Harlequins vs Northampton Saints Prediction: Visitors can earn rare Stoop success

After the thrills and spills of European action, Gallagher Premiership rugby returns on Friday night (19:45, TNT Sports 1) with a mouth-watering encounter as Harlequins host Northampton Saints at the Twickenham Stoop.

Alex Jack delivers his best bet for the clash in southwest London, as well as all the essential team news and match odds for the big game in his Harlequins vs Northampton Saints prediction.

Team News

Harlequins and Northampton will both be without their England stars this weekend as they prepare for the start of the 2025 Six Nations.

Quins have gone with Wyn Jones, Jack Walker and Simon Kerrod in the front row, with locks Joe Launchbury and Stephan Lewies in behind.

The back row is made up of Jack Kenningham, Will Evans and James Chisholm, while Danny Care and Jarrod Evans start in the half-backs.

Ben Waghorn and Will Joseph start in the centres, while Cassius Cleaves, Nick David and Tyrone Green make up the back three.

Rugby Union Odds

As for Northampton, Tarek Haffar, Henry Walker and Trevor Davison start in the front row, with Temo Mayanavanua and Tom Lockett in the engine room.

The back row consists of skipper Josh Kemeny, Tom Pearson and Juarno Augustus, while it’s Archie McParland and George Makepeace-Cubitt who get the nod in the half-backs.

Rory Hutchinson and Charlie Savala start in the centres, while Saints have Tom Seabrook. Tom Litchfield and James Ramm in the back three.

Harlequins vs Northampton Saints Odds

Harlequins are the 4/11 favourites for the win on home soil, giving them an implied probability of 73.3%, while Northampton Saints are 12/5 to head back to the East Midlands with the victory.

The draw at the Twickenham Stoop is currently available at odds of 18/1.

Gallagher Premiership Odds

Match Result - Northampton Saints @ 5/2

It’s fair to say that the Twickenham Stoop has not been a happy hunting ground over the years for the Saints, with Northampton losing all of their last five visits there in the Premiership.

This rivalry has very much been a case of the home side coming out on top, with Northampton winning all of their last four Premiership games against Harlequins at Franklin’s Gardens.

What adds a variable that can disrupt the trend on Friday night is the lack of England internationals in both squads.

Northampton’s recent success means many of the reigning Premiership champions’ stars are away on international duty but they still have a backline capable of causing Quins problems.

Hutchinson is available before joining up with the Scotland squad and he will be a real threat at inside centre.

Northampton’s back three have electric speed, and Seabrook, Litchfield and Ramm are capable of striking from anywhere on the field.

The pack for Saints looks solid, so the key on Friday night will be if the half-back pairing of McParland and Makepeace-Cubitt gets Northampton ticking.

If the duo perform as they can, then Saints look to be great value at 12/5 to end their winless run at The Stoop this week.

Find more Rugby Union Betting Tips here at Betfred Insights