Betting on rugby may not be as popular as some other sports such as football or horse racing but the demand for it is growing and as such, both established and newly launched bookmakers now offer an extensive range of betting options for rugby matches taking place in the UK and around the world. Several bookies also run a number of rugby promotions as seen in this whichbookie.com list of rugby betting offers.
In this guide, we'll be looking at what you should look out for when placing bets on rugby online and how to get the best value from your bets.
Odds
Bookmakers offer different odds from each other on betting markets for all sports, including rugby. You may head to one bookie and find that they are offering a much bigger price on your team than another and then visit another betting site and find their odds are much lower. Although the majority of casual punters tend not to worry about whether or not bigger odds are available elsewhere, these differences in prices can have a significant impact on your overall returns over time which is why it's always a good idea to try and get the best price possible.
One way to get the best price for every bet you place is to use an odds comparison site that will show you with a few clicks of the button which bookie is offering the best odds. This requires you to have accounts with multiple bookies which may not be ideal for some. The other option is to simply bet with a bookie that regularly offers good odds on rugby. They may not have the best price for every bet, but they will generally be very competitive. Some bookies that often offer great prices on rugby markets include Ladbrokes, Betway, 888Sport and Bet365.
What Can You Bet On?
Some bookies cover rugby more extensively than others but with most, you can bet on all of the major leagues and tournaments from around the world such as the Six Nations, Rugby World Cup and Rugby Championship.
Some of the most popular betting markets for rugby include:
Match Winner
The simplest and most popular betting market in rugby. You simply back either side to win the match or for it to end in a draw.
Winning Margin
Betting on the winning margin is popular when two teams who are not evenly matched are playing each other. You can then back one team to win by a certain points range which will give you better odds than simply backing them outright to win the match.
Handicap Betting
This is similar to the winning margin market and usually taken up when one team is significantly better than the other. With handicap betting, you can give one team a head start with points or the other a disadvantage. From a betting perspective, the match then starts with the handicap for the selected team and bets settled based on the final result + the handicap.
To Score The First Try
Several bookmakers allow you to bet on either a certain player or one of the two teams to score the first try. It's a popular market, especially when betting on players due to the often attractive odds you can get.
Total Points
With this market, you are betting on the total number of points scored in the match between both sides. You don't need to pick a winner and so it's often preferred over the match winner market when there isn't a clear favourite.
Time of First Try
You can also try your luck at predicting the time when the first try will be scored in the match. You are usually given intervals of around 10 minutes and if a try is scored during that period by either team, your bet wins.
Half Time / Full Time
Here, you can bet on the team to be leading at half time and the team to win the match. The biggest odds on this market come from when you back one team to lead at HT and the other team to win.
