Dean Etheridge
The final round of Six Nations matches takes place this weekend, and with France set to clinch their first crown in 12 years, here are our Week 5 Six Nations betting picks.
The French are widely regarded as the best side in the world at the moment. And with the World Cup taking place on home soil next year, there is a lot of expectation upon this team.
So far in the years Six Nations, France has lived up to this billing and has been by far the best team. Despite this, defeat to old enemy England this Saturday could see them miss out on the 2022 Six Nations crown title.
The standings with just one round remaining 👀 #GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/DgdR9qxCBn
— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) March 12, 2022
Ireland has a winnable home match against underachieving Scotland. Victory for Ireland, coupled with a defeat for France, could see the Irish pinch the title from the French.
This would be an unimaginable setback for Les Bleus. So will they be up to the challenge? Or will the pressure be too much for a team that despite being 2023 Rugby World Cup betting favorites, hasn’t won anything since 2010?
How to Bet on the Six Nations?
The Six Nations is the premier rugby union competition in the northern hemisphere. Every year Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, France, and Italy battle it out for the crown of Six Nations champions.
The competition has 5 match weekends and is spread across seven weeks, with two rest weekends included.
Unlike a lot of other sports, Rugby Union Six Nations matches never kick-off at the same time, allowing us to watch all three fixtures throughout a match weekend.
On Matchweek 5, all fixtures take place on Saturday. The starter is Wales v Italy from Cardiff. This is followed by Ireland v Scotland, and then the main course is France v England from Paris.
When the French line up against England, they will already know the Ireland result, so will know what is required from them.
Even if Ireland loses and hands France the Six Nations, the French will still want to beat England and complete the grand slam. For the supposed best side in the world, anything less would be a failure.
There are three main betting markets to bet on Rugby matches. The first is the match-winner on the Moneyline. This can be a two-way market, or a three-way if the draw is included.
The most popular bet is the handicap market. This is where the bookmaker gives one side a points advantage, and you have to decide whether you think the team you are betting on will beat the spread.
The third popular match betting market is total points. In this market, the bookmaker gives you a combined match points total, and you decide if you think the combined points scored in the match will be higher or lower. You can check out all of these and more in our sports betting guide.
You can check out our best-rated online sportsbooks page for the best new customer betting bonuses. These can be used on the Six Nations, and also any upcoming rugby events.
Six Nations Betting
Despite the dominance of France, the best Rugby betting sites still think Ireland has a chance of winning the Six Nations.
| 2022 Six Nations Betting |  |  |  |
| France | -400 | -500 | -450 |
| Ireland | +275 | +300 | +280 |
France is -400 to win the title. And while that may seem like short odds, it is only a two-horse race. The other horse in the race, Ireland, is +275 to upset the form book and snatch the title away this Saturday.
Six Nations Betting Picks Matchweek 5
Now it’s time for our and how we think the final three matches of the 2022 Six Nations will play out. Starting with Wales, who host Italy in Cardiff.
Wales v Italy Pick
The Welsh have had a better competition than many predicted, given their current injury list.
They are the defending champions but were never really given any chance of successfully holding onto their title.
- Where – Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales
- When – Saturday, March 19th, 2022
- Time – 10.15 am ET
Up against Italy, the Welsh are starting at -27.5 on the handicap.
So far in this Six Nations, Italy has lost by 27 points to France, 33 points to England, a gigantic 51 points to Ireland, and a respectable 11 to Scotland last week.
I’m going for Wales to run riot on Saturday and beat the spread.
Ireland v Scotland Pick
The Irish know they have to win this to have any chance of winning the Six Nations. Last Saturday they beat England at Twickenham by 32 points to 15.
Although that sounds like a great result, England played 78 minutes with 14 men. And up until the 70th minute, the English were still in the match.
- Where – Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland
- When – Saturday, March 19th, 2022
- Time – 12.45pm ET
On the handicap, Ireland is giving Scotland 14.5 points. I think the Scots will make it tough, but I can see Ireland coming through and winning by enough to beat the spread.
France v England Pick
France’s destiny is in their own hands going into the final match of the championship. But as alluded to above, it’s more a case of can they handle the pressure?
- Where – Stade de France, Paris, France
- When – Saturday, March 19th, 2022
- Time – 4pm ET
From an English perspective, they will take great heart from their performance against Ireland last Saturday, despite losing. While France did show signs of nerves when stuttering to a win over Wales in Paris.
If the French turn up and play, then I can see them beating the -8.5 handicap start. If they can’t handle the pressure, I can see them losing the match.
I’m going to back them to win though. I think roared on by an expectant home crowd the French will be rampant, and I see them beating England and the spread.
