Wasps vs Harlequins Odds, Lines, and Spread
- Wasps are 4.5-point home favorites over Harlequins in Sunday’s Rugby Premiership match
- Harlequins, 0-5-1 over their last six matches, will see their first action since Billy Millard replaced Paul Gustard as the club’s director of rugby
- Wasps have won their last five matches and are unbeaten since early December
Harlequins are in the mood for change, while Wasps are of a mind to stay the course. The Quins will take the pitch for Sunday’s Rugby Premiership match at Wasps in the midst of an 0-5-1 skid and with a new boss hoping to point them in the right direction.
Paul Gustard was ousted as director of rugby. Replacing him in charge of the direction of the club is general manager Billy Millard.
Wasps see no reason for change. Their squad has won five matches in a row, and will be 4.5-point home favorites in Sunday’s contest, which kicks off at 10:00 am ET at Ricoh Arena.
Harlequins vs Wasps Rugby Premiership Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harlequins | +155 | +4.5 (-115) | OFF |
| Wasps | -210 | -4.5 (-115) | OFF |
Odds taken Jan. 27th at DraftKings.
Harlequins Trying New Direction
When Harlequins finished a disappointing 10th in the Rugby Premiership in 2018, the club handed the reins to Gustard. He stepped down as England’s defense coach to take on the new role.
Following some early success, the Quins slid back into their old inconsistent ways. In Gustard’s first two seasons in charge, the club finished outside the top four in the table both years.
Paul Gustard gone from Quins. The players were told this morning. The job of replacing a long-established coaching team who’d enjoyed success is rarely straightforward. Brutal business.
— Nick Mullins (@andNickMullins) January 20, 2021
This season, they’ve stumbled to seventh in the table and appear to be heading in the wrong direction. Harlequins blew a 12-point lead to London Irish in the final 15 minutes of Gustard’s final match in charge, settling for a 27-27 draw. Harlequins hasn’t won a match at home in any competition since August.
Gustard was immediately hired as defense coach by Italian side Benetton.
For someone whose reputation was built around being a defensive guru, the results simply weren’t there for Harlequins under Gustard. The club is allowing on average four tries per match this season.
Paul Gustard aims a parting shot at Harlequins after agreeing to join Benetton as defence coach from July…'We wanted to be part of a group where there was a clear vision, a deep level of trust and a dynamic environment driven towards high goals'
— Duncan Bech (@DuncanBech) January 26, 2021
They were also reports that Gustard’s defensive style of rugby wasn’t sitting well with veteran Quins players like Joe Marler, Marcus Smith, and Mike Brown. Rumors are linking the latter with a move to Sale.
Millard will take charge of the coaching staff of Jerry Flannery, Nick Evans, and Adam Jones for the remainder of the season.
Wasps Delivering a Sting
Fifth in the table at 4-2-0, Wasps are buzzing of late, however. Following consecutive losses to Gloucester and Newcastle Falcons as the calendar switched from November to December, Wasps have won their last three Rugby Premiership matches as part of their five-match win streak.
There was an impressive 34-5 home verdict over defending champions Exeter, as well as away victories at Sale (26-23) and Bath (52-44).
📺 And this is why… pic.twitter.com/G0jQscD4gn
— Wasps Rugby (@WaspsRugby) January 25, 2021
The club announced this week that it signed center Paolo Odogwu to a contract extension. Odogwu joined Wasps from Sale in 2019.
The current campaign has proven to be a breakout year for him. He leads the club with six tries in eight matches. Odogwu earned a call up to the England side for the upcoming Six Nations.
Wasps also lost a member of their coaching staff this week. Wasps Academy coach Andrea Masi announced he was also joining the staff at Benetton.
Go With the Hot Hand
Harlequins did get a bit of good news this week when wing/fullback Aaron Morris agreed to a contract extension with the club.
👊 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐬!
📲 https://t.co/4XMduCckF7 #COYQ pic.twitter.com/vtmskMp1K6
— Harlequins 🃏 (@Harlequins) January 27, 2021
Still, even with the change at the top, it’s difficult to get excited about a side that’s surrendered at least 21 points in each of their last nine matches.
Pick: Wasps (-210), 1 unit.
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
