The latest Goodforthegame newsletter penned by @BrentGraham with best bets for the weekend 23rd to 23rd August including South Africa vs New Zealand international rugby
Tomorrow evening the wait will finally be over as the long-awaited Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Tour gets fully underway with the first Test between South Africa and New Zealand.
Punting aside, I cannot wait for the action to begin, although I certainly don't have as strong a view on the outcome as some of the fans on either side seem to!
Click here for the Springboks v All Blacks preview where I will be posting regular betting updates and a few bets of course.
A quick look back at last weekend, where Australia delivered nicely on the points punt. Overall, it was a good weekend for me as I hit three out of four Currie Cup bets, with only the Stormers – or Western Province, as plenty of people still like to call them – letting me down.
The Handicap
It was great to get The Handicap going again last night and to welcome back a couple of old favourites in Couch Critic and The Oracle.
Of course, the show was dominated by chatter around the first Test, but we also spoke Currie Cup rugby. And if you want a detailed history of South African rugby in the 1900s, then be sure to catch the first six or seven minutes of The Oracle!
Below are a couple of shortcuts:
Click here for the betting chat around South Africa v New Zealand – First Test
Click here for the Currie Cup betting chat
WEEKEND PLAYS
It should come as no surprise that rugby dominates this week, and we have no fewer than three Currie Cup games to look forward to later today.
You can stay abreast of all my Currie Cup bets in the Currie Cup Betting Blog, and also keep an eye on the Goodforthegame forum, where other punters will be sharing their fancies throughout the weekend.
A Nervous Unders Play in the First Test
I thought the points line would be around 54.5 for the first Test, and I'm going to have a wager that we get 58 points or fewer.
Conditions should be perfect, but I just feel that while we'll undoubtedly see some brilliant attacking rugby, there will also be periods of this game where defence dominates. We could also see the team that gets out in front adopt a more conservative strategy as the importance of the occasion begins to tell.
There is, of course, every chance this turns into a 35-32 classic, and going unders against New Zealand is never particularly comfortable!
But I'm going to take my chances and back the unders to get the series started.
Bet: 2 units (1–5) – Under 58.5 points at 9/10 with World Sports Betting.
An 11/1 Currie Cup ACCA
Here is my Currie Cup interest
Over 59.5 points Pumas v Griquas at 17/20
Over 63.5 points Bulls v Stormers at 9/10
Over 54.5 points Sharks v Lions at 10/11
Cheetahs -7.5 at 0.86/1
Bet: 0.5 unit (1-5) the acca at 11.48/1 at Betxchange
Other Highlights on Goodforthegame
The English Premier League kicks off tonight, with Arsenal taking on Coventry. Chris has his preview up, with plenty more to follow over the weekend, no doubt.
We also have UFC courtesy of World Sports Betting.
Finally...
I haven't looked forward to a rugby Test match like this in many a year – probably not since the 2023 World Cup final.
I've really enjoyed the build-up and the coverage the rivalry has received, particularly across social media – other than the inevitable trolls from both sides!
Enjoy the weekend.
BG