Harlequins vs Newcastle Red Bulls Prediction: Quins can put smiles back on faces at The Stoop

Having been thumped by Exeter Chiefs last week, Harlequins will be eager to put smiles back on their fans’ faces on Saturday afternoon (15:00, TNT Sports Extra) in the Gallagher Prem when they host rock-bottom Newcastle Red Bulls at the Twickenham Stoop.

Alex Jack provides his best bets in his Harlequins vs Newcastle Red Bulls prediction piece, as well as all the essential team news and match odds for the clash in the capital.

Team News

Fin Baxter, Jack Walker and Harry Williams start in the front row for Harlequins, with locks Guido Petti Pagadizábal and Stephan Lewies in the engine room.

Jack Kenningham, Will Evans and Zach Carr start in the back row, with Will Porter and Marcus Smith in the half-backs.

Jarrod Evans comes into the lineup at inside centre, with Luke Northmore outside him in the No.13 jersey.

Skipper Cadan Murley, Rodrigo Isgró and Tyrone Green form the back three for the hosts.

As for Newcastle, Adam Brocklebank, skipper George McGuigan and Richard Palframan start in the front row, with Jamie Hodgson and Freddie Clarke in the second row.

The Red Bulls back row is Fergus Lee-Warner, Tom Gordon and Amanaki Mafi, with Simón Benítez Cruz and Brett Connon in the half-backs.

Max Clark and Oli Spencer combine in the centres, with Alex Hearle, Elliott Obatoyinbo and  Stefan Coetzee in the back three.

Harlequins vs Newcastle Red Bulls Odds

Harlequins are the overwhelming favourites at 1/50 to win on Saturday, while Newcastle are out at 12/1 to stun Quins in the capital.

A draw at The Stoop this weekend is 28/1, while the Red Bulls with a +9.5 first-half handicap are 1/1.

Harlequins -23 handicap @ 11/10

The torrid start to the Red Bull era at Newcastle continued last week, as they suffered a 36-19 defeat at home to Northampton Saints.

While Newcastle did push Saints close at times, the Red Bulls are struggling to put together an 80-minute performance and their defence is badly letting them down.

With 170 points conceded already, at an average of 42.5 points per game, it’s hard to see where the first win of the season is going to come from for Newcastle.

The Red Bulls might well find themselves on the end of a backlash, as Harlequins look to respond to their 38-0 drubbing at the hands of the Exeter Chiefs last weekend.

An unacceptable performance from Quins at Sandy Park, they will be determined to bounce back against a Newcastle side who have not won at The Stoop in their last six attempts in the Gallagher Prem.

With England fly-half Smith pulling the strings at No.10, Quins can overcome the sizeable -23 handicap in this one.

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