In all the build-up to the Super Bowl, it was easy to miss that over on the other side of the Atlantic, this year’s Six Nations Rugby Union Championship was getting underway. In fact, many American sports fans may never have heard of the competition at all. If this includes you, then here’s a quick lesson in what it’s all about, as well as the bets you can make on it.
What is the Six Nations Championship?
The Six Nations is a rugby tournament between England, Scotland, Wales, the Republic of Ireland, France, and Italy. It’s held over five weekends between February and March each year. Each team plays all the others once, winning four points for a win and two for a draw. The country with the most points at the end of the championship is the winner.
As well as attracting huge attention, it’s a big sport betting favorite. Many fans choose to bet online with Paddy Power and other leading sportsbooks. This year, Six Nations betting tips place France as the favorites to win the competition, something they last achieved in 2010, after which England, Ireland, and Wales have been the dominant forces.
Six Nations Betting Options
The Grand Slam
Anyone who wishes to place a wager on the competition has many options. As well as being able to bet on the overall winner of the Six Nations, there’s also the chance to put money on a chosen team achieving the so-called ‘Grand Slam’ by winning all of their five matches. As it’s relatively rare for a team to win every one of their games, you can usually also get odds on there being no Grand Slam winner at all.
The Triple Crown
There is another competition within a competition that goes by the name of the Triple Crown. This is another popular bet, which excludes France and Italy and concentrates on the matches between the four ‘home nations’. Any of these teams that win all three of their matches against its opponents is awarded this title, making it comparable to a mini ‘Grand Slam’.
The Runners-up
As France are so far ahead as the favorites this year, you’ll also be able to find odds without the country included. So, assuming they do go on to be as successful as predicted, you’ll effectively be betting on who will be the runners-up. The bet will also count if your chosen team defy predictions and come first.
Betting on Individual Players
As well as these three potential outcomes to try to guess, it’s also possible to make wagers on individual players of the Six Nations. These include the athlete that will be the leading points scorer and the person who will get the most tries. Surprisingly, it’s not the French who are leading in these odds, as many of the other teams have their own outstanding players.
There has been some added interest to this year’s competition, with the speculation that Italy, the competition’s perpetual underdogs, were going to be replaced by South Africa. It now seems this is out of the question, which must be good news for the Italians. As to whether they should feature in anyone’s betting plans, it would certainly be a risk, as they’ve come in last place 16 times in the 20 years they’ve competed.
This is a paid guest post.