Six Nations Outright Betting Tips & Analysis – Starts 4th February 2017

With the start of the 2017 RBS Six Nations Championship just around the corner, excitement is starting to build. Scotland and Ireland get this year’s tournament underway at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh this Saturday, followed by England v France later in the day and Italy v Wales on Sunday.

With the likes of England, Ireland, Wales and France all battling it out for Six Nations glory, we should be in for a fascinating competition. Last year, Eddie Jones’ English won five out of five to lift their fifth Six Nations crown (27th overall) and take the Grand Slam bragging rights. Since the tournament was extended in 2000, England have won 60 of their 85 matches in this prestigious competition and they will be hoping to add another five wins to their tally this time.

Who Will Win The Six Nations?

As is usually the case these days, England head into the Six Nations as the favourites. However, last year’s triumph was their first championship win since 2011. With Jones still undefeated as boss, England are certainly the team to beat this year. The holders are priced at just 20/23 with Betfair to retain their crown. They are very strong favourites and after having completed a whitewash against their hosts in Australia, it’s easy to see why.

Their closest challengers are set to be Rob Howley’s Wales and Joe Schmidt’s Ireland. Wales, who finished second last year, head into the tournament as third favourites behind the English and the Irish respectively. Ireland are available at the tasty price of 5/2 (Betfair), with the Welsh coming in at 9/1 with Coral.

France may also be tempting to some at 14/1 (Coral), but as we touched on, it’s difficult to see past England coming out on top come mid-March. The dreamers and patriots might be interested in Scotland (25/1) and Italy (1,000/1) but we think this looks set to be a battle between England and Ireland. The pair meet in Ireland on the final weekend of the Championship and that one could be a Grand Slam decider.

  • Tip – England to Win at 20/23 with Betfair

Top Tryscorer

Versatile Gloucester star, Jonny May, heads into the RBS Six Nations as the favourite to land the top tryscorer accolade. The 26-year-old, who’s scored 40 points for England in 22 senior international appearances, is certainly a good bet to top the charts. His national teammate, Jack Nowell, is also tipped to have a high-scoring tournament, with Coral pricing him at 12/1. However, we believe May will end the tournament as top dog, and feel there’s excellent value in Coral’s 9/1.

That said, other more flamboyant teams may outscore England in the try stakes. Obviously this is a tricky bet to land and whilst we think May is a very solid choice, it may be worth covering more than one player. George North could be a good pick and the Welsh star is available at odds of 14/1.

  • Tip – Jonny May at 9/1 with Coral

To Finish Bottom

Italy and Scotland are set to go head-to-head to avoid finishing bottom of the pile. The Italians lost all five of their matches to prop up the table last year, but beat Scotland at Murrayfield the year before to avoid the dreaded Wooden Spoon award. Going into 2017’s edition, Italy are the 1/9 favourites with Ladbrokes to finish bottom of the pile. As for Scotland, who have improved in recent years, they are available at 10/1 with Betfair. The odds may be short, but we believe Conor O’Shea’s troops are considerably weaker than their opponents, and as a consequence will finish the 2017 Six Nations in last place.

  • Tip – Italy at 1/9 with Ladbrokes

Outsiders, Each Way Tips and Other Bets

In terms of Dark Horses, we think Wales could push England and Ireland all the way this year. The Welsh, who are no strangers to winning this competition, having won it on four occasions since 2000, have a very strong squad and an exciting new head coach at their disposal. The Dragons, who last won the Six Nations back in 2013, will no doubt be aiming to put the cat among the pigeons during the Championship. Howley’s men start with a winnable away match with Italy, which will give them a chance to put some big points on the board before welcoming England to Cardiff a week later. At 9/1 with Coral, we believe Wales could be a great choice for an outside bet.

Last year, England stormed to Grand Slam glory, sweeping aside all in their wake. Many bookies and pundits alike are expecting Jones’ men to do the same again this time around. The English begin with a tough match with France at Twickenham, before travelling to Cardiff to face Wales in what promises to be a blockbuster contest at the Principality Stadium.

Assuming England do go on and seal their sixth Six Nations title, second spot is certainly up for grabs. You can get Wales at 2/1 (Ladbrokes) for a top two finish, whilst they are 10/3 (Betfair) to finish second. However, the standout bet is for a repeat England/Wales Straight Forecast, which you can get at the tasty odds of 6/1 with Sky Bet.

For those who think England could disappoint, one interesting bet is a Wales/Ireland dual forecast. That’s priced at 6/1 with Ladbrokes and will be a winner if those two finish first and second in either order. With England playing both of their main rivals away from Twickenham it’s certainly a possibility and 6/1 looks reasonable value.