There were two ‘upsets’ in Round 3, with Northampton beating Bath and Harlequins stunning Wasps in Coventry. The other four matches were more straightforward, and a couple of accurate margin picks gave me the Yellow Cap in 5 of my pools. Well done to Keith Williams for claiming that honour in The Rugby Blog pool.

Make sure you join our predictor league on Superbru and see how you fare against everyone else.

I’m writing this week’s predictions early, because by the time you read this I’ll be in North Carolina for a wedding, and there are a few tricky picks to make.

Gloucester v Worcester
It’s looking fairly bleak for Worcester already, having lost their opening three matches by an average of 24 points – and two of those were at home. This should be another win for Gloucester – if they can beat Exeter at Kingsholm, they can beat Worcester. Gloucester by 13.

Average Superbru prediction: Gloucester by 9.72 | Bookie Handicap: Gloucester -13.5

Bath v Newcastle
Bath were disappointing last weekend, but this really should be a straightforward home win to get them back on track. The early season tour to Philadelphia is unlikely to help the Falcons cause here. Bath by 23.

Average Superbru prediction: Bath by 13.08 | Bookie Handicap: Bath -15.5

Saracens v Sale
Another easy pick as we’re lulled into false confidence for Round 4. There might be a hangover from the US trip, but anything other than a bonus point win will be a disappointment for the home side. Saracens by 21.

Average Superbru prediction: Saracens by 3.71 | Bookie Handicap: Saracens -22.5

Harlequins v Leicester
Only 7% of people on Superbru predicted Quins’ win at the Ricoh last weekend, presumably on the basis that Wasps are strong at home and Quins’ away record is poor. At the Stoop, however, is a different story. It’s the first tough prediction of the week, but I’m picking them to win against a Tigers side that hasn’t quite been firing yet. Harlequins by 4.
Average Superbru prediction: Harlequins by 4.12 | Bookie Handicap: Harlequins -3.5

London Irish v Northampton
After a huge disappointment in Round 1, Saints have come back to form with impressive wins over Leicester and Bath. It’s the opposite story for the Exiles, having been beaten by 30 and 29 points in the two matches since Round 1. I think the Saints will win the first match at the Madejski Stadium this season. Northampton by 16.

Average Superbru prediction: Northampton by 7.18 | Bookie Handicap: Northampton -8.5

Exeter v Wasps
This is a very tough match for Wasps, attempting to avenge their defeat last week in a daunting trip to Sandy Park, which is a rematch of last season’s final. With the news that Danny Cipriani is out for 2-3 months, the task is even harder, and I’d expect Exeter to win this fixture again. Exeter by 6.

Average Superbru prediction: Exeter by 3.74 | Bookie Handicap: Exeter -5.5

Bets:
10 on Northampton -7.5: – odds 1.82

Bath and Quins let us down in our ambitious accumulator last week, so let’s get back to winning ways here. There are only a handful of markets available at the time of writing, but Northampton -7.5 is the most tempting, as the biggest discrepancy between my picks and the LeoVegas handicap.

See how well we’re doing in the LeoVegas Punters’ Union rugby betting league at puntersunion.leovegas.com. We’re going head-to-head with other UK rugby titles this season to see who can win the most rugby bets and finish top in May! Who are you betting on this weekend?

Follow Hutch on Twitter: @Hutch_James