Dragons vs Cardiff Rugby Prediction: The visiting Cardiff will dominate

The round eight of the United Rugby Championship will see Dragons take on Cardiff Rugby at Rodney Parade in Newport, Wales. The previous time, the two teams secured a win in their European fixtures. How will this encounter unfold? Below, I provide match previews with betting opportunities. 

Dragons

Dragons hope to take momentum from their last encounter against Newcastle Falcons, which ended 14-22. The Dragons started very strong in that encounter with a three-margin win, which ended 7-10. However, their improved second performance saw them win 7-1, ending the game 14-22. In the meantime, the Dragons started their European Challenge Cup with a defeat to Montpellier, ending 14-18.

Meanwhile, the Dragons' run of games to their last game saw them suffer a run of seven games of defeat. In that run, this team lost to Connacht, Lions, Sharks, Leinster, and Cardiff Rugby. Heading into this game, Dragons' last win in the league came against Ospreys in September. In their last home matches, Dragons have suffered four consecutive defeats. 

Going into this week's eight-game, the Dragons have seven points from their first seven matches. In those matches, this team scored 129 goals while conceding 204, and they sIt at the bottom of the league standings. 

Cardiff Rugby

Cardiff Rugby will look to replicate their Challenge Cup performance in the league as they travel to take on Dragons in this game. The previous time out, this team took on Cheetahs at home and secured a 26-10 win. In that encounter, Cardiff Rugby needed to come from a poor first-half performance to secure a win, thanks to a 21-0 result, with the game ending 26-10 at full time. In the meantime, their first encounter in the Challenge Cup ended in a 37-26 defeat away from home to Lyon in France. 

In their last league game, this team pulled off a 31-23 win over Dragons in late November. Ahead of this game, Cardiff Rugby's away record in their last five saw them win two games while losing three, a record they will hope to improve on. Overall, Cardiff Rugby have 21 points from seven matches, leaving them seated 5th in the standings.

Head-Head Statistics

The last five meetings between these teams have ended in favour of Cardiff Rugby. The last time Dragons had a win in this fixture was in 2015. The previous matches have ended in high scores. 

Expert Betting Tips

Looking at their past meetings and recent performances, it is clear that the Dragons are not fit for Cardiff Rugby. While the road team has their struggling days, their overall performances have been good, and I trust them in this fixture. In fact, with Dragons matches ending with a good margin defeat, I believe the same will happen in this one, as the visiting Cardiff are expected to take advantage.