Wales vs France Six Nations predictions, odds & free bets
Wales vs France predictions
With Ireland seemingly in a league of their own and already out of sight in the Guinness Six Nations table, the other five teams in the tournament are fighting it out for probably no more than minor honours and national pride.
Rugby betting sites make France 2/5 favourites to beat Wales, who can be backed at 11/5 to win the match. The handicap market has settled at around a seven-point start for Wales.
Betting apps could have this one wrong, and in front of their passionate home supporters, the Welsh will be eager to register their first win of the tournament.
So far in the Six Nations, the surprise has been some reasonably dismal French performances.
Their traditional swashbuckling flair has mainly deserted them, and they have sometimes been short on ideas. It would be fair to say that they may be fortunate to have six points to their name going into this match.
Their win against Scotland could easily have turned sour. They got the benefit of the doubt after Scotland scored what many considered the winning try at the end of the match. The officials ruled it inconclusive on the replays, which looked a little harsh on the Scots.
They now face an emerging young Welsh side, who are winless in this year’s tournament. They have, though, shown that they are close to breaking out.
Can improving Wales put on a show?
In their match against Scotland, the Welsh looked in desperate trouble when trailing 20-0 at half-time, but they were inspiring in the second half. They lost 27-26 in the end, and they were similarly promising when holding an albeit moderate-looking England side to two points.
A hammering at the hands of the dominant Irish pack was, of course, no surprise. The Welsh were far from disgraced and gave the Irish defence plenty to think about.
Warren Gatland has made some bold changes to the Welsh starting line-up. Joe Roberts and Owen Watkin have replaced regular centre pairing George North and Nick Tompkins. Dafydd Jenkins will again lead the team as captain.
The 21-year-old takes the number six shirt as blindside flanker, a position he may thrive in.
France are possibly slightly weakened with Jonathan Danty out through suspension and fly-half Matthieu Jailbert missing from the line-up with an injury picked up against Italy.
The Welsh will come into this match with confidence. Home support counts for plenty, and the tweaks in the starting line-up could see them step up a gear.
Despite their shortcomings, the French team still needs to be respected. They will be desperate to leave the game against the Italians well and truly behind them. The pressure will be on, which may lead to some mistakes. The first 20 minutes of the game will be all-important for both sides.
The omens for the Welsh, though, suggest they can produce an exceptional performance. A win here could be the start of far better things to come. Wales could be worth taking a chance on at the prices on offer from new betting sites.
Wales vs France tips: Adams to find the try line
The first try scorer market with betting sites is always of interest. If Wales are to win the match as we've predicted, tries must be scored.
Josh Adams starts on the right wing again and he has already run in a couple of tries in the tournament.
Wales will be getting the ball out wide at every opportunity, and if Adams catches one in full flight, he has the speed and strength to break through the French line.
There is a temptation to take the 14/1 for him to score the first try in the match, but the safer option is to back him at 23/10 with BoyleSports to score a try at any time.
How to get Six Nations free bets
If you're planning to bet on the rugby this weekend it might be worth checking out the free bets offers from online bookmakers.
Bet365 are one of the top bookmakers for rugby and they are currently giving new customers up to £30 in free bets when they sign up using the bet365 bonus codeINDY2023 and make an initial deposit of between £5 and £10.
To earn the full £30 in free bets, users will need to wager a minimum of £10 on a selection with odds of 1/5 or greater.
Fans of casino sites may want to consider the sign-up offer for bet365's casino instead of the sportsbook with 50 free spins on UK slots up for grabs.
Whichever sign-up offer you choose, always check the terms and conditions before opening an account. If you do have a bet on the Six Nations this weekend, remember to gamble responsibly.
Paul has been professionally involved with sports betting since joining the Racing Post in 1986. Although greyhound racing was his first passion, he has also written multiple articles on a wide range of sports from a betting perspective.
