Leicester Tigers vs Bath Prediction: Tigers to claim prized scalp

Leicester find themselves 12 points worse off than Bath heading into the New Year’s Eve clash at Welford Road on Sunday, but the Tigers will fancy their chances of coming out on top and getting themselves back in the top-four race.

The Tigers will be eager to get back to winning ways after seeing their five-match streak ended by Exeter Chiefs last time out, while Bath are aiming to make it five victories in a row across all competitions.

However, Sunday’s visitors are without a host of key players for their trip to Welford Road and a confident Leicester can make their extra quality count on the day.

Team News

Leicester winger Harry Simmons will start his first Premiership game of the season, replacing Anthony Watson, while Mike Brown is at number 11 in place of Josh Bassett.

Tom Whiteley replaces Ben Youngs at scrum-half and will form a half-back pairing with Handre Pollard for the first time this season.

James Cronin and Joe Heyes are brought into the front-row either side of hooker Julia Montoya, with Ollie Chessum alongside George Martin in the second-row. Matt Rogerson and Tommy Reffell are in the back-row, with Jasper Wiese at No.8.

Hooker Hame Faiva makes his first start for Bath, with Juan Schoeman and Will Stuart completing the front row, while Quinn Roux and Josh McNally start alongside each other for the first time this term in the second-row.

GJ van Velze captains the side and is joined in the back-row by Chris Cloete and Jaco Coetzee.

Louis Schreuder and Orlando Bailey make up the half-back pairing, coming in for Ben Spencer and Finn Russell respectively, while Will Butt comes into the centres alongside Max Ojomoh.

Matt Gallagher moves from full-back to wing, with Tom de Glanville on the opposite side and Sam Harris taking the number 15 shirt.

Match Odds

Leicester are the heavy 2/11 favourites to pick up the victory on home soil, with the tie priced at 22/1 and Bath 4/1 to chalk up their seventh league win of the campaign.

In the Match Winner Draw No Bet market, the Tigers are available at 1/5 and Bath are 16/5.

Leicester Tigers -11 Handicap 3-Way @ 10/11

It would normally seem strange to back against a team that are second in the table and have won six of their nine league matches to date, but that is exactly the play here as a weakened Bath look there for the taking.

Finn Russell, Ben Spencer, Cameron Redpath, Ollie Lawrence, Joe Cokanasiga and Will Muir are all missing in the backs, while Charlie Ewels is just one of several key forwards missing up front.

Bath may be riding high towards the top of the table, but this understrength side may struggle to contain a Leicester outfit that have been putting it all together in recent weeks.

The Tigers had chalked up three league wins in a row over Northampton, Gloucester and Newcastle, before then getting the better of the Stormers and Stade Francais in the Champions Cup.

A defeat to Exeter last time out halted the progress, but Leicester return to a venue they have won their last two matches at and the Welford Road crowd can spur them onto victory.

With fly-half Handre Pollard pulling the strings and the likes of Freddie Steward, Mike Brown and Harry Simmons providing attacking outlets in the backs, the Tigers look capable of covering the -11 Handicap and closing the gap to the teams above them.

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