Rugby Six Nations: Top Contenders Betting Odds

One of the great sporting events on the international calendar gets underway on February 4, as the prestigious Six Nations will keep rugby fans engaged until the middle of March. It was a thrilling conclusion to the event in 2022, with France completing the Grand Slam for the tenth time to win an 18th Six Nations title.

There will be extra emphasis on the Six Nations this year, with the events over the six-week event likely to have a great impact on the World Cup rugby odds. However, the latest Six Nations odds and a rundown of the leading contenders can be found here.

It could be a massive year for Andy Farrell and his Ireland team, as the top-ranked nation in the world will be looking to land Six Nations and Rugby Union World Cup prizes. It is only the second time in their history that the Irish have been ranked as the best international team in the world, and they should come into this year’s rugby schedule with great confidence behind them.

Ireland was slightly unfortunate to finish second in the Six Nations last year, with their 30-24 defeat against France ultimately being the result that cost them. However, Farrell’s team responded to that setback emphatically with their biggest win over England at Twickenham since 1964, before landing the Triple Crown with a comfortable win over Scotland in Dublin.

The momentum continued in the second half of 2022, as they landed a historic first series win over the Maori All Blacks, before becoming just the fifth touring team in history to achieve a series victory over New Zealand.

The rugby standings in the Six Nations last year showed that France was the standout European nation. There will arguably be more pressure on Fabien Galthie and his French side in 2023, as the nation hosts the Rugby Union World Cup in the summer. France achieved a Grand Slam for just the second time in their history last year, and they are currently the second-ranked nation in the world.

Only England has won the Six Nations more frequently in its current format, while France hosts the record for the most Grand Slams in Six Nations history alongside Wales.

There certainly seems to be a feeling that France is more than ready for the pressure that comes with hosting the World Cup, as they went throughout 2022 without suffering a single defeat.

France achieved a whitewash series win in Japan in July, before ending the calendar year with home victories against Australia, South Africa, and Japan. I’d make them the team to beat in the tournament, and it’s a slight concern that they aren’t shorter in the Six Nations odds.

The rugby stats show that it is hard to discount England, but the nation comes into this huge year under new management. Steve Borthwick has been tasked with guiding the Red Roses throughout this huge 2023 schedule, while Owen Farrell will captain the team.

England endured a difficult campaign in the Six Nations last year, which included defeats against Scotland, France, and Ireland. The only wins recorded by the Red Roses came against Italy and Wales, as they finished third in the overall standings.

This will be a learning experience for Borthwick, as England will need to improve following a disappointing end to 2022. Their only win in the Autumn Internationals came against Japan, while a draw against New Zealand was also a high point.

However, resounding defeats against Argentina and South Africa show just how far England needs to go before the World Cup gets underway in the summer.

The Six Nations 2022 was far from a vintage showing by Wales, as they finished just three points above Italy in the standings. However, there is a sense that they could surprise a few in the 2023 edition of the tournament.

Warren Gatland made his return to the national team in December, and there will be an expectation that the four-time Six Nations winning coach with Wales can turn the tide around.

It is worth remembering that Wales did enjoy bright moments in 2022, which included a first-ever victory on South African soil.

However, there were more low points throughout the year, which included the series defeat against the reigning world champions, and a shock first-ever defeat to Italy in the Six Nations.

At the other end of the Six Nations standings, there will be an intense battle to avoid the unwanted honor of winning the Wooden Spoon. Italy finished bottom of the standings for the 17th time in their history last year, but their campaign wasn’t without its high points.

The most impressive of those was recorded in Cardiff, as the Italians ended a 32-game losing run with a historic success against Wales.

Italy also ended the year with another famous win, as they beat Australia 28-27 in Florence. Scotland is likely to be their biggest rival, according to the Six Nations odds this year.

The Scots recorded two wins and three defeats in the Six Nations last year, which included a famous victory over England at Murrayfield. Scotland also ended the year positively, with a huge 52-29 win over Argentina.

The battle for glory this year is likely to be between the top two in the Six Nations odds. There will be intense pressure on France to start the year in good form ahead of the World Cup, and their round two match in Dublin against Ireland could be pivotal.

However, there is certainly value in siding with last year’s Grand Slam winners, and we could see them putting down an excellent marker for the World Cup in the summer with away wins against Ireland and England.

The prior mentioned Irish will be favored to finish second, ahead of Wales.

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