Saturday's Gallagher Premiership predictions including Northampton v Leicester and Exeter v Bath: Saints can exact derby revenge

Northampton v Leicester

TNT Sports 1, 3.05pm Saturday

Best bet

Northampton -5
2pts 10-11 bet365

Northampton are sitting top of the Premiership table with four rounds to play and have booked a place in the European Champions Cup semi-finals, but they know their fans won't settle for anything less than victory over fierce rivals Leicester on Saturday.

The Saints lost 26-17 at Leicester in November but since then they have won seven of eight Premiership matches, covering the handicap in each one of those wins, and their sharp attacking game has averaged more than four tries a match.

And that cutting edge can help them cover the bookmakers' line again against the Tigers.

Northampton have named George Furbank at fly-half for this clash, with fellow England international Fin Smith on the bench, to power an attack that scored five tries against Saracens in their last Premiership home game and ran in nine against the Bulls last weekend.

Leicester picked up useful away wins at Bath and Gloucester early in the season but have failed to score more than 20 points in any of their other five road games. The Tigers were 12-point favourites on their last Premiership away day at bottom side Newcastle and came away with a laboured 19-13 victory.

The visitors have the benefit of an extra week to prepare for this clash as they failed to reach the Champions Cup quarter-finals. But Northampton have won their last ten home games and the last four, all by a double-figure margin.

Exeter v Bath

TNT Sports 1, 5.30pm Saturday

Best bet

Bath
2pts Evs Coral, Ladbrokes

These teams met in the European Champions Cup just two weeks ago when Exeter edged a tight game 21-15. Since then the Chiefs have endured a tough defeat to Toulouse and may be feeling the strain back at Sandy Park.

Exeter lost that game 64-26 in France last Sunday and coach Rob Baxter has stuck with 12 of the starting 15 from that match six days ago as his team try to break into the playoff places.

Both teams were hampered by the strong wind when they met a fortnight ago but Bath's lively backline should find conditions more to their liking this time, although there's no Finn Russell to pull the strings as Orlando Bailey starts at fly-half.

Bookmakers can barely split the teams for this clash but second-placed Bath should be fresher and more ambitious and they can wear down the hosts by the end.

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