The HSBC World Sevens Series heads to New Zealand this weekend for the fourth event of the 2023 season. After three tournaments, fans and bookies are no closer to understanding who the favourite is to win the series this year with each event having a different winner and runner-up. Heading to Hamilton, plenty of teams will be eager to produce a consistent performance and grab valuable points as they make their way into the halfway point of the season.
Home side New Zealand will be the team to beat, but Fiji, South Africa, Samoa and Australia are all nipping at their heels. We look at all the best bets to place this weekend with bookmaker William Hill bringing us the odds.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: January 19th, 11:00 A.M. (GMT)
Looking at the outright winner odds from bookmaker William Hill, there’s no clear favourite to win in Hamilton this weekend. New Zealand hold a slight lead in the odds over Fiji with odds of 3.50 vs. 3.75. South Africa, Samoa and Australia then round out the top five favourites, sitting between 5.50 and 7.50 at the bookies.
Historically, this has been New Zealand’s tournament. Since it was first held in 2000 when the World Sevens Series was created, the Kiwis have won the event 10 times, far more than any other side. While it’s been three years since Sevens came to New Zealand due to Covid-19 border restrictions, New Zealand is the current defending champion and will be looking to keep it that way. With odds of 3.50, betting on the Kiwis to win with a raucous crowd supporting them in Hamilton is a smart wager.
Add in the fact that New Zealand have a soft pool draw alongside Great Britain, Tonga and Australia. Plus they’ve not won a title yet in 2023 and will be desperate to do so. Understanding this, taking the Kiwis looks like a great bet to make this weekend.
With New Zealand the front runners to win the tournament, other bets to make are on the pool winners.
One particular pool that offers great betting is Pool C, where Ireland is paying 2.87 to top the pool. The men in green strung together an impressive campaign in Dubai late last year, making a run all the way to the final and knocking out some big names along the way. With Uruguay, Japan and USA the competition for Ireland in Pool C, it’s wide open for them to top the pool.
Given the Irish support in Hamilton, there’s a very strong chance they’ll be able to put up an impressive performance for the team’s big match against the United States and come away winners of Pool C with a return of 2.87.
