Six Nations Betting

Not only is the Six Nations one of the oldest international Rugby Union tournaments, but it also remains fiercely contested and popular throughout Europe. In fact, French broadcaster France Télévisions revealed that its 15 live broadcasts drew in a combined total of 34.2 million viewers in 2022, with more than 19 million watching France’s decisive win in the final round of games.

The underlying popularity of this tournament also drives significant interest in Six Nations betting, with sportsbooks now offering access to a broad range of both ante-post and in-play markets.

But what do you need to know about the 2023 iteration of the tournament, and what are the latest Six Nations odds? Thinkfinity will share all!

An Overview of Six Nations Betting in 2023

The latest iteration of the Six Nations, which began life as the Home Nations Championship and featured just four teams in 1883, will kick-off on the weekend commencing February 4th with matches in Cardiff, London and Rome (we’ll have more on these games in the next section).

Because of this, the outright odds have already been released, with Ireland currently the narrow favourites to prevail and claim their 15th Six Nations crown (and ninth outright).

Defending champions France are second favourites to retain their 2022 crown, which would also represent their ninth outright triumph (and 19th in total).

However, many have speculated that France will have one eye on the 2023 Rugby World Cup this spring, which makes sense given that they’re hosting the tournament and heavily backed to win their first ever Webb Ellis trophy. You can learn more about the 2023 RWC and other popular rugby union tournaments through the talkrugbyunion.co.uk website.

29-time winners England are next in line, although the Three Lions will be continuing to transition in the wake of Eddie Jones’ dismissal. Undoubtedly, these three sides are the most widely tipped to win the 2023 Six Nations, with the ante post odds that we’ll publish later in the guide reflecting this.

These prices all place Wales, Scotland and perennial wooden spoon winners Italy as rank outsiders to triumph, while these odds are unlikely to shift markedly between now and the start of the tournament.

II. Six Nations Schedule and Odds

Before we analyse the key contenders and best Six Nations betting sites in more detail, we’re going to look at the 2023 schedule (and venues) along with the very latest outright odds.

A. Matchups and venues

The fixtures for the 2023 Six Nations have also been determined, and as it’s an odd year, England, Italy and Scotland will earn the advantage of playing three home matches (as opposed to two).

During even years, it’s France, Ireland and Wales who play three matches at home, ensuring that no side is disadvantaged over an extended period of time.

To understand how this advantage is likely to impact the outcome of the tournament, we need to take a look at the 2023 fixtures and see who England, Italy and Scotland are scheduled to play at home. Here’s a detailed breakdown of each game week:

Round One:

Round Two:

Round Three:

Round Four:

Round Five:

As we can see, England are the only of the three Six Nations favourites to play three games at home in 2023. What’s more, they’ll get to play crucial matches against old rivals Scotland and title rivals France at home this year, affording them a potentially crucial (albeit small) advantage in their quest to win the crown.

But where exactly will these matches be played? Well, since the opening of the Aviva Stadium in 2010, Ireland have stopped playing their matches at Croke Park and traditional rugby home Lansdowne Road.

Italy also moved their Six Nations home matches to the iconic Stadio Olimpico in Rome, having previously played their games at the much smaller, 32,000-seater Stadio Flaminio until 2012.

Many of the other Six Nations venues have been in use for decades, and continue to welcome bumper attendances to all of their respective games. Here’s a snapshot of the grounds, their location and capacity.

B. Current odds for each team

With the start of the 2023 Six Nations barely two weeks away, punters are already beginning to flock online and place their outright bets possible amongst of which at Nigerian betting sites.

This has impacted the initial ante-post prices, with Ireland having gradually emerged as the bookmakers’ favourites amid their own exceptional form (they’ve won their last six Test matches since losing to France in February 2022) and Les Bleus’ crippling injury list.

Below, you’ll find the latest outright odds from some of the market’s leading sportsbooks. Currently, Betiton offers the best value if you want to back Ireland to win, although we’d recommend betting sooner rather than later in this instance as this price is likely to shorten further as the tournament draws near.

III. Top Contenders and Betting Sites

While we’ve presented a snapshot of the latest outright odds above, it’s important to take a closer look at the three main contenders and their chances of winning the 2023 Six Nations.

Similarly, we’ll explore the best online sportsbooks for Six Nations betting, so that you can identify the ideal places to wager your hard-earned cash!

A. Analysis of the top contenders

Ireland, France and England are considered to be the clear favourites to challenge for the 2023 Six Nations title. But will Ireland deliver on their status as favourites, or can France or England claim the crown for themselves?

#1. Ireland

Andy Farrell’s men are ranked as the number one side in the world, while they only missed out in 2022 following a six-point loss to France in Saint-Denis (despite recording a superior points’ difference and more bonus points).

Their squad also appears to be at full strength heading into this years’ Six Nations, while the schedule appears to be in their favour as they take on their two biggest rivals (France and England) at home in Dublin.

All things considered, they’re well worthy of their status as favourites this time around, while they appear to have peaked just in time for the 2023 Six Nations Championship!

#2. France

While France’s perceived preoccupation with the 2023 World Cup may hinder the side in their attempts to retain the title they won superbly last year, it’s their injury list that may be more problematic.

The influential Test regular Jonathan Danty is the latest to be ruled out of the tournament with a knee injury, joining Cameron Woki, Gabin Villiere, Peato Mauvaka, Jean-Baptiste Gros and Maxime Lucu on the sidelines for Fabien Galthie’s men.

This could prove crucial, as it will weaken a formidable Test side that’s currently ranked second in the world. However, they’re the most likely to challenge Ireland and should push their rivals to the limit, with the sides’ second round clash in Dublin on February 11th likely to be as decisive as it was last year.

#3. England

While England are the only favourites to play three home matches in the 2023 Six Nations, their average price of around 5.00 reflects the fact that they remain in a transitional period following the firing of long-time coach Eddie Jones.

Let’s face facts; England were already in a transitional phase as former coach Jones tried to introduce fresh blood into an aging side, while the appointment of Steve Borthwick has created another layer of disruption for the Three Lions to contend with.

What’s more, Borthwick’s latest training camp has been besieged with injuries, as Jack Willis, Jamie George, Elliot Daly, George McGuigan and the influential Courtney Lawes have all missed out on the critical five-day get-together.

All things considered, it’s easy to see why England are third favourites and far less likely to prevail than Ireland or France. However, the world’s fifth-ranked side retain pedigree and some exciting young talent, while they’ll be competitive if they can make their additional home match count.

B. Review of the best online sportsbooks

Now that you know a little more about the prevailing odds and leading contenders, it’s time to identify the best online sportsbooks for 2023 Six Nations betting.

We’ve outlined three below, while asking what sets these sportsbooks apart from their rivals:

#1. Betiton

We’ll start with Betiton, which is renowned for offering highly competitive and enhanced odds across major tournaments such as the Six Nations. Betition also offers ante-post and in-play wagers across a broad range of markets, whether you want to bet on the point spread in a particular match or the identity of the Triple Crown winner. The site also has an excellent blog resource that’s packed full of insightful Six Nations betting tips.

#2. William Hill

William Hill is another established betting brand that’s renowned for its enhanced odds promotions, which are typically reserved for high profile tournaments like the Six Nations. This brand also offers a generous cash out features, while its comprehensive live streaming platform enables you to wager in-play on the 2023 Six Nations while watching the action as it unfolds.

#3. Bet365

If you’re looking to access competitive odds and gain some valuable insight into the 2023 Six Nations, Bet365 could be the ideal sportsbook for you. For example, this operator has an entire landing page dedicated to Six Nations news and squad profiles, while it also provides detailed analysis of individual players. So, if you want to wager on individual player markets such as the Six Nations top try scorer, you should consider checking out the Bet365 platform.

IV. Betting Offers and Key Takeaways

All of the market leading sportsbooks provide generous welcome offers at present, which can be deployed across a host of 2023 Six Nations betting markets.

Betting brands like Betiton are running a number of alternative bonuses concurrently, some of which enable you to access enhanced Six Nations odds or insure any accumulator bets that you create.

A. Overview of the available promotions

Here’s an overview of the welcome offers and relevant bonuses currently available from the best new UK sportsbooks, along with key information such as the minimum odds requirements and deposit restrictions.

B. Summary of the most important information and tips

So, there you have it; our guide to 2023 Six Nations betting, the key contenders and best sportsbooks for wagering your hard-earned cash!

Before we go, we also wanted to share a few simple Six Nations betting tips to help you make the most of your bankroll and hopefully bank some cool returns!

#1. Bet Outright as Early as You Can

As we’ve touched on, outright prices tend to change as tournaments draw closer, with favourites likely to see their odds shorten over time. So, if you’re outright pick for 2023 is Ireland, France or England, we’d recommend wagering sooner rather than later.

#2. Review the Latest Promotions

While we’ve detailed the current welcome offers and relevant bonuses above, these promotions are liable to change. So, continue to compare the market to ensure that you’re accessing the latest bonuses in a bid to achieve genuine value for your hard-earned money.

#3. Use Point Spread Betting Strategically

With point spread betting, you can create better value odds in matches that pit a heavy favourite against an underdog (usually Italy). More specifically, you can set a line that subtracts a specific number of points from the favourites’ eventual total, extending the odds accordingly. So long as your team wins by the requisite winning margin, your wager will come in!