Steve Starr
- The Warriors (7-4) are 3.5-point home favorites over the Sabercats (7-4) in Round 14
- Houston sits three points ahead of Utah for the third and final playoff spot in the Western Conference
- Three other Major League Rugby matchups will take place across the country this weekend
With just under a month until the Major League Rugby postseason begins, there are a few crucial matchups in Round 14 this weekend. Sitting in fourth place in the West, the Utah Warriors host the Houston Sabercats, who are currently holding down the the third-and-final playoff spot in the conference.
Let’s examine the odds for this pivotal contest and make our picks for every Round 14 game. You can also check out the top Rugby Betting Sites in 2023 and stay up to date with the latest betting tips on the 2023 Rugby Union World Cup.
Warriors vs SaberCats
 | Spread | Win | Draw |
| Utah Warriors | -3.5 (-110) | -164 | +2200 |
| Houston Sabercats | +3.5 (-120) | +133 | +2200 |
Utah hosts Houston
Utah (7-4) snapped a two-game slide with a 36-26 road victory over Dallas in Round 13. While the Jackals’ 1-11 record makes them one of the worst teams in the MLR, the Warriors needed the win after dropping consecutive matches to the San Diego Legion (11-1) and Old Glory DC (5-6).
Houston (7-4) was demolished at home 34-17 by the Seattle Seawolves (9-2) last Saturday. They also fell 29-16 to the Legion in Round 12. In addition to snapping their two-match losing streak, the SaberCats will be looking to avenge a 30-24 home loss to Utah back in Round 8.
Final Score:
SaberCats: 17 // Seawolves: 34#MLR2023 #BigCatEnergy #HoustonSaberCats pic.twitter.com/fNSLhcUzlG— Houston SaberCats (@Hou_Sabercats) May 14, 2023
SaberCats are road underdogs
The Warriors are 3.5-point favorites on Saturday night. While they lost their last home date to San Diego, they are 4-1 at home this season. Meanwhile, Houston has a solid 3-2 road record. The SaberCats also have a +47 point differential on the season compared to Utah’s +1 mark.
This is a pivotal game for playoff positioning. While it will be close, we like Houston to win outright (+133) in a must-have match on the road.
Major League Rugby – Round 14 Matchups
| Spread | Win | Draw |
| Rugby ATL | -15.5 (-110) | -850 | +3300 |
| Dallas Jackets | +15.5 (-120) | +500 | +3300 |
| Seattle Seawolves | -18.5 (-110) | -1800 | +4000 |
| Chicago Hounds | +18.5 (-120) | +675 | +4000 |
| New England Free Jacks | -15.5 (-110) | -850 | +3300 |
| NOLA Gold | +15.5 (-120) | +500 | +3300 |
Three More Games This Weekend
The rest of the MLR schedule is ugly this weekend with three contests with spreads over 15.5 points. That shouldn’t dissuade you from getting in on the action and making some money, however.
New England (9-2) is 15.5-point home chalk over NOLA Gold (5-7). With three more victories than their closest competitor in the East, the Free Jacks are riding a five-game winning streak and haven’t lost since March. Meanwhile, the New Orleans-based squad has dropped two-in-a-row to fall to fifth in the conference. Since another loss would be devastating to their playoff hopes, we like the Gold +13.5 points. New England hasn’t covered a spread that big all year.
Free Jacks cement their spot atop Major League Rugby’s Eastern Conference by holding off Old Glory DC https://t.co/HdtoONyviK
— Boston Globe Sports (@BGlobeSports) May 15, 2023
Seattle (9-2) is a heavy 18.5-point road favorite against Chicago (1-10). The Seawolves have won their last three games by a combined 68 points and have the third-highest point differential (+139) in the MLR, after San Diego (+170) and New England (+147). In comparison, the Hounds are at minus-122, the third-worst point different in the league after Toronto (-201) and Dallas (-153). After smoking Dallas by 42 points at home a couple weeks ago, the Seawolves should have no trouble covering -18.5 points on Saturday.
Speaking of Dallas (1-11), they’re a 15.5-point road underdog to Rugby ATL (5-5-1) on Saturday afternoon. Atlanta somehow tied Toronto (1-9-1) last weekend so anything is possible. But, considering they’re only 3 points back of Old Glory DC for the final playoff spot in the East, they should be motivated to crush Dallas at home.
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