Bath vs Saracens Prediction: Bath to sink Sarries in Somerset
Following the most dramatic end to a Six Nations of all time, the focus switches to the bread and butter of the Gallagher Prem and there is a heavyweight showdown to look forward to on Friday night (19:45 GMT, TNT Sports 1) as Bath host Saracens at The Recreation Ground.
Below are my Bath vs Saracens predictions, as well as all the essential team news and match odds for the battle in the West Country.
Bath are the 1/4 favourites to claim the win on home turf, while Saracens are 3/1 to head back to the capital with the victory. A draw at The Rec is currently available at 20/1.
Team News
Bath have gone with Beno Obano, Tom Dunn, Archie Griffin in the front row, with locks Quinn Roux and Charlie Ewels in behind.
Josh Bayliss, Miles Reid and Alfie Barbeary start in the back row, while the established half-back pairing of Ben Spencer and Finn Russell are reunited after Six Nations duty.
Max Ojomoh and Ollie Lawrence pair up in the centres, while Bath boast a back three of Will Muir, Henry Arundell and Tom de Glanville.
As for the visitors, Saracens have gone with Eroni Mawi, Theo Dan and Marcus Street in the front row, with locks Nick Isiekwe and Hugh Tizard in the engine room.
Theo McFarland, Juan Martin Gonzalez and Tom Willis start in the back row, with Ivan Van Zyl and Owen Farrell in the half-backs.
Nick Tompkins and Lucio Cinti start in the centres, with Rotimi Segun, Tobias Elliott and Elliot Daly in the back three.
Bath -13 handicap @ 6/5
The Gallagher Prem is back with a bang on Friday night, as title contenders Bath and Saracens face off in the West Country.
Sarries have opted to rest some of their star players who featured so heavily in the Six Nations, with the likes of Maro Itoje and Jamie George given some time off.
However, it's straight back to work for many of Bath's big names and their added quality should see Bath triumph in Friday's game.
On the back of delivering Scotland's best Six Nations finish in the standings, Russell is back in the No.10 jersey for the home side.
Partnered by Spencer, who delivered a fine performance in England's narrow defeat in France last weekend, the best half-back partnership in the Prem are reunited.
Bath are blessed with a spoil of riches in the backline, with England internationals littered throughout.
Following a difficult Six Nations, the likes of Lawrence and Arundell will be determined to impress and they can do just that against Sarries.
Bath earned a 36-29 win when these sides met in the Gallagher Prem earlier this season in November and the Blue, Black & Whites look capable of another win over Sarries and covering the -13 handicap in the process.
Odds correct at time of publishing.
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