Argentina vs Uruguay Prediction: Los Pumas can run riot in Salta
After a 2-0 series defeat to England, Argentina will look for a morale-boosting performance on Saturday night (20:40, Sky Sports +) when Los Pumas host Uruguay at the Estadio Padre Ernesto Martearena.
Alex Jack provides his best bets in his Argentina vs Uruguay prediction piece, as well as all the essential team news and match odds for the showdown in Salta.
Team News
Argentina have opted for a front row of skipper Julian Montoya at hooker, with props Vivas Mayco and Francisco Gomez Kodela either side.
Guido Petti and Pedro Rubiolo start in the second row, with back-row trio Pablo Matera, Benjamin Grondona and Joaquin Moro completing the pack.
Simon Benitez Cruz and Nicolas Roger start in the half-backs, with Justo Piccardo and Matias Moroni in the centres.
Santiago Pernas, Rodrigo Isgro and Benjamin Elizalde form the back three for the hosts.
As for Uruguay, they go with a front row of Mateo Sanguinetti, German Kessler and Diego Arbelo, with locks Felipe Aliaha and skipper Manuel Leindekar in the engine room.
Lucas Bianchi, Manuel Ardo and Manuel Diana make up the back row, with Santiago Alvarez and Felipe Etcheverry combining in the half-backs.
Andres Vilaseca and Felipe Arcos Perez start in the centres, with Ignacio Alvarez, Bautista Basso and Juan Gonzalez in the back three.
Uruguay can be backed at 20/1 to stun their South American peers in their own backyard, while the draw is trading at 28/1.
The three-way handicap bar is set at 39-points, with Argentina priced at 10/11 to overcome it. Uruguay to be surprise leaders at the half-time whistle are 11/1.
Argentina -41 handicap @ 6/5
After the high of beating the British & Irish Lions 28-24 in Dublin last month, Argentina were brought back down to earth with back-to-back defeats at the hands of a weakened England side.
Losing 35-12 in the first Test, Los Pumas performed better in the second match with Steve Borthwick’s side but still ended up on the wrong end of a 22-17 scoreline.
Saturday provides an opportunity to get back to winning ways for Felipe Contepomi’s side and it’s hard to see anything but a convincing Argentina win in Salta.
Uruguay are on a two-game winning streak after back-to-back victories over Romania but Argentina will provide a significantly more difficult challenge on Saturday.
Los Pumas won 79-5 when these sides met on Uruguayan soil in Maldonado last year and a similar scoreline might well be on the cards this weekend.
While the -41 handicap for Argentina might seem significant, the hosts have the power in the pack and the electric pace in the wide channels to rack up the tries in Salta and cover the spread in this one.
Odds correct at time of publishing.
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