Bulls vs Scarlets 2023 URC Round 1 Predictions, Odds, Picks and Betting Preview

• The Bulls lost to the Stormers in the quarter-finals of the URC last season
• The Scarlets missed the playoffs last season after finishing 14th
• The Bulls are favoured to win over the Scarlets in their league opener

The 2023-24 season of the United Rugby Championship is finally here.

The URC returns this weekend, with the Bulls taking on the Scarlets in one of the opening fixtures of the new season.

Read on as Sports Brief brings you a preview of this Round 1 showdown.

Bulls vs. Scarlets Betting Preview

Where: Loftus Versfeld Stadium, South Africa

When: Sunday, October 22 - 3:00 pm local time

Odds: Bulls (-19.5) vs. Scarlets (+19.5); Total: 51.5 - view all lines

Betting on the Bulls (-19.5)

The Bulls will field some of their new recruits when they host the Scarlets this coming Sunday in their league opener.

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Director of Rugby, Jake White has decided to hand debuts to Wilco Louw, Sebastian de Klerk, and Devon Williams. New additions Akker van der Merwe and Jaco van der Walt will start the match on the bench, per SuperSport.

White said earlier in the week that the Bulls will use their squad depth more this season.

It is no surprise then that he has handed a debut to South Africa under-20 star Cameron Hanekom after the youngster produced a string of impressive performances in the U-20 league.

Johan Goosen partners Embrose Papier as the Bulls' halfbacks, while David Kriel gets the nod at outside centre.

Co-captain Ruan Nortje will pack down alongside Ruan Vermaak at lock for the Bulls, while Louw, Hanekom, and co-captain Marcell Coetzee form the team's loose trio.

Betting on the Scarlets (+19.5)

The Scarlets will unleash a bunch of their new recruits for Sunday's game against the Bulls.

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In the absence of some of their key players, including suspended Tonga international Vaea Fifita and their other Wales stars, head coach Dwayne Peel has decided to hand debuts to Taine Plumtree, Ioan Lloyd, and Alex Craig.

Plumtree played for Wales in some of their warm-up games for the World Cup, but he did not make the Dragons' final squad.

Lloyd, who made the switch from Bristol, will start at outside-half for the Scarlets. Craig, who joined the team from Gloucester, will be the Scarlets' lock against the Bulls.

Ben Williams will make his first URC start as the team's number eight, per the BBC.

The Scarlets won just six matches last season and finished 14th in the standings. One of those victories, however, came against the Bulls, with the Scarlets recording a 37-28 win at Parc-y-Scarlets.

Writer's Prediction

The Bulls (-19.5) win and cover the spread against the Scarlets (all odds courtesy of 1XBet).

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2023/24 URC Betting Preview

Sports Brief recently previewed the 2023-24 season of the United Rugby Championship.

Bookmakers have installed Leinster as the favourites to win next year's Grand Final.

They finished first in the regular season last campaign but suffered a heartbreaking 16-15 loss to Munster in the semi-finals.

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