PREM Rugby Outright Betting Tips
The rebranded PREM rugby returns with Sale hosting Gloucester in the league's new Thursday evening TV slot.
Last season's champions, Bath, look to be the side to beat once again, but the fact that they were the seventh different team in as many years to win the Grand Final shows how competitive the competition is.
Relegation may also be back on the agenda, with a play-off between the PREM's bottom side and the team that tops the Championship a possibility, should the latter fulfil the yet-to-be-determined criteria.
Tip 1 – Bath Rugby to win the PREM @ 11/8
Bath finally won at Twickenham last season, claiming their first title since the 1995/96 season, before the play-offs were even introduced.
The key to continued success is to build on momentum and the Somerset side looks to have done just that by signing Santi Carreras, Chris Harris, and Henry Arundell.
Johann van Graan's squad has been slimmed down but still appears deep, with the players who helped win last season's Premiership Rugby Cup likely to receive more minutes.
Carreras may not play much before Christmas due to his Argentina commitments, but will be ready to step in when Finn Russell heads off for the Six Nations.
That can help build momentum into the closing months of the season, when Bath may also be pushing to upgrade last season's European Challenge Cup success to Champions Cup glory.
The PREM is incredibly competitive, but Bath are the team to beat.
Tip 2 – Bristol Bears to win the PREM @ 16/1 each-way
Bath may be the team to beat, but Bristol are the PREM's most exciting side. Semi-finalists last season, losing to the eventual champions at the Rec, their attacking numbers were striking.
The Bears scored the second-highest number of tries (97) behind Bath (102) and topped the list for carries (2895), metres gained (11226), passes (3262), defenders beaten (618) and clean breaks (308).
That was all without key injury absentees, but those fitness woes are hopefully set to fade and the signings of Tom Jordan and Louis Rees-Zammit suggest they are going to be even more attacking.
Pat Lam's free-flowing side can blow opponents away and, with the talent to top the standings, they are an excellent each-way shout to become the eighth different side in as many seasons to triumph at Twickenham.
Tip 3 – Harlequins to finish bottom
Much of the summer's conversation has centred on the investment in the newly named Newcastle Red Bulls.
It came later than hoped, so Steve Diamond and the hierarchy's recruitment has focused on rough diamonds and veterans. However, they look to have done well in attracting grizzled Super Rugby campaigners like Tom Christie and Fergus Lee-Warner.
Diamond has also insisted that 60 per cent of his squad be academy products, as has been Newcastle's policy for over a decade.
The optimism at Kingston Park can help propel them to a better finish than in recent years and the team who could struggle most are Harlequins.
Head Coach Danny Wilson has departed in the last fortnight to take up a position with Wales and a replacement is still to be announced.
They've made interesting signings, but Kieran Treadwell, Guido Petti, Harry Williams and George Turner are all 29 or over.
Quins have lost to both Newcastle and Leicester in the Premiership Rugby Cup and they suddenly look very vulnerable.
Odds correct at time of publication but subject to change