2023 Rugby World Cup betting odds

FRANCE are the hosts of the 2023 Rugby World Cup with ten venues across nine cities staging the matches.

It all kicks off on Friday, September 8, with seven weeks of top class action until its conclusion on Saturday, October 28.

The hosts are amongst the favourites, alongside outright leaders New Zealand and South Africa.

But Ireland aren't all that far behind as the perennial World Cup underachievers are hoping to show up this time.

Odds for the winner of the Rugby World Cup 2023

Here's how the top nations bet:

• New Zealand at 11/4 with bet365
• France at 3/1 with BoyleSports
• South Africa at 3/1 with Spreadex
• Ireland at 5/1 with bet365
• Australia at 11/1 with 888sport

Rugby World Cup 2023 betting predictions

• France to win the World Cup – 3/1 with BoyleSports
• Will Jordan top tryscorer – 7/1 with 888sport
• England to reach the semi-finals – 4/6 with bet365

France have home advantage and have strung together three strong wins after somehow blowing a commanding lead at Scotland early in August.

That includes the 41-17 win over Australia last time out and the expectations are this is their time after three silver medals.

It was just two years ago that Will Jordan banged in five tries in one match against Tonga that day and he's second favourite to finish top try scorer in this competition.

It helps that New Zealand are likely to go all the way - it would take something monumental for them to depart early.

England have been far from good in their warm-up matches but usually come good for the big occasions.

If you'd like to see more offers, here are some of the top Irish betting sites:

Should you bet on the 2023 Rugby World Cup?

It can be quite lucrative to bet on rugby in general, particularly down to the patterns of play compared to other sports. Particularly when betting online and using an in-play function.

There's also a huge gulf between some of the nations, meaning betting using the handicap system can be very lucrative, especially in the pools stage.

Betting on some outright markets at the beginning of the tournament could also mean you have seven weeks of supporting an outcome.

What are the most popular Rugby World Cup betting markets?

There's several key markets you need to know about when betting on the Rugby World Cup.

Here's the main four markets for punters in this tournament.

Outright match winner bets

The main betting system for most punters. You're betting on which team will win during the 80 minutes and declared 'the winner' of the game.

Can select between the two sides competing or the draw, where the sides finish the match as a tie.

Score bets

At much bigger odds, you could select not just who wins any individual match but also what the final score will be.

This one will need a bit of luck but it can pay lucratively if the game falls in your favour!

Handicap bets

This method of betting will likely be popular, particularly in the early rounds. Essentially, you're picking the winner of a tie despite giving one side a head start.

For example, Ireland vs Romania will have the Irish as strong favourites. So in order to make it value for money, the bookmakers will likely give Romania a 55 point lead to level it up, meaning you'd be betting on Ireland to win by 56+ points to land the odds.

Over/under markets for matches

Another popular market is the 'over/under' market, where you're punting on the total points scored by both teams combined.

If you've no other reason to support a side, it's an exciting bet where you just sit back and hope for tries.

Which bookies offer the best 2023 Rugby World Cup betting odds?

We've waded through the odds on offer from the country's top bookmakers to pick out top three.

Top bookmaker - BoyleSports

BoyleSports have some huge offers and price boosts ahead of the start of the competition. They've currently already boosted the odds of New Zealand to win the tournament and also Damian Penaud to be top try scorer - both favourites in their markets.

BoyleSports has huge list of markets including individual markets on each team and their stage of elimination.

Runner-up - 888sport

888sport also have very competitive odds in the outright markets as well as individual games. What they've also been able to offer to punters who sign up is a €30 bonus in free bets and all you need to do it place a €10 deposit to get it.

Honourable mention - bet365

As with most sports and betting markets, bet365's odds are always competitive with a selection of odds boosts, too.

They're the kings of the in-play so bear that in mind when we're up and running!

Who are the favourites to win this year’s Rugby World Cup?

There's a handful of top nations who all believe they're in with a serious chance of lifting the trophy come October 28.

Here's the top three in the betting according to bet365:

• New Zealand
• France
• South Africa
• Ireland

Which country’s team has won the Rugby World Cup the most times?

It might not surprise you to hear South Africa and New Zealand have won this competition the most since the inaugural tournament in 1987.

They've both won the competition on three occasions - one more than Australia who've won it once.

The only other winner of the competition was England back in 2003.

Who has won the Rugby World Cup in the last decade?

2019: Winners - South Africa, 2nd place - England

2015: Winners - New Zealand, 2nd place - Australia

2011: Winners - New Zealand, 2nd place - France

How is Ireland’s team expected to perform at the 2023 Rugby World Cup?

They are the number one ranked side in the world, so of course Ireland are expected to compete into the latter stages of this tournament.

That's fresh off the back of a Six Nations grand slam win earlier this year.

Only hosts France and previous winners New Zealand, Australia and South Africa are ahead of them in the betting.

Ireland are likely to face France or New Zealand in the quarter finals so, currently that's their most likely elimination point.

They've played in all nine World Cups and reached the quarter finals in seven of those - though have NEVER progressed to the semi finals.

How to watch the Rugby World Cup in Ireland?

• Location: Ten stadiums across nine cities in France
• Dates: September 8 - October 28, 2023
• TV or live streaming: RTE & Virgin Media

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Help with gambling addiction

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