Scotland vs South Africa Betting Tips
Scotland vs South Africa Betting Preview
Scotland go into this enticing match with South Africa in excellent form. Last week’s powerful 57-17 victory over Fiji gives the nation an opportunity to match its greatest winning streak ever. But there’s a problem: They’ll need to beat the mighty Springboks to make it six wins in a row (4:10 p.m. Sunday, TNT Sports 1).
South Africa have won 15 of their last 16 test matches against Scotland and arrive in the northern hemisphere having clinched the Rugby Championship title. The visitors are enjoying a particularly successful run in Europe, having won four in a row, a streak which ended with victory in the Rugby World Cup last autumn.
On the road to World Cup glory, the Boks beat the Scots 18-3 in a match where Gregor Townsend’s men struggled to break through the South African defence.
Finding holes in this green defensive wall will again be a huge test for a Scotland team made up of 7/2 underdogs with betting sites. Visitors don’t go over 8/25 to win and most betting apps favor them by around 9.5 points on the handicap.
Scotland vs South Africa betting tips: Pollard to give recall
South African fans were eagerly waiting to find out who head coach Rassie Erasmus would choose as fly-half. Veteran Handre Pollard was given the nod by Manie Libbok, who has proven to be error-prone of late.
Pollard’s selection has attracted attention and he should be considered a contender for Man of the Match in a hard-fought match. The 30-year-old is a leading figure in South Africa’s success and heads to Murrayfield in excellent form after three consecutive wins with the Leicester Tigers.
He recently became the Springboks’ second highest goalscorer of all time and appears unaffected by the growing pressure from those wanting to take the No.10 jersey. That said, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s long-term injury gives Pollard some breathing room at the moment.
Pollard has accumulated 57 points from eight international matches in 2024 with a success percentage of 81.5%. That doesn’t quite match the 95.7% success rate of Scotland’s Finn Russell – who is set to return to the lineup after missing the Fiji win – so it’s crucial that Pollard installs and finds its range. It could make all the difference.
Scotland vs South Africa 1 Prediction: Handre Pollard to win Man of the Match – 8/1 BoyleSports
Scotland vs South Africa betting tips: Springboks share 7-1 to win
While Scotland will be boosted by the returns of Russell, Blair Kinghorn and Ben White, they go into the game without try-scoring machine Darcy Graham after the winger suffered a concussion in the win over Scotland. Fiji.
He dominated this match with four tries, a huge impact considering it was his first international match in over a year. It’s a shame he won’t have an immediate opportunity to build on that position against such strong opposition. Kyle Rowe, who missed the Fiji game with a hamstring problem, may also have to sit out.
The 7-1 split on the Erasmus bench shows the Boks are closing in on this one. Scotland fought hard the last time these two met, but like so many of South Africa’s opponents, the imposing physicality of the Boks’ pack proved too difficult to stop. Erasmus has included a largely secondary backline, but the strength in depth and focus on attack makes him a unique prospect for the Scots to overcome.
As such, bettors may favor a small margin of victory. Rugby betting sites are offering attractive odds on a well-fought victory as South Africa look to slow the momentum of a Scotland side who are tactically more solid and ready to fight than the last time they met.
Scotland vs South Africa 2 Prediction: South Africa to win by 11 to 15 points – 5/1 William Hill
Free Bets on Scotland vs South Africa
Sunday’s match at Murrayfield closes the second weekend of the Autumn Internationals and there is a chance to unlock £50 in free bets with Betfred before the Scots and Boks meet.
Using Betfred promo code BETFRED50, new customers can unlock £50 in free bets, all of which can be used to bet on rugby.
The offer is only available to new customers who open an account with Betfred, deposit a minimum of £10 using a debit card and then bet £10 or more on any sport on a selection with even odds (2.0) or more.
Once the qualifying bet is settled, Betfred will credit users with £50 of free bets, split into £30 of free sports bets and £20 of free acca bets.
Rugby punters using Betfred can also take advantage of the double fun promotion. Encourage any player to score the first try and if they score again, Betfred will pay you double the odds.
Play responsibly
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