This weekend in France, the culmination of four years’ effort will come to a head for 20 different rugby playing nations. With 48 matches playing out across 51 days, it’s every rugby fan’s wildest dreams and by far the most important two months in the rugby calendar since 2019.
With New Zealand (best sports team in history), Ireland (top of the rugby rankings), South Africa (defending champions) and France (home favourite) all genuine contenders at the Rugby World Cup 2023, this is the most open the tournament has ever been in its entire 36-year history. Who will come out on top on the 28th of October? Read on for all of our Rugby World Cup betting predictions based on the latest odds from bookmaker bet365.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: September 6th, 3:30 A.M. (GMT)
Looking at the outright betting odds from bookmaker bet365, barely anything separates the top four favourites heading into the Rugby World Cup 2023. New Zealand is still top of the pack, with odds of 3.75 despite getting thoroughly beaten by South Africa last week. Home side France, who take a 12-match winning streak at home into this tournament, is second on 4.00, while the Springboks trail them by a whisker at 4.33. Slightly off the pace but still right in the mix is world No. 1 team Ireland, who pays 6.00 perhaps because they’ve never passed the quarter-finals on rugby’s biggest stage.
In the chasing pack, Australia, England and Argentina are the only other realistic, if not still long-shot, betting options. The shambolic Australia is fifth favourite at 12.00, followed by an equally diabolical England on 15.00 and Argentina, who are historically strong at World Cups, at 23.00. Beyond these seven, the odds become unrealistic, moving to 41.00 and higher.
In terms of the best bets to make on the Rugby World Cup, we have two excellent predictions. First, we say that’s it’s all going to come together for the All Blacks here. Yes, they’ve had a shaky past few years, only winning at a mediocre (by their standards) 69% under coach Ian Foster.
However, the signs were there across the first four matches of this season that New Zealand is returning to their best. Sure, their most recent defeat to South Africa was jarring but the taste of defeat, plus the fact that it occurred in mitigating circumstances with multiple cards, should only play into the Kiwis’ favour.
Our other prediction is that the Flying Fijians will have their best ever Rugby World Cup and go all the way to the semi-finals. This bet pays a handsome 11.00 and while it may seem outrageous at first glance, it is grounded in pure logic.
Fijian rugby has strengthened immensely in recent years thanks to their inclusion in Super Rugby Pacific and changes to eligibility laws as evidenced by their victory over England at Twickenham last weekend. This, combined with the fact that Fiji has a favourable draw (those four favourites to win? All in the other side of the draw), means that there’s every chance the boys from the Pacific will only need to defeat either Wales or Australia to make the quarter-finals. There, they have a good chance of squaring off against England again, and we all know how that went recently.
