smart decision and Northampton are backed to not only win on Friday night but cover the handicap against a Bristol side who tend to struggle away from Ashton Gate.

The Bears have lost three of their last four away matches in all competitions, while they have also been beaten in three of their last four visits to Northampton.

With the Saints unbeaten at home in the Prem this season, the hosts are tipped to win and cover the spread in this one.

Alternative Bet: Henry Pollock anytime tryscorer @ 20/21

The game was already gone for Saints when Pollock came off the bench at Leicester last weekend and the England back-rower will be determined to make an impact from the first whistle against the Bears.

With 10 tries for both club and country this season, Pollock has shown just what he’s capable of with ball in hand.

Away from the distraction of his on-field antics, there is a a quality athlete in this player and Pollock is backed to score this week, as he did when Bristol came to The Gardens in the Prem last season.

Northampton Saints v Bristol Bears Bet Builder Tip

• Tommy Freeman 2 or more tries

• Archie McParland anytime tryscorer

  Pays 17/2

One of the few Northampton players who could hold his head up high after the defeat at Leicester was England star Tommy Freeman.

Scoring a brace of tries at Welford Road, Freeman continued his tryscoring form after a hat-trick against Bath in the previous game.

With five tries in his last two appearances, Freeman is good value to bag two or more tries again on Friday.

Meanwhile, McParland is backed in the anytime tryscorer market after being handed a start ahead of Alex Mitchell, who had an off day against the Tigers.

McParland has scored 11 tries in all competitions this season and the 21-year-old scrum-half is tipped to add to his tally against the Bears this week.

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Key Match Stats

• Bristol Bears have lost three of their last four away games in all competitions

• Northampton Saints have won three of their last four home games against Bristol

• Northampton have won all of their last six home games in the Gallagher Prem

• Bristol won 46-12 the last time they faced Northampton at Ashton Gate back in November

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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.