The race for the Premiership title is getting tighter, with Sale and Bath now tied at the top on 27 points after eight rounds of matches.

Saracens still lead the way in the betting, but their defeat, as well as some other shocks at the top, mean the teams are starting to bunch up at the summit.

Sale lost their grip on top spot after a humbling 36-3 defeat to Harlequins on Friday evening, allowing the victors to move to within one point of them.

Sarries were also on the wrong end of a result, losing 12-18 to the Northampton Saints, while Bath scored over 40 points in a 41-24 success over the Exeter Chiefs.

The league takes a backward step this week for the Champions and Challenge Cups, and it will give some teams time to plan ahead for the busy Christmas period.

What	Premiership Rugby
Where	Various
When	Friday 13th October 2023 - Saturday 8th June 2024
How to watch	TNT, ITV & Channel 4
Odds	Saracens 5/4, Sale 7/2, Leicester 6/1, Harlequins 13/2, Bath 9/1

Saracens

Current Outright odds - 5/4

Saracens were hoping to win their sixth game in a row last weekend when they hosted Northampton, but they were stunned on home turf.

England scrum-half Alex Mitchell scored the winning try for the Saints in an 18-12 success, with Saracens kept scoreless in a tense first 40 minutes.

Sarries did manage to score twice in the second half, but they really struggled to click despite scoring 127 points in their three previous matches.

Fly-half Owen Farrell missed the match due to a knock, but when he returns, Sarries will soon hope to return to winning ways.

Sale Sharks 

Current Outright odds - 7/2

Sale went into their match against Harlequins with a spring in their step, having won four games on the spin beforehand.

Their 11-9 success over Bath in November showed a gritty side to their game, but they were outgunned and outclassed at Twickenham Stoop, losing 36-3 to the Quins.

England's Marcus Smith put himself in the frame to lead his country in the Six Nations with a stellar display. He set up two tries and kicked a penalty to help his team move into third on 26 points.

Leicester Tigers

Current Outright odds - 6/1

Leicester made it three wins in succession with a superb 47-3 success over the Newcastle Falcons.

Tommy Reffell scored a hat-trick to help his team over the line, while further tries from Matt Scott and Jasper Wiese helped Leicester lead 26-3 at half-time.

They wrapped up the bonus point and continued to punish Newcastle, and they are now seventh in the table after their slow start to the season.

Harlequins

Current Outright odds - 13/2

Quins' win over Sale certainly rang some alarm bells around the Premiership and, if fly-half Smith can stay fit, there's every chance that they will be competing for honours this season.

Having played 15 for England, Smith returned to his usual position and looked confident, claiming he went "back to basics" during his post-match interview.

Smith and Danny Care's partnership created chaos for Sale and, if they can maintain their recent standards, Quins could be in for an exciting few months.

Bath

Current Outright odds - 9/1

Bath's odds suggest they are likely to struggle to win the title this season, but their convincing 41-24 victory over Exeter suggests they mean business.

Bath have now won three of their last four, scoring more than 40 points in two of those victories.

Fly-half Finn Russell is starting to settle in after his recent move from Racing 92 and it looks like he and scrum-half Ben Spencer can unlock opposition defences without too much struggle.

Bath need to silence their critics to stay in the title race, but for now, things are looking good.

Exeter Chiefs

Current Outright odds - 14/1

Last weekend's defeat for Exeter was a bitter pill to swallow, especially when the Chiefs had built up some momentum. After back-to-back wins, Exeter were brought back down to earth and that is the second time in a month that they have conceded over 30 points.

Exeter finished seventh last season and their fans may witness a few more frustrating weeks, especially after several departures in the summer.

Northampton Saints

Current Outright odds - 16/1

After making last year's top four, Northampton are just on the outskirts after the first eight rounds. They sit fifth after winning two on the spin and their success over Saracens should not go unnoticed.

They kept one of the best teams in the competition from scoring more than 12 points and, if they can maintain those defensive standards, who knows how far they could go this season.

Bristol

Current Outright odds - 25/1

The Bears ended a miserable few weeks with a thumping 51-26 success over Gloucester, and their fans needed that success.

Bristol had lost five in a row beforehand, although they were narrowly defeated by Harlequins, Bath and Saracens.

After a frustrating few weeks, the Bears finally got some of their potential, but they are now 10 points off the pace.

Gloucester

Current Outright odds - 100/1

Gloucester's heavy defeat to Bristol was the latest in a terrible few weeks for the club, as they have now lost six times in a row.

Coach George Skivington has urged his team to "anchor their identity", but he may be fighting for his job if their current plight continues.

Newcastle Falcons

Current Outright odds - 2500/1

The Falcons have now lost all eight of their matches under coach Alex Codling, conceding 265 points in the process.

Their 47-3 defeat to Leicester will have been difficult to take and a week's rest may do them good, as other teams prepare for their European adventures.

The Falcons do not have the same talent as their rivals and their main target will be to secure their first win, never mind worrying about their final position in the table.