Rugby Betting Explained Simply

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Rugby Union is a hugely popular sport around the world, with the game being played in Europe, Australasia, Asia, Africa and America. With worldwide appeal, it is easy to see why betting on rugby union is also very popular. However, there are fans out there who will not have placed rugby bets before or have only placed minimal bets and this article is designed to help those people, and give them something to look out for that is perfectly suited to the rookie rugby gambler.

Basic Rugby Betting Markets

There are three markets you should look at as a newcomer to betting on rugby. The first is the simplest market, and this is betting on who will win the game. It doesn’t matter about anything else that happens, this is a simple three-way market, where you can choose between the two teams to win or back the draw. If you want to start at the very bottom and work your way up while gaining confidence in your bets then this is the place to begin.

Those looking to add another element can back on the handicap line, our second simple rugby betting market. This introduces a fictional line that the bookmakers have created to bring the two teams closer together. For example, a team that is available to back at a handicap line of -9 is a team that not only needs to win the game but they need to win it by 10 points or more to cover the line.

You can also back teams with a head start on this market, so, for example, a team that is listed at +6 can either win the game, draw the game or lose the game by five points or less and your bet will be a winner.

The final line is perfect for those who want an interest in a game taking place but they don’t know who will win or they don’t want to bet on who will win. This is the points line, where you back over or under the line on how many points there will be in the game. For example, a line of 35.5 means you are backing either 35 points or less or 36 points or more. This offers you the chance to place a bet without actually choosing who will win the game.

Tournament and League Outright Bets

Just like many other sports, you can place your bets before a rugby tournament or season begins and back your own team or the one you fancy to be successful that season. This can be winning the league itself, but when it comes to tournaments you will find other options such as group winner, or to reach a stage of the tournament, all of which can present you with many betting options.

Player Betting

Something else that rugby has taken from other sports is an increase in the number of player betting markets. For rugby, these are the try-scoring markets and the points scoring markets. When it comes to tries you can back your player to score the first, last or ay any time in the game if you want an interest for the full 80 minutes. On the big games, bookmakers will also price up over/under point lines for the big names and kickers on each team, giving you the chance to bet on how many points these players will score.