Our detailed guide to picking some of the best Six Nations Bets for every tournament!

The Six Nations Championship is one of the most thrilling rugby tournaments in the world, drawing in millions of fans each year. Whether you’re a seasoned punter or completely new to betting on rugby, the tournament offers a variety of exciting Six Nations bets that cater to all levels of experience.

If you’re a novice looking to place your opening Six Nations bets, this guide will help you understand the competition and the most popular betting options available.

As always, we’ve used bet365 Sport thanks to its great value odds and extensive range of markets available for this tournament.

Always remember to gamble responsibly.

Check out bet365’s Safer Gambling page for more details.

A Brief Overview of the Six Nations Championship

The Six Nations Championship is an annual rugby union competition featuring six European teams: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales. The tournament dates back to 1883 and has evolved into one of the most prestigious rugby competitions globally.

Each team plays five matches, facing each opponent once, with home and away fixtures alternating each year. For example, in 2025, Ireland face England in Dublin, but in 2026, they will face England in Twickenham and then in 2027, the fixture will revert back to Dublin’s Aviva Stadium.

The tournament takes place over several weeks from January/February to March, with the team accumulating the most points crowned champions. Bonus points are awarded for scoring four or more tries in a match or for losing by seven points or fewer, adding further excitement to each game.

Now that you have a basic understanding of the Six Nations, let’s explore some of the most popular and exciting betting markets for rugby novices.

Top Six Nations Bets for Beginners

Six Nations Bets: 1. Outright Winner Bet

One of the simplest bets for beginners is wagering on the outright winner of the Six Nations Championship. This means placing a bet on the team you think will lift the trophy at the end of the tournament.

How It Works:

• You choose one of the six teams to win the championship.
• If your selected team finishes first in the standings, your bet wins.

Why It’s Exciting for Novices:

• Straightforward and easy to understand.
• Provides long-term interest throughout the tournament.
• Great for those who want to follow a single team’s progress.

Six Nations Bets: 2. Grand Slam Bet

The Grand Slam is achieved when a team wins all five of its matches in the Six Nations. This bet involves predicting whether any team will manage this feat during the tournament.

How It Works:

• You bet on a specific team to win all their matches (Yes/No option is often available).
• If they remain unbeaten throughout the tournament, your bet wins.

Why It’s Exciting for Novices:

• A high-risk, high-reward bet that can provide big payouts.
• Keeps the excitement alive across multiple rounds.
• Allows you to focus on a single dominant team.
• You can even back against any team completing the Grand Slam.

Six Nations Bets: 3. Match Winner Bet

For those who prefer betting on individual matches rather than the entire tournament, the match winner market is a great option.

How It Works:

• You place a bet on which team will win a specific match.
• If your chosen team wins, your bet is successful.
• Matches can be won, drawn or lost in the Six Nations (1X2).

Why It’s Exciting for Novices:

• Simple and easy to understand.
• Gives immediate results rather than waiting for the whole tournament.
• Ideal for fans who want to bet on one game at a time.

Six Nations Bets: 4. Handicap Betting

Handicap betting is popular when one team is significantly stronger than the other. Bookmakers give a virtual point advantage or disadvantage to level the playing field.

How It Works:

• The stronger team is given a negative handicap (e.g., -6.5 points), meaning they must win by more than that margin for the bet to be successful.
• The lower the negative handicap shown, the stronger this team is compared to their opponent.
• The weaker team is given a positive handicap (e.g., +6.5 points), meaning they can lose by fewer than that amount or win outright for the bet to win.
• The higher the positive handicap shown, the weaker this team is compared to their opponent.
• Bet365 Sport offers a range of handicap betting options at a variety of negative and positive points marks (see screenshot above).

Why It’s Exciting for Novices:

• Allows better odds on strong favourites.
• Makes one-sided matches more interesting.
• Encourages a deeper understanding of point margins in rugby.

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Six Nations Bets: 5. First Try Scorer Bet

This bet involves predicting which player will score the first try of a match. It’s a fun and rewarding market for those who follow key attacking players.

How It Works:

• You select a player from either team who you think will score the first try.
• If they do, your bet wins.

Why It’s Exciting for Novices:

• High potential returns due to longer odds.
• Adds excitement right from the start of the match.
• Encourages research into attacking players.

Six Nations Bets: 6. Anytime Try Scorer Bet

This bet is similar to the first try scorer but applies to any time during the match.

How It Works:

• You bet on a specific player to score a try at any point in the game.
• If they score, your bet wins.

Why It’s Exciting for Novices:

• More forgiving than the first try scorer bet.
• Allows flexibility in choosing top players.
• Keeps excitement alive for the entire match.

Six Nations Bets: 7. Total Points Over/Under Bet

This market involves betting on whether the total combined points in a match will be over or under a specific number set by the bookmaker.

How It Works:

• Bookmakers set a points threshold (e.g., 45.5 points).
• You bet on whether the final combined score will be over or under that number.
• Bet365 offers a range of different thresholds with different odds, so you can select which one you feel is best.

Why It’s Exciting for Novices:

• Doesn’t require picking a winner.
• Focuses on the overall game rather than one team.
• Wide selection of options to pick from at bet365 on this market.
• Perfect for those unsure about specific team strengths.

Six Nations Bets: 8. Winning Margin Bet

This bet involves predicting the margin by which a team will win a match.

How It Works:

• You choose a team and a winning margin range (e.g., England to win by 6-10 points).
• If the result falls within the range, you win.

Why It’s Exciting for Novices:

• Offers better odds than a simple match winner bet.
• Ideal for those who enjoy making more precise predictions.

Six Nations Bets: 9. Top Tournament Try Scorer

This long-term bet focuses on which player will score the most tries throughout the entire Six Nations tournament.

How It Works:

• You select a player from any team to finish as the top try scorer.
• If they score the most tries across the tournament, your bet wins.

Why It’s Exciting for Novices:

• A great way to follow star players.
• Can offer big payouts if selecting an underdog.
• Provides interest in multiple games.

Six Nations Bets: 10. To Finish Bottom Bet

The Wooden Spoon is “awarded” to the team that loses all their games and finishes last in the Six Nations standings. Betting on this market means predicting which team will end up in last place and lose all their games.

This can be a popular bet, but it isn’t very flexible. A better option is to back the To Finish Bottom bet, which doesn’t require a team to lose all its games in order to be a winner.

How It Works:

• You bet on the team you think will finish in last place.
• If they end up at the bottom of the table, you win.

Why It’s Exciting for Novices:

• A fun alternative to betting on winners.
• Often features competitive odds.
• Keeps games between lower-ranked teams interesting.

Bet365 Sport & Six Nations Top Tip!

Bet365 Sport offers a wide range of bet boosts every month (20,000+), so during the tournament, it is a great idea to keep your eyes peeled for any boosted odds on any of the markets above during the Six Nations to get better value Six Nations bets!

Final Thoughts

The Six Nations Championship is an exhilarating tournament with many enticing Six Nations bets for both novices and experienced punters. Whether you prefer backing a team to win the tournament, focusing on individual matches, or predicting specific player performances, there’s a market to suit every style of bettor.

For newcomers, the simplest bets—such as outright winner, match winner, or anytime try scorer—are great starting points.

As you become more confident, you can explore more advanced markets like handicap betting, winning margins, and top try scorers.

No matter which bets you choose, remember to gamble responsibly and enjoy the thrilling action of the Six Nations!

Always remember to gamble responsibly.

Check out bet365’s Safer Gambling page for more details.