The upsets continued in the second weekend of the 2020 Super Rugby season and there is evidence to suggest that we could be in for the closest season in recent memory.

There are a number of key games set to take place this weekend and there is betting interest in every single one of them.

We have analysed every single game set to take place this weekend and our complete 2020 Super Rugby Round 3 tips can be found below.

The Crusaders suffered a very rare loss at the hands of the Chiefs, but they will still go into this clash with the Blues as clear favourites.

The Crusaders have won their past ten matches against the Blues and they have not lost to the Blues since 2014.

In saying that, the Crusaders have won only four of their past eight matches as away favourites and they are a poor 2-6 against the line in this scenario.

The Blues were finally able to end their losing streak on the road when they beat the Waratahs comfortably last weekend and they have played some excellent rugby during the season to date.

This is a much stiffer challenge though.

The Crusaders very rarely lose two games on the trot and the Blues have won only two of their past 11 games as underdogs.

This is a game that the market looks to have just about right and I am happy to stay out from a betting perspective.

No Bet

This is a huge game for both the Rebels and the Waratahs.

Both sides have started the season 0-2 and another loss will make their chances of making the Super Rugby Finals extremely slim.

It is the Rebels that will start this clash as favourites and it is very tough to get them as short as their current price.

The Rebels have won only four of their past seven games as home favourites, for a clear betting loss, and they have won only two of their past 12 matches against the Waratahs.

It has been a poor start to the season for the Waratahs and they were very disappointing against the Blues in the second half.

The Waratahs have won only one of their past six games as away underdogs, but their record against the Rebels is excellent and they are 5-1 against the line in this scenario.

The Rebels are false favourites and the Waratahs are a good bet to claim their first win of the season.

Back Waratahs To Win @ $2.10

The Chiefs are the shortest-priced favourites of the weekend in Super Rugby and they are deserving of that status.

They were excellent against the Crusaders and, on the back of that performance, it is tough to see them having any issues with the Sunwolves.

The Chiefs have now won three of their past four games away favourites and they have covered the line in each of these wins.

In saying that, the Sunwolves will take confidence from the fact that they were able to beat the Chiefs, in one of the biggest upsets in Super Rugby history, last season.

The Sunwolves do take an unbeaten record into that game, following their opening round win over the Rebels, but consistency has been an issue for them throughout their history.

This is a game that the Chiefs should win very comfortably and I don’t think that the line of 20.5 points will be anywhere near enough.

Back Chiefs To Cover The Line (-20.5 Points) @ $1.90

This is arguably the most interesting game of the round in Super Rugby.

The Hurricanes bounced back from their opening round disaster against the Stormers to upset the Jaguares and they will start this clash with the Sharks as clear favourites.

The home side has won seven of the past eight games played between these two sides and the Hurricanes have six of their past seven matches as home favourites, but they are only 2-5 against the line in this scenario.

Outside of the Chiefs, the Sharks have arguably been the most impressive side in the first two rounds of the Super Rugby season.

They take a 2-0 record into this clash and they were particularly strong against the Highlanders in New Zealand last week.

The Sharks have won four of their past nine games as away underdogs and they do look as though they could be the big improvers in Super Rugby this season.

I don’t think that there is as much between these two sides as the current market suggests and the Sharks are a great bet to cover the line.

Back Sharks To Cover The Line (+6.5 Points) @ $1.90

The Brumbies are the only Australian side to win a game in Super Rugby this season and they are favourites to take their record to 3-0 when they host the Highlanders on Saturday night.

GIO Stadium has once again become a fortress for the Brumbies.

They have won their past ten games at the venue and they have covered the line in nine of these victories.

However, they will have to overcome a poor record against the Highlanders.

The Highlanders have won the past four games played between these sides and have done so in fairly comfortable fashion.

In saying that, I haven’t been impressed with what I’ve seen from the Highlanders this season and their recent record away from home is dreadful.

The Highlanders have won only one of their past eight games on the road and their record against the line isn’t much better.

The Brumbies are one of the best bets in Super Rugby this weekend and can cover the line comfortably.

Back Brumbies To Cover The Line (-4.5 Points) @ $1.67

The Stormers have looked the goods during the Super Rugby season to date and, amazingly, they have not conceded a single point in their two games to date.

The question is whether they can replicate that form away from home?

The Stormers have won only two of their past seven games on the road and they have not beaten the Lions away from home since 2015.

The Lions didn’t look overly impressive in their win over the Reds and there is no doubt that the Stormers represent a tougher challenge.

On top of that, they have won only one of their past seven games as underdogs and their record against the line is no better.

This is another clash that the market looks to have just about right.

No Bet

A tough start to the season doesn’t get any easier for the Reds.

They weren’t disgraced against the Lions last weekend, but the Jaguares are a tougher challenge.

Winning away from home continues to be tough for the Reds; they have won only two of their past ten games as away underdogs, but are 6-4 against the line in this scenario.

The Jaguares suffered a surprise loss at the hands of the Hurricanes last weekend and they are a side that rarely suffers back-to-back defeats.

They have still won eight of their nine games as home favourites and they are an impressive 7-2 against the line in this scenario.

The Jaguares should win this clash and it is the Total Points market that holds the interest for this clash.

No Bet

2019

As Super Rugby moves into Round 3 there are three sides with a perfect record of two wins from two games but no side has been as impressive as the Sharks.

Not only have they won both games so far, but they are the only side to pick up back to back bonus points for outscoring their opponents by three tries or more.

This weekend they have the Stormers coming to town fresh off a win over the Lions in what should be a very good game to take in.

We have previewed every Super Rugby Round 3 game right here!

Don’t look now but the Brumbies are the free-flowing entertainers of Super Rugby in the opening fortnight.

With 81 points in their first two games, they are the highest scoring team in the competition and face a Hurricanes side fresh off a massive defeat at the hands of the Crusaders.

This one might be a little big closer than the games both sides were involved in last weekend with the Brumbies showing they are more than capable of running with just about anyone.

Recent history between these sides has been one extreme or the other with last June’s 24-12 win the closest game in the last five years but this might just beat that one.

It’s been a long time since the Brumbies won in New Zealand but at +13.5 they are worth backing to keep it close.

Back the Brumbies to Cover +13.5 @ $1.91

We’ve had a full fortnight to digest the Rebels Round 1 win over the Brumbies and how you view this game really comes down to how much you want to take from that first game.

The Highlanders are yet to really break out this season with close victories over the Chiefs and Reds so far but there is plenty of cause for concern with a defence that has given up 58 points so far.

Scoring against the Rebels has not been a problem in the past with 30 or more points in six of the seven meetings and just one loss back in 2013.

This game has the potential for plenty of points and the Rebels are just too talented to let this get out of hand so back a tight contest once again.

Back the Highlanders to Win by 1-12 @ $2.63

The Sunwolves gave the Waratahs a proper scare last week and will be out to cause more trouble for the winless Chiefs.

Neither side has really played inspiring defence with the Chiefs giving up 84 and the Sunwolves 76 points this season, or to put it more simply, the two worst totals so far.

Last year the Chiefs cruised to a 61-10 win away to the Sunwolves but their 2017 clash in Waikato was much closer, finishing 27-20.

With a line in the 20’s, it’s a lot to ask of a Chiefs side to cover here, especially with their struggles so far.

A counter argument however is that the Sunwolves have lost their last eight away games, six of which have come by 13 or more points and they tend to really struggle outside of Japan.

With the injuries slowly decimating the Sunwolves side, that just swings the pendulum the way of the Chiefs and the points here.

Back the Chiefs to Cover -26.5 @ $1.91

It was hard not to be impressed by the Reds gallant effort in their defeat last weekend giving the Highlanders a real run for their money.

Of course as impressive as the Reds were, the Crusaders looked nothing short of exceptional in their demolition of the Hurricanes and any confidence in Queensland would have quickly eroded at the sight of that performance.

Last time these teams met in 2017, the Crusaders only just snuck home 22-20 at Suncorp for what was their sixth straight win over the Queenslanders, the Reds last win over the Christchurch side was the 2011 Super Rugby Final.

When the Crusaders win they tend to win big with a couple of huge victories over Queensland in the last few years and while the Reds will try, anything less that 20 is exceptional value for the Crusaders.

Back the Crusaders to Cover -13.5 @ $1.91

You could be forgiven for not seeing the Lions upset loss to the Stormers coming last week, although the Bulls losing in Argentina was a bit less surprising.

The Lions finally get a home game after trips to face the Jaguares and Stormers and return to their fortress looking to extend a five game winning run at Ellis Park.

Over the last three seasons this has been a fairly one-sided affair with the Lions winning all four meetings by an average of 28.25 points per game.

The tide might be turning however with the Bulls crushing the Stormers in week one and almost looking like a competitive side.

If you can write off the Bulls loss in Argentina as a rough road trip, they will be happy to be back on South African soil and are at good value for the upset of the round.

Back the Bulls to Win @ $2.90

Out of all the teams in Super Rugby, the Sharks might just be off to the best start.

Back to back double digit wins over the Sunwolves and Blues has them with far and away the best points differential in the competition.

With 71 points scored and a meagre 17 against, the South African side will be a tough out for the Stormers who come into this game full of confidence.

After knocking off one conference powerhouse last week, the Stormers would love to do it again here and help move on from their opening round debacle.

The Sharks have been strong at home, with three straight covers at Kings Park and with a line hovering around a try, it’s a good play to back them to make it four in a row.

Back the Sharks to Cover -7.5 @ $1.91

For some reason, the Jaguares continue to be steady unders in the early market but that’s good news for punters trying to get some early week value.

The Blues do appear to be getting the “Kiwi Boost” where you automatically assume that because a side is from New Zealand, they are just better than an opponent.

Unfortunately the Auckland based side are making their first trip to the Buenos Aires cauldron and have lost their last three on the road.

Head to head is fine to back in here but with a line as small as 2.5 points, why not take a little bit of extra value?

Back the Jaguares to Cover -2.5 @ $1.91

2018

We have already been treated to a number of excellent games during the 2018 Super Rugby season and there are a number of highly-anticipated fixtures set to take place this weekend.

The action gets underway with a big clash between the Blues and the Chiefs before the Reds host the Brumbies in the only Australian Derby of the weekend.

We have gotten off to a flying start to the season and our complete 2018 Super Rugby round 3 tips can be found below!

The market can’t separate the Blues and the Chiefs ahead of this Friday Night Blockbuster.

These two sides played out a draw in May last year, but before that the Chiefs had won their previous 11 games against the Blues and have a simply outstanding record against their rivals.

Winning away from home was not an issue for the Chiefs last season and they are a better side than what they were made to look like against the Crusaders last weekend.

The Blues played some excellent Rugby at times against the Highlanders last Friday, but the defence continues to be an issue and their horrible record against the Chiefs should not be ignored.

It is a surprise that the Chiefs are not clear favourites for this clash and they are excellent value at their current price of $1.91.

Back Chiefs To Win @ $1.91

The Brumbies will start the only Australian Derby this weekend as clear favourites.

It was hardly a stellar showing for the Brumbies, but they still managed to come away from their clash with the Sunwolves with the win.

Winning away from home has been something of an issue for the Brumbies and they have won only two of their four games as away favourites, while they are 1-3 against the line in this scenario.

The season could not have gotten off to a worse start for the Reds – not only did they get flogged by the Rebels, but captain Scott Higginbotham was sent off for a high shoulder charge and has been suspended for three weeks.

The Reds have won only one of their past three games as home underdogs and their record against the Brumbies this season has been nothing short of woeful.

This is a game that the market does look to have just about right and I am happy to stay out from a betting perspective.

No Bet

The Rebels were the most impressive Australian Super Rugby outfit last weekend and they will start this clash with the Sunwolves as clear favourites.

The Rebels have not won a game away from home since they beat the Sunwolves in 2016 and that is a record they need to improve if they are going to be genuine contenders in the Australian Conference this season.

They didn’t come away with the win, but there was plenty to like about the performance of the Sunwolves against the Brumbies last weekend and if they can continue to play at that level, they will be more than competitive this season.

The Sunwolves have won two of their past six games as away underdogs and they are 4-2 against the line in this scenario for a clear profit.

It would not surprise to see another strong effort from the Sunwolves and they can cover the line with a start of 7.5 points.

Back Sunwolves To Beat The Line (-7.5 Points)

The Crusaders will start this clash with the Stormers as dominant favourites.

They started last season where they left off, with a big win over the Chiefs, and there is no doubt that they are the team to beat once again.

The Crusaders have won their past 17 games as favourites and they are a most impressive 13-3 against the line in this scenario.

The Stormers were unlucky not to start the season with a win over the Waratahs and they could rue that narrow defeat at the end of the season.

This is a franchise that generally perform to market expectations – they win when they are favourites and lose when they are now.

The Stormers have lost their past five games as away underdogs and they have covered the line in only one of these defeats.

The line may be big, but the Crusaders are more than capable of covering it.

Back Crusaders To Beat The Line (-16.5 Points)

It is the Sharks that will start this clash with the Waratahs as clear favourites.

The Sharks were able to give the Lions a genuine scare in their opening Super Rugby fixture and the fact that this game is being played at Kings Park Stadium gives them a big advantage – the home team has won the past six games played between these two sides.

The Sharks have won five of their past seven games as home favourites, but they are only 3-4 against the line in this scenario.

It definitely wasn’t pretty and luck was on their side, but the Waratahs showed plenty of fight to start their season with a last-minute win over the Stormers.

While the Waratahs were only able to win one of their five games as away underdogs last season, they were 4-1 against the line in this scenario.

This should be a fairly tight game and I am keen to back the Waratahs against the line with a 5.5 points start.

Back The Waratahs To Beat The Line (+5.5 Points)

The Bulls started their season with an upset win over the Lions, but they will still start this clash as clear underdogs.

It has been a winning start to the season for the Lions and they continue to be the best side in the South African Conference.

The Lions have won their past five games as away favourites for a clear profit and they are 3-2 against the line in this scenario.

It could not have been a better start to the season for the Bulls and they could prove to be one of the big improvers in Super Rugby this season.

The win over the Hurricanes was their first as home underdogs for well over a year, but they are 3-2 against the line in this scenario.

The real value in this clash is the Under in Total Points betting.

Backing the Under in games involving either of these sides has been a highly profitable play – the Under has saluted in ten of the past 14 games played by the Lions.

Back Under

It was a poor start to the Super Rugby season for the Hurricanes, but they are clear favourites to bounce back against the Jaguares.

The Hurricanes did not look their usual classy selves against the Bulls and they will need to improve on that performance to beat the Jaguares.

Away from has been a slight question mark for the Hurricanes over the past 12 months and they have been a losing betting play as away favourites in both head-to-head betting and against the line.

The Jaguares have started their season with a pair of losses and they continue to be a tough team to trust from a betting perspective.

Amazingly, this is the first time that the Jaguares have started a game at home as underdogs for over a season, but they have still won only four of their past eight games in this scenario and they are a woeful 2-6 against the line.

The Hurricanes should be able to return to winning form, but there is no value at their current price.

No Bet

2017

It has been a tough start to the Super Rugby season for all five Australian franchises and it doesn’t get any easier this weekend.

The Brumbies host the Western Force in an Australian Derby, while the Reds and Waratahs face tough tasks against the Crusaders and Sharks respectively.

The action starts with a blockbuster between the Chiefs and the Hurricanes before the Blues take on the Highlanders in another New Zealand Derby.

This could be a preview of the Super Rugby Final and the market is unable to split these two sides.

The Chiefs have had a tough start to the season and they have stamped themselves as genuine title contenders with impressive wins over both the Highlanders and the Blues.

They have the home ground advantage in this clash and they have lost just one of their past seven games in front of their home fans.

The Hurricanes put up massive scores against both the Sunwolves and the Rebels, but this is easily the toughest test that they have faced this season to date.

Winning has simply become a formality for the Hurricanes and they have won six of their past seven games away from home.

It really is tough to separate these two sides, but the Hurricanes have won three of the past four games played by these sides and they got the job done the last time that they played at FMG Stadium Waikato.

Back The Hurricanes To Win @ $2.05

The Brumbies go into Round 3 of the 2017 Super Rugby without a win, but they will still start this clash with the Western Force as clear favourites.

The Brumbies were far from disgraced in their season opener against the Brumbies and they suffered a heart-breaking defeat at the hands of the Sharks last weekend.

This is their chance to win and they have won their past six games against the Force, but they won only four of their seven games as home favourites last season and were 3-4 against the line in this scenario.

The Force showed plenty of toughness to claim their first win at home for almost two years when they beat the Reds last week, but it has been a long time since they claimed back-to-back wins.

They have lost their past seven games as away underdogs, but they are 5-2 against the line in this scenario and they are yet to produce a poor performance this season.

There is not as much between these teams as the current market suggests and I am keen to back the Force to beat the line with a start.

Back The Force To Beat The Line (+5.5 Points)

This is the second New Zealand Derby of the weekend and it should also be an excellent contest.

The Blues have the home-ground advantage and they will go into this clash as narrow favourites, despite going down to the Chiefs last weekend.

Home favourtism has been a position that has suited the Blues and they have won their past four games in this scenario, but they are 1-3 against the line.

The Highlanders are yet to win a game in Super Rugby this season, but they were far from disgraced against the Crusaders last weekend.

They have not had any trouble winning away from home in recent seasons and they won two of their three games as away underdogs for a profit.

There really is nothing between these two teams and that means that the $2 currently on offer for a Highlanders win stands out as genuine value.

Back The Highlanders To Win @ $2

It is no surprise that the Crusaders will go into this clash as dominant favourites.

The Reds have the chance to make a 2-0 start to the season, but they instead produced a truly woeful performance to go down to the Force.

Discipline has been an issue for the Reds in both their games this season and it could be another very long season if they do not improve.

The Reds have generally saved their best performances for Suncorp Stadium and they are 3-1 against the line as home underdogs.

The Crusaders made it two fighting wins on the trot with their effort against the Highlanders and they have not lost to the Reds since the 2011 Super Rugby Grand Final.

They have won three of their past four games as away favourites for a narrow profit, but they are only 1-3 against the line in this scenario.

The market looks to have got this clash just about right and I am happy to stay out from a betting standpoint.

No Bet

The Stormers are the shortest-priced favourites of the weekend and they have an excellent opportunity to continue their flawless start to the Super Rugby season.

Away favourtism has not been a position that the Stormers have thrived in over the past 12 months and they have won just two of their past four games in this scenario for a clear loss.

The Kings look to be one of the big improvers in Super Rugby this season.

They were far from disgraced in their opening game of the season against the Jaguares and they got the job done against the Sunwolves fairly comfortably.

The Kings were a profitable betting play as home underdogs last season and they are a better team than their current price suggests.

Back The Kings To Beat The Line (+18.5 Points)

The Cheetahs have made a promising start to the Super Rugby season and they will go into this clash with the Sunwolves as dominant favourites.

The Cheetahs showed plenty of toughness to claim victory against the Bulls last weekend and they are sure to have taken plenty of confidence from that win.

They have won their past three games as home favourites, but they are 1-2 against the line in that scenario.

The Sunwolves improved on their opening round performance against the Hurricanes, but they were still no match for the Kings last weekend.

They are yet to win a game away from home and their record against the line as away underdogs is a poor 3-4.

The Cheetahs should be able to get the job done, but their is absolutely no value whatsoever at their current price.

No Bet

The Sharks returned from Australia with one win and one loss and they will go into this clash with the Waratahs as favourites.

The Sharks stole victory after the siren against the Brumbies and a repeat of that performance would make them very tough to beat this weekend.

Winning at home was easier said than done for the Sharks last season and they won just three of their five games as home favourites for a clear loss, while they were 2-3 against the line.

The Waratahs were no match for the Lions last weekend and they will need to improve significantly to have any chance against the Sharks.

They have won just one of their past four games as away underdogs and they have the same record against the line, while they have not beaten the Sharks in South Africa since 2009.

This is another game that the market has got right and I am happy to stay out from a betting standpoint.

No Bet

This is set to be one of the most interesting games of the weekend.

The Lions improved their record to 2-0 with their win over the Waratahs last weekend and they will start this clash as narrow favourites.

Winning away from home was not an issue for the Lions last season and they won both their games as home favourites, while they were 1-1 against the line.

The Jaguares were unable to turn Estadio Jose Amalfitani into a fortress last season and they finished the season with just three wins from their seven games in front of their home fans.

Backing the Lions continues to be a profitable play in Super Rugby and they should be able to cover what is a fairly small line with ease.

Back The Lions To Beat The Line (-2.5 Points)

2016

We have another Friday afternoon blockbuster in Super Rugby this weekend as the Blues host the Hurricanes in the opening game of the weekend.

The Sunwolves and Kings return to action after their week off for the bye, with the Sunwolves set to host their very first home game at Singapore National Stadium.

The round concludes with one of the biggest games of the week as South African rivals the Stormers and Sharks do battle in what could be a key fixture.

The Blues started their season with an upset victory over the Highlanders before they went down to the Crusaders last weekend, while the Hurricanes are already at a crossroads after starting the season with two straight losses.

The Blues are set to start this game as favourites, which is a unique position as they have been favourites just once in the past 12 months, while the Hurricanes have been underdogs just three times in the same period.

This is a tricky game to analyse as both sides are filled with completely new faces in 2016 and I am happy to stay out of this game from a betting standpoint

Recommended Bet: No Bet

The Force put the final nail into the coffin of Reds coach Richard Graham when they scored an upset win in the Australian Derby last weekend, but they face a much tougher assignment against a Brumbies sides that has started the season with two straight wins.

The Brumbies are dominant and deserving favourites, but they also look like a good bet against the line in this fixture

They are 3-1 against the line as away favourites, while the Force have a very poor record in front of their home fans and have beaten the line just once in their past eight games at NIB Stadium.

Recommended Bet: Back The Brumbies To Beat The Line (-9.5 points)

The Lions have been the early suprise packets in Super Rugby this season and they produced an outstanding performance to upset the Chiefs away from home last season.

They face a tough challenge to go back-to-back against the Highlanders – who scored a narrow win over the Hurricanes – last weekend and they are clearly outsiders in betting again.

This is another tough game to analyse as both teams have been excellent against the line in the past 12 months – the Highlanders are unbeaten as home favourites and 4-2 against the line, while the Lions are 7-2 as underdogs and 5-1 as away underdogs.

The line of 9.5 points seems just about right based on the two sides performances so far this season and there simply is no value on offer in any of these betting markets.

Recommended Bet: No Bet

The post-Richard Graham era begins for the Reds with a road trip to Melbourne for a clash with the Rebels, who return to Australia after suffering a 20 point defeat against the Bulls in South Africa.

The Reds have been truly horrid this season and their betting stats for the past 12 months are absolutely shocking – they are 3-11 against the line in the past 12 months – although that record isn’t as bad away from home.

The Rebels have not been the best betting side in the past 12 months either and they are 2-4 against the line as favourites, but they simply have far more talent than the Reds and are deserving favourites.

The betting market that does standout in this fixture is the over/under points betting market as the under has saluted in 19 of the 28 games played by the two sides in the past 12 months.

The Sunwolves return to Super Rugby action following their second week bye, while the Cheetahs are still chasing their first win of the season after suffering narrow losses at the hands of both the Jaguares and the Cheetahs.

The Sunwolves were very impressive without winning against the Lions in their first Super Rugby encounter and that performance looks even stronger after the Lions upstaged the Chiefs last week.

This will be just the second game that the Cheetahs have started as favourites in the past 12 months and it is tough to have any trust in a team that has won just three of their past 15 games.

This a tough road trip for the Cheetahs and you couldn’t possibly back them as favourites, while the Sunwolves still have the hunger in them to claim their maiden Super Rugby victory and are capable of recording an upset win.

Recommended Bet: Back The Sunwolves To Win @ $2.80

The Southern Kings were the most disappointing of the three new Super Rugby franchises in the opening round of the season and they face a very tough  challenge against a Lions side that will be smarting after their shock loss to the Lions last weekend.

The Chiefs have been far from a profitable betting side in the past 12 months and they are an extremely poor 2-6 against the line as favourites, while they are just 5-3 in straight-up betting.

In saying that, the Southern Kings lack quality right across the park and if the Chiefs turn up it is very hard to see them not putting a very big score on their South African rivals.

Recommended Bet: Back The Chiefs To Beat The Line (+16.5 points)

This is one of the games of the round as both these teams are 2-0 and are on top of the two separate divisions in the South African Conference.

The Stormers have played some outstanding during the season to date, while the Sharks have been more businesslike in their approach and only just got the job done against the Jaguares.

Betting wise, The Stormers have been somewhat of a disappointment in the past 12 months and they are a poor 3-5 against the lions as home favourites, but the Sharks have won just one of their past six games as underdogs and are basically even against the line.

This is another game where the odds appear to be just right and at this stage I couldn’t recommend any betting plays in good faith.

Recommended Bet: No Bet