Each round of the Six Nations Championship the past five weeks, it’s felt like the matches were make or break. This weekend, it’s no different as the competition heads into Round Four with plenty on the line for all teams.
Wales and Italy are both out of contention for the title this year but are very much in the running for another award—the wooden spoon. Meanwhile, Ireland holds a strong lead on England, Scotland and France, and will be looking to drive home their advantage this weekend with another win that will all but seal the title for the men in green.
We preview these matches and break down the best bets to make on Six Nations this weekend with odds from bookmaker William Hill.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: March 9th, 5:00 A.M. (GMT)
Looking at the two matches scheduled for this Saturday, bookmaker William Hill has tight odds in both. Wales has the slight edge over Italy by 1.67 to 2.20, while France holds a similar advantage over England 1.67 to 2.25 as they travel to Twickenham this weekend.
Italy vs. Wales should be a real arm wrestle of a clash with both sides desperate to get something from their 2023 campaigns. Italy is definitely playing the better rugby of the two having pushed both France and Ireland deep in their matches. Wales, on the other hand, has conceded a whopping 89 points across their first three games and are looking woeful despite the return of Warren Gatland to the head coaching role.
We say backing Italy for the upset at home is a strong bet with a healthy return of 2.20. The Azzurri did it this time last year in this fixture and since then have only improved, while Wales has continued to deteriorate.
Saturday night’s other clash will be equally tight, but France should get home over England. Both sides are 2-1 so far this Six Nations and know that a defeat will signal the end of their campaigns, while a win will see them heading into Round Five with a chance of snatching a win. Home advantage will be big for England, but France is playing better rugby this year and should be too much for the English.
Rounding out the round, Scotland will host Ireland in Edinburgh. William Hill has Ireland as a moderate favourite to win this one at 1.36 despite the fact that Scotland is the No. 2 side in the table right now and the best chance of defeating Ireland in the 2023 Six Nations. In front of a home crowd, with their first title in 24 years within reach, Scotland will be a tough beat. A bet on them scraping home here wouldn’t be the craziest proposition, but on balance it’s likely that Ireland win a tough encounter pulling away in the final quarter.
