The 2026 Currie Cup continues this weekend, and in this blog we keep an eye on all things betting-related.
Bet: Boland v Stormers XXIII
Posted 26 July 11h56
2 units (1–5): Boland -4.5 at 1.88 with PokerBet.
Boland were impressive last week in justifying favouritism against the Bulls in what were very poor conditions. The Stormers XXIII caused a minor upset when they beat Griquas, and this derby should be a fiercely contested affair.
I was tempted by the under 62.5 points. Although the weather forecast is good, the pitch took a hammering last week and I doubt it could have fully recovered in the space of seven days.
In the end, though, I'm going to keep it simple and back Boland to win by five points or more.
The Saturday Fight Back!
Posted 26 July 08h55
Both Saturday bets arrived without any stress as the points flowed in both Johannesburg and Kimberley.
This afternoon we have Boland (-4.5) against the Stormers but I am waiting for points lines before making a play.
Conditions look a lot better than last week although I would love to have someone at the ground give me a state of the pitch report.
Bet: Griquas v Blue Bulls
Posted 25 July 12h01
3 units (1–5): Griquas over 35.5 points at 1.88 with PokerBet.
The earliest handicap I saw on this game was Griquas -10.5, and there is now -12.5 available with some bookmakers, while others are dealing -11.5. The total points line is 61.5 or 62.5, depending on where you shop.
There has been plenty of support for Griquas in the Goodforthegame forum thread, and they look well placed to account for this Bulls side. I've also seen the Griquas team points line quoted at 35.5, and that's where I'm getting involved.
I'm backing Griquas to score 36 points or more, expecting them to produce another strong attacking performance at home on their fast paced pitch.
Bet: Lions v Ford Pumas
posted 25 July 11h55
2 units (1–5): Over 59.5 points at 10/11 with World Sports Betting.
The handicap for this game opened with the Lions as 5.5-point favourites, although there is now generally 6.5 available. The total points line is 59.5 (I may have missed some early value here).
With perfect conditions expected at Ellis Park, I'm firmly in the overs camp, despite the fact that all four Currie Cup matches last weekend finished comfortably under their respective totals.
This is a 3:00 pm afternoon kick-off, and I'm expecting tries andand hopefully conversions a-plenty.
A Poor Start
Posted 24 July 23h12
I was only able to catch the 2nd half and after leading 21-19 the Sharks were put away by the Cheetahs. The lads in the forum were confident on the home team and when I saw that I feared for my Sharks outright.
I havent seen any points lines for tomorrow yet and will be up with bets during the course of the morning.
Latest Odds
Posted 24 July 14h28
Below the latest odds
- Cheetahs -5.5 v Sharks XV – Points 62.5
- Lions -5.5 v Ford Pumas
- Griquas -10.5 v Blue Bulls
- Boland Cavaliers -5.5 v Stormers XXIII
There is also the 1st division final at 17h00 and forum stalwart "Shaft" reckons the handicap is too big
Bet: Cheetahs v Sharks XV (posted 23 July)
2 units (1–5): Sharks XV to win at 15/10 with BetXchange.
The Sharks did well to beat the Pumas on the road last week, a match in which they started as underdogs. While the Cheetahs also opened their campaign with a home victory over the Lions, they were made to work harder for the win than the bookmakers had anticipated.
Having looked through the team selections for this weekend, I must confess that I don't know every player, but the Sharks appear to be the more settled side, while the Cheetahs have made a greater number of changes.
I'm happy to side with the visitors and back the Sharks XV to win.
We'll also keep an eye on the points markets when they become available, and there could be another betting opportunity before kick-off.
Currie Cup Outright Odds
Posted 22 July 00h41
Here are the latest outright odds - I wonder if Oracle is lining up a Boland bet
- Golden Lions – 3/1
- Blue Bulls – 7/2
- Stormers XXIII – 5/1
- Sharks XV – 11/2
- Griquas – 11/2
- Ford Pumas – 15/2
- Cheetahs – 12/1
- Boland Cavaliers – 50/1
Round 1 Review
Pumas 24-26 Sharks XV
The Pumas started 6-point favourites for this one, with the total points line quoted at 60.5. In the end, the Sharks held on for an impressive away victory in a closely contested match.
Stormers XXIII 25-19 Griquas
The Stormers started as 5.5-point underdogs at home to Griquas, and it turned into a scrappy affair with several yellow cards disrupting the flow of the game. After falling behind early, the Stormers fought back well to claim the win.
Cheetahs 29-27 Lions
The Cheetahs were 8.5-point favourites against a Lions side that pushed them all the way. The total points line was 65.5, and the game never seriously threatened the overs.
Boland Cavaliers 24-10 Bulls XV
Boland started as 2.5-point favourites, with this match played in wet conditions. The 57.5 points line was never under any real threat as Boland comfortably accounted for the Bulls XV.
I never got involved in the opening weekend's action, mainly because I was returning from holiday. In hindsight, that was probably just as well, as I certainly wouldn't have predicted all four games to finish under the total points line, and by a comfortable margin at that, with none of the matches finishing within a converted try of the quoted total.
Round 2 Fixtures
Friday 24 July
- Cheetahs v Sharks XV
Saturday 25 July
- Lions v Pumas
- Griquas v Bulls XV
Sunday 26 July
- Boland Cavaliers v Stormers XXIII
I don't have much of a feel for this competition yet, so I'm going to sit out the handicap projections for another week while we get a better idea of how the teams are shaping up.