The Rugby World Cup kicks on Saturday with host nation France taking on New Zealand, which is about as good as it comes.
The All Blacks opened as the favourites, but most of the money has come for France, who have a huge home crowd in their advantage.
We look at the best bets for the Rugby World Cup opener, which sees the two tournament favourites clash.
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All Blacks vs. France Predictions
After opening at $1.95, most of the money has come for France. That’s not surprising, given that they are the $3.50 tournament favourites.
It could also have something to do with Jordy Barrett being under an injury cloud for the All Blacks, but either way, it comes as no surprise to see France getting support.
However, overlooking the All Blacks in a World Cup hasn’t been a good betting strategy in recent times. The three-time winners typically go through pool play without suffering a defeat, and the opening game will be telling.
Fresh off a big loss to South Africa in a warmup game, the New Zealand public started panicking. It was only a warmup game, so there won’t be any panic in the AB’s camp, especially after dominating throughout the Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup against Australia.
There are concerns that they aren’t where they need to be to beat the French, who will apply defensive pressure. New Zealand came come unstuck when facing a rush defence, so expect plenty of pressure on Saturday.
France has had a solid 2023 campaign without being special. They looked better in 2022, but it’s all in preparation for the World Cup, and you never want to peak too early.
The $1.86 favourites could get the rub of the green at home, which is always a factor when France plays New Zealand.
However, we’re happy to take the underdog odds with the Kiwi side. Getting $1.95 for the All Blacks is a rare occurrence, and if they beat France, punters won’t get those odds again throughout the entire tournament, even in the final.
There is value in the odds, and they could win a bruising battle 27-24. The All Blacks are paying $1.77 with New Zealand bookmakers, so Australian bookmakers are offering a much better price.
Bet: New Zealand @ $1.95
Our #1 Bookmaker!All Blacks vs. France Exotic Tips
There are no odds out for first try scorer, but we’re picking New Zealand’s Will Jordan.
He has an incredible try-scoring record, and the Cantabrian is one of the more professional rugby players in the world
His knack of crossing the white line is better than any other player in this game, and punters should get around $11 for Jordan to score first, which would be a value price.
For France, backing Damian Penaud to score a try at any time is a good option. The 26-year-old from Bordeaux-Begles is a noted try scorer, and he has been in incredible form.
The winger is likely to see a lot of action against New Zealand, who are better at defending in the midfield than they are on the wings.
Anything above $2.30 is a good price for Penaud to score.
The total points line is 50.5, which is high for an opening game. However, we think it goes over by a small margin.
They should want to play open rugby to get things started, and the last thing either team wants is a slow defensive battle in the first game.
Expect running rugby, where the classy backline for both sides show off some silky-smooth skills.
Bet: Over 50.5 points @ $1.91
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