Challenge Cup Predictions & Betting tips

Presentation of the EPCR Challenge Cup - Rugby

The Challenge Cup is Europe's second-largest rugby union club competition. This event brings together 18 European and South African teams for the 2023-2024 edition.

It's a great competition to follow for several months, much to the delight of punters. The 2023-2024 season will see some great teams battle it out in an interesting format, and there are plenty of good bets to be had throughout the tournament!

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Our free prediction on the winner of the 2023-2024 Challenge Cup

French clubs have proved to be solid performers in recent years in the Challenge Cup! After the success of Montpellier and Lyon, Toulon triumphed in the 2022-2023 edition of the competition. Will we see another French victory in the 2023-2024 Challenge Cup? Or will it be the turn of a British club to lift the trophy after reaching three of the last four finals?

In any case, there are plenty of contenders this year. On the French side, Clermont, Castres, Montpellier, Bayonne and Pau are all in with a shout. In their company, we'll have to be wary of teams like the Sharks, Benetton Treviso (semi-finalists in the previous edition) and Gloucester, who have won the tournament twice and reached the final just as many times.

For our part, having been right to predict Toulon's victory last season, our advice this time round is to look out for a Clermont win.

Three-time defending champions Clermont have every reason to be ambitious in this competition. The Auvergne outfit finished with the best points difference in their group and have made the tournament a target this season. With a squad up to scratch, we can well imagine Clermont winning the Challenge Cup for a 4th time. Our Challenge Cup prediction: Clermont win!

Challenge Cup prediction: title odds

The odds on the winner of the 2023-2024 Challenge Cup have not yet been released by online sports betting sites in the UK, so you'll have to wait a few days to place your bets on the future winner of the EPCR Challenge Cup. In the meantime, take advantage of the best rugby odds at unibet.co.uk. Check back soon for the best odds on the future Challenge Cup champion!

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Beginner sports bettors - how does the Challenge Cup work?

As with the Champions Cup, the format of rugby union's second European club cup has changed somewhat for the new season. Here is the new format of the EPCR Challenge Cup for the 2023-2024 edition:

• There are still 18 teams taking part in the Challenge Cup, but they are divided into 3 groups of 6 (instead of 2 groups previously).
• Each team plays 4 different opponents, either at home or away, during the group phase.
• The top 4 teams in each group qualify for the last 16.
• The EPCR Cup se déroule sur une période de 8 week-ends.
• There are 4 days of group matches and 4 weekends of knockout matches.
• The tournament kicks off on 8 December 2023 and finishes on 24 May 2024, with the Grand 
• Final to be held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

The Challenge Cup is therefore highly competitive, and the calendar stretches over many months, making your predictions on the competition particularly interesting. Don't hesitate to try your luck with the bookmakers in November 2023, as there's plenty to play for given the number of big teams taking part!

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Our expert tips for betting on the Challenge Cup

First and foremost, the competition in the Challenge Cup has become increasingly tough over the years, and there is always plenty of excitement given the evenly-matched level of the teams in the competition. Although French and English teams generally dominate proceedings, it is not uncommon to see clubs from other nations performing well in the Challenge Cup in recent years. With the recent arrival of South African franchises in this tournament, the duels are even more interesting to follow. In the 2022-2023 edition of the Challenge Cup, the Lions and Cheetahs were far from ridiculous and you should not underestimate the South African sides again this season for your rugby predictions.

Would you like to place reliable bets on this Challenge Cup? Sportytrader's specialists will give you their advice on how to make the best predictions for the matches in this competition.

• Take into account the level of play of Challenge Cup teams
• Pay attention to the schedule of teams taking part in the Challenge Cup
• Take absences into account
• Favour the Challenge Cup teams who are at home

First of all, we recommend that you create an account with as many bookmakers as possible. By registering with as many betting sites as possible, you will be able to maximise your winnings by always entering the best odds. There can be significant differences depending on the bookmaker you use so bet your pounds wisely.

Below you will find all our advice in detail on how to place reliable bets on the Challenge Cup.

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Take into account the level of play of Challenge Cup teams

Firstly, it is important to analyse the level of play of each team taking part in the competition. The first thing to bear in mind is that there are differences in the level of play depending on the championship. For example, there is less competition in the Italian league than in the Top 14. So take an interest in the European rugby league championships, check the rankings, the latest results of the clubs, and also their record in the European Cups. This will give you a good idea of which teams are favourites for final victory and which have little chance of progressing from the group stages.

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Paying attention to the calendar of teams taking part in the Challenge Cup

Secondly, we advise you to pay close attention to the teams' schedules. Back-to-back matches? International tour? Is there a big league match coming up for a team? All these factors can make the difference in a Challenge Cup match.

Coaches can't always field their best team given that every match is physically demanding for the players, and it's not uncommon to see a squad rotate for a Challenge Cup match. By the same token, look to see if there is something at stake for each team in the match you want to bet on. The coach of a team that has picked up 0 points in 3 games and is therefore certain to be eliminated will probably rotate his team for the next league clash. It may therefore be worth betting on the opposite team if the odds are good enough given the context.

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Taking absences into account

In the same vein, find out if any key players are absent for an upcoming match. Key players may be injured or suspended for a match, which can make a big difference. Teams rely heavily on certain players to make the difference, especially in the Challenge Cup. If a major player is absent, his team's chances of victory are weakened and the associated odds will be higher than if he were present. So always try to find out the likely composition of the teams before placing your bet.

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Favour Challenge Cup teams that are hosting

Final piece of advice: favour teams that play at home. As you will see from the statistics below, playing at home is a real advantage in the Challenge Cup, as it is in the league. There are many reasons why teams do better at home.

First of all, the role of the public plays a big part. Their support is a real help to the players, who especially need it at important moments in a match.

The fact that they are used to playing in their own stadium is also a help, as they have their bearings and references, which is an asset.

The fact that they don't have to travel also reduces their fatigue, which makes them perform better.

Finally, it's rarer to see teams rotate their squad at home than away. So you can see why teams do better at home.

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What not to do when making Challenge Cup predictions

In addition to the tips on how to make a successful rugby Challenge Cup prediction and increase your chances of success in Europe's second biggest rugby club competition, it's important to be aware of the mistakes that will harm your Challenge Cup bets. Here is a list of actions to avoid before placing a bet on the Challenge Cup in November 2023:

• Place Challenge Cup bets on the spur of the moment
• Not managing your Challenge Cup bets
• Betting on a Challenge Cup team that has nothing at stake
• Betting on your favourite club without any concrete analysis
• Playing the same type of bet over and over again
• Ignoring the latest news from clubs taking part in the Challenge Cup
• Betting on the Challenge Cup without taking the odds into account

In sports betting, and particularly in the Rugby Challenge Cup, these mistakes can cost you dearly. Try at all costs to break these bad habits, as it will be beneficial for your Challenge Cup betting.

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Rugby Challenge Cup predictions: statistics to remember

To make the right predictions for the 2023-2024 Challenge Cup, a few statistics can be very useful. Here are the most important from the last edition:

• Average points per game: 49.2
• Average points scored at home: 27.45
• Average points scored away from home: 21.75
• Matches within +2.5 points of each other: 92
• Matches within +4.5 points of each other : 80
• Matches within +7.5 points of each other: 69
• Matches within +14.5 points of each other: 39
• Matches within +19.5 points of each other: 27%.
• Matches within +29.5 points of each other: 12
• Team wins at home: 61
• Draws: 4
• Victory away from home: 35%

As you can see, it's not uncommon to see victories by large margins in this Challenge Cup. It may therefore be worth choosing this type of bet for your next predictions on this new edition. It's worth noting that the big wins often come in the group stages. As a reminder, the matches are much closer from the round of 16 onwards. We therefore advise you to favour handicap bets in the group stages and underdogs in the final stages. Lyon, for example, was priced at 3.10 against Toulon in the final of the 2021-2022 Challenge Cup. Think about that for your predictions this season.

As far as the scores are concerned, it's mainly during the group stages that big gaps are seen, but the matches are often close in the finals. Keep it in mind if you want to bet on this 2023-2024 Challenge Cup.

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In a nutshell: how do you bet on the Challenge Cup and make successful rugby predictions?

To make the most of betting on the Challenge Cup, which is an increasingly popular tournament in France, don't hesitate to use the advice provided by our experts on this page.

In addition, you can of course use the statistics we have calculated for you, while taking advantage of the best Challenge Cup odds thanks to our comparator. Now you're ready to optimise your Challenge Cup results by making reliable predictions!

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Our current Challenge Cup predictions

EPCR Challenge Cup: best odds

04 May 2024 - 07:30 THE Sharks - Clermont

1 2.06

X 23

2 2.33

04 May 2024 - 10:00 Gloucester Rugby - Benetton Treviso

1 1.57

X 23

2 3.13