Scotland vs South Africa prediction: Pollard to show his class in Murrayfield showdown

Read our free rugby union betting tips ahead of Sunday’s Autumn International in Edinburgh

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Scotland vs South Africa betting tips

• Handre Pollard to win Man of the Match - 8/1 BoyleSports
• South Africa to win by 11 to 15 points - 5/1 William Hill

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Scotland vs South Africa betting preview

Scotland head into the mouth-watering fixture with South Africa in excellent form. Last week’s powerful 57-17 victory over Fiji gives the nation an opportunity to match their greatest-ever winning streak. But there’s one issue: they will need to beat the mighty Springboks to reach six victories in a row (4.10pm Sunday, TNT Sports 1).

South Africa have won 15 of their last 16 Test matches against Scotland and arrive in the northern hemisphere after romping to the Rugby Championship title. The visitors are on a particularly fruitful run in Europe, having won four in a row, a sequence that ended with them capturing the Rugby World Cup last autumn.

On the road to World Cup glory, the Boks saw off the Scots 18-3 in a game where Gregor Townsend’s men struggled to break through the South African defence.

Finding holes in that green defensive wall will be a huge test again for a Scotland side that are 7/2 outsiders with betting sites. The visitors are no bigger than 8/25 for the win and most betting apps favour them by around 9.5 points on the handicap.

Scotland vs South Africa betting tips: Pollard to provide a reminder

South Africa fans have eagerly waited for news of who head coach Rassie Erasmus will pick at fly-half. Veteran Handre Pollard has got the nod over from Manie Libbok, who has proven prone to mistakes in recent times.

Pollard’s selection has caught the eye and he should be considered a contender to win Man of the Match in a fiercely contested game. The 30-year-old is a figurehead of South Africa’s success and heads to Murrayfield in excellent form after three wins on the bounce with Leicester Tigers.

He recently became the Springboks’ second highest scorer of all time and doesn’t appear affected by the mounting pressure from those who want to take the No 10 jersey. That said, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s long-term injury gives Pollard room to breathe for now.

Pollard has racked up 57 points across eight internationals in 2024 with a goal-kicking percentage of 81.5%. That doesn’t quite stack up to the 95.7% success rate of Scotland’s Finn Russell – who is set to return to the lineup after missing the Fiji win – so it’s pivotal Pollard settles in and finds his range. Doing so could make all the difference.

Scotland vs South Africa prediction 1: Handre Pollard to win Man of the Match - 8/1 BoyleSports

Scotland vs South Africa betting tips: Springboks’ 7-1 split to clinch it

While Scotland will be elevated by the return of Russell, Blair Kinghorn and Ben White, they head into the match without try-scoring machine Darcy Graham after the wing sustained a concussion in the win over Fiji.

He dominated that match with four tries, a huge impact considering it was his first international match in over a year. It’s a shame he won’t get an immediate opportunity to build on it against such strong opposition. Kyle Rowe, who missed the Fiji match with a hamstring issue, may also have to sit this one out.

Erasmus’ 7-1 bench split shows you ow the Boks are approaching this one. Scotland fought avidly last time these two met, but like so many of South Africa’s opponents, the hulking physicality of the Boks’ pack proved too difficult to halt. Erasmus has included a largely second string backline, but the strength-in-depth and focus on attack makes this a unique prospect for the Scot’s to overcome.

As such, punters may favour a small margin of victory. Rugby betting sites offer interesting odds on a well-fought win as South Africa look to slow the momentum of a Scotland side that is tactically more sound and ready for battle than the last time they met.

Scotland vs South Africa prediction 2: South Africa to win by 11 to 15 points - 5/1 William Hill

Scotland vs South Africa free bets

Sunday's match at Murrayfield brings to a close the second weekend of the Autumn Internationals and there's a chance to unlock £50 in free bets with Betfred ahead of the Scots and the Boks meeting.

Using the Betfred promo code BETFRED50, new customers can unlock £50 in free bets, all of which can be used for wagering on rugby.

The offer is only available to new customers that open an account with Betfred, deposit a minimum of £10 using a debit card and then wager £10 or more on any sport on a selection with odds of evens (2.0) or bigger.

Once the qualifying bet has been settled, Betfred will credit users with £50 in free bets, split up into £30 in free sports bets and £20 in free acca bets.

Rugby bettors using Betfred can also take advantage of the double delight promotion. Back any player to score the first try and if they score again, Betfred will pay you out at double the odds.

Gamble responsibly

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You can do this by making use of the responsible gambling tools offered by safe betting sites, such as deposit limits, loss limits, self-exclusion and time-outs.

Should you wish to seek help for gambling-related issues, there are several charities and healthcare providers who offer support and information:

• NHS Help
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