There are extra eyes on rugby’s Six Nations Championship tournament this year. For one, it’s a World Cup year — and this event is a “tune-up” to it. Two, it’s being filmed for a Netflix series, which will only bring more eyes to the sport once it’s released in 2024. Of course, bettors are eyeing it to see which country wins Six Nations and cashes in their bet. This article is for the latter crowd cause we have expert picks as we go along!
First things first, let’s take a hard look at the current odds. We’ve scoured the top-used rugby betting sites and most are in alignment with the tourney. Here are the lines to win for all six teams right now:
| Team | GTBets |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | +135 | +135 | +135 |
| France | +160 | +160 | +160 |
| England | +400 | +400 | +400 |
| Wales | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Scotland | +2000 | +2000 | +2000 |
| Italy | +50000 | +50000 | +50000 |
2023 Six Nations Preview
Let’s begin our Six Nations preview with a little “housekeeping.” For those unfamiliar, this is one of the biggest tourneys in the sports. As the name hints, it puts six nations — all from Europe — against each other. In total, there are five rounds with three separate games in each. It’s round-robin style with the top point-getter becoming the champion (there are no playoffs for those accustomed to US sports).
The tournament begins on February 4 and ends March 15. All 15 games are squeezed into that six-week period. Moreover, there is no “host” nation that will hold all games. Instead, all six participating countries will get home games during the tournament.
France will enter as the reigning champions. Not only that, but they dominated the field in 2022 going 5-0. Going undefeated in this tourney is dubbed a “Grand Slam” and with the feat, the French’s become only the second team to sweep the field in the six-team era (it was expanded in 2000).
The Six Nations is one of the older sporting tournaments in the world. It began in 1883 with only four nations, all from the United Kingdom. France was included in 1910 to make it the Five Nations. Italy was the newest addition at the turn of the millennium. With more countries interested in joining (Georgia and Romania), we could be talking about an Eight Nations down the line.
Top Pick To Win 2023 Rugby Six Nations
Typically, we like dropping two, maybe three bets when it comes to championship betting futures. However, that is not the case with picking the 2022 Six Nations Championship. Why? Welp, because there are only six teams competing. That means the odds are lower for everyone, and not necessarily worth “double dipping.”
For us, this bet really comes down to the co-favorites Ireland and France. The Irish and French are ranked No. 1 and 2, respectively, in the union side world. They also finished in the top two last year, but with the roles reversed. Ireland’s only loss came to France in that tourney.
At the end of the day, we just like the French experience more. Being this highly ranked is uncharted territory for the Irish (it’s only their second time being ranked No. 1). We just haven’t seen them succeed consistently enough to warrant a bet from us.
Some may have mentioned a possible letdown from the French as they look ahead to the World Cup, which they host. But we couldn’t disagree further. This “golden generation” of French players is built differently, evident by its 2022 Grand Slam. We’re betting on them to go back-to-back here, once again edging out Ireland for the title.
How To Watch 2023 Rugby Six Nations
If you’re in the United States, there are multiple ways to watch the 2023 Rugby Six Nations. Two popular ways are via traditional TV. NBC Sports Network and TV5 Monde will air all 15 matches. For those unfamiliar, TV5 Monde is a niche French-speaking channel (so the telecast will be in that language, not English).
What about steaming? Yes, that’s an option too. NBC’s Peacock app will have telecasts for all games, as well. You could also pay for skinny streamer fuboTV, which carries both NBC Sports and TV5 Monde.
Mark these days on your calendar right now so you can watch the tourney unfold:
- February 4 & 5 — Round 1
- February 11 & 12 — Round 2
- February 25 & 26 — Round 3
- March 11 & 12— Round 4
- March 18 — Round 5
How To Bet On 2023 Six Nations?
If you’ve read all the way down here, then surely, you’re eager to bet on the 2023 Six Nations Championship. You HAVE to be. Welp, you can easily lay a bet at one of the underneath bookmakers. While not all betting sites offer rugby betting, these sure do. They are top-rated sites in our latest sportsbook reviews because of their deep betting menu, which stretches into rugby.
Not only that, but these same sites offer lucrative betting bonuses too. We’re talking upwards of $2500 in free play at some sites — a huge wad of money to fund your Six Nations bets free of cost. See the table below to get a glimpse of what offers are available where. Once you’ve honed in on one, hit the corresponding “play now” button in the table to begin the redemption process.
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