The Bulls set to inflict more pain on Leinster in URC semi-final

The Bulls and Leinster will fight it out in South Africa in the semi-final of the United Rugby Championship (URC) on Saturday. Leinster are the favorite to win. But the Bulls have a home advantage. In our latest rugby betting picks, we tell you who to put your money on to get to the URC Grand Final.

What: 2023/24 URC semi-final
Who: Bulls vs. Leinster
Where: Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria, South Africa
When: Saturday, June 15th
Time: 10 a.m ET

The Bulls from South Africa and Leinster from Ireland will contest the opening semi-final of the 2023/24 URC playoffs on Saturday. Later in the day, Munster will host the Glasgow Warriors in the second semi-final, with the two winners to contest the Grand Final on Saturday 22nd June.

In the URC points table, the Bulls finished second, and Leinster third. But despite this, the Irish provincial side is the favorite to go through to the final.

South African side, the Bulls were only admitted into the United Rugby Championship in 2021. The closest they have come to winning the competition was in the 2021/22 season, where they made it to the final, losing 18-13 to fellow South Africans, the Stormers.

Leinster have won this tournament eight times. The wins came across the different incarnations of the competition (it was previously known as the Celtic League, the Pro 12, and the Pro 14).

Their most recent win came in the 2020/21 season. The victory was their fourth in succession.

Betting to win the URC Grand Final

The URC playoffs see the top eight teams from the regular-season points table compete in a knockout format to win the competition outright. Home advantage goes to the top seeds, and this year, seeds 1 to 4 have all made it to the semi-finals.

Your #BKTURC Semi-Finals are HERE 🙌

🏉 Vodacom Bulls v Leinster
🏟 Loftus Versfeld
⌚️ 15:00 BST

🏉 Munster v Glasgow Warriors
🏟 Thomond Park
⌚️ 18:00 BST#URC

— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) June 8, 2024

Despite being seeded No.3, Leinster are the favorites to win the tournament outright at -105. Second in the betting is their fellow Irish provincial side, Munster, who are +240. The Bulls are +400 and Glasgow is +1000.

Bulls vs. Leinster Match Betting

In the betting to win the match, the latest rugby betting odds favor the Irish. On the money line, Leinster is -200, with the Bulls at +162.

Onto the handicap spread, and the South Africans are receiving a 4.5-point start. To win with the spread, the Bulls are -110. To win and cover the 4.5-point spread, Leinster are -110.

More Bulls vs. Leinster betting options are on our odds table. We have gathered our odds from the best rugby betting online sites for the United Rugby Championship.

Teams
Bulls	+162	+162	+162
Leinster	-200	-200	-200

Bulls (+4.5)	-110	-110	-110
Leinster (-4.5)	-110	-110	-110

Stuttering Leinster bounce back from Champions Cup loss

Leinster booked their place in the last four with a convincing 43-20 quarter-final win over Ulster on Saturday. The victory was their second in succession after their heartbreaking European Champions Cup loss to Toulouse at the end of May.

A SIXTH STAR ON THE JERSEY ⭐️@StadeToulousain extend their record of titles with an INTENSE 31-22 win over Leinster in extra time 😱#InvestecChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/0b5nxgVCNf

— Investec Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) May 25, 2024

A poor end to the regular season saw Leinster miss out on top spot in the URC points table for the first time since the competition’s inception in the 2021/22 season. Munster finished top of the table this year, with the Bulls second and Leinster down in third.

In their last five URC matches, the Irish province lost three. Maybe they took their eye off the ball with the European Rugby Champions Cup semi-final and final played in the same period. Either way, their form during the run-in cost them the first place in the table and the No.1 seed they’ve become accustomed to.

As a result, the Bulls (2) are seeded higher than Leinster (3), meaning the Irish provincial side has to travel to Pretoria in South Africa for their semi-final with the South Africans at their Loftus Versfeld Stadium.

The last time the Irish provincial team was here, they were smashed 62-7 in April 2023.

But to put that match into perspective, it was the final round of regular-season matches, Leinster had already won the division and secured the No.1 seeding, and they had a European Rugby Champions Cup semi-final against Toulouse seven days later. Leinster weren’t competitive that day.

Dominant in home surroundings

The Bulls finished their URC regular season with four consecutive wins. They made it a winning streak of five when they defeated Benetton 30-27 in Pretoria on Saturday.

Four of their five wins have come at their Loftus Versfeld Stadium, with one win coming on the road at the Shark Tank, where they defeated the Sharks 26-14.

Bulls rise to the top 💪.

The Bulls beat the Sharks 26-14 in a classic URC South African derby 🏉 to guarantee a top two spot in the United Ruby Championship 🏆

Bulls' flanker Elrigh Louw was named as the player of the match 🔥.@betway @Betway_za @BlueBullsRugby @Elrighlouw pic.twitter.com/oWvV7gGJxx

— SmashSports (@SmashSportinc) June 1, 2024

The Bulls will be hoping this home form can carry them to the Grand Final.

Bulls vs. Leinster betting picks

In their most recent meeting, Leinster defeated the Bulls 47-14 at the RDS Arena in Dublin at the end of March. It was a comprehensive win for the Irish outfit and there did seem to be a gulf in class on the day.

Unfortunately for Leinster, they’ve been found wanting in the latter stages of competitions in recent years. They are almost victims of their success, often running out of gas as they compete on too many fronts.

In their last two visits to South Africa, Leinster has lost 44-12 (vs. Lions) and 42-12 (vs. Stormers). We can only see them coming unstuck again.

The Bulls to win is our betting pick.

Bulls To beat Leinster

+162

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