Rugby is a sport that is fast growing in terms of worldwide fame. As the game’s popularity continues to improve, the betting markets for the sport have also increased. More bookmakers have started taking Rugby bets and more types of Rugby bets have been made available. Because of this, there is also an increase in the number of people making bets on rugby. But while some are already intermediates and experts in Rugby betting, many are still beginners in this type of betting arena.
In this article, we will discuss about Rugby betting and try to equip you with enough knowledge to be able to make good value bets on the sport of Rugby.
Before we start, let us first distinguish between Rugby League and Rugby Union because while both share a lot in common, there are major differences between the two.
For a Rugby league, each team has 13 active players and 10 available substitutions. The match is composed of two 40-minute halves or a total time of 80 minutes. To win the game, a team must outscore the opponent. Points are awarded for tries (4 points), penalty kicks (2 points) and drop goals (1 point). The six-tackle rule means a team can have the ball for a period of six plays. A scrum, which is usually made up of six people, is used to re-start a play after knock-ons or forward passes.
In a Rugby Union, there are 15 active players on a team and seven substitutions. The match is also divided into two 40-minute halves or a total of 80 minutes of playing time. To win the game, a team must outscore its opponent. Points are awarded for tries (5 points), conversions (2 points), penalty kicks (3 points) and drop goals (3 points). In order to restart a play after a knock-on or forward pass, a scrum of traditionally 8 players is used. If the ball goes out of play, a line-out is used to resume play. In other restarts, a free kick is then taken.
In both Rugby League and Rugby Union, the goal is to advance the ball down the length of the pitch. A try is awarded if the player is in control of the ball and applying downward pressure Conversions are given when a team who made the try after it was given. A try is converted when a player kicks a dead ball in between the opponent’s goal post and above the crossbar.
If a team commits an offense, a penalty is awarded. To earn points in a penalty, a player must kick the dead ball in between the goal post of the opponent, similar to that of a conversion. However, the penalty is taken from the spot where the offense happened. Drop goals are taken when a player kicks the ball over the opponent’s goal post during play. Points will be awarded only when the ball hits the ground before it is kicked.
Bookmakers offer various bets on both Rugby League and Rugby Union matches. Aside from international competitions like the Rugby World Cup and the Six Nations, bettors also have the option to make bets on matches from domestic leagues in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Markets are also available for continental club tournaments like European Rugby Challenge Cup and the European Rugby Champions Cup.
The Rugby League is more concentrated in Northern England and France with the Championships and the Super League as the main tournaments in England and the Elite One Championship and the Elite Two Championship as the equivalent of France to the two English tournaments.
Rugby League is also famous in Australia with the National Rugby League or the NRL and the Super Premiership NSW (New South Wales). The Rugby League World Cup, Four Nations and the European Championship are the most prestigious Rugby League competition.
Rugby Union meanwhile has been made a professional sport since 1995. The popular Rugby union pro leagues include the Top 14, Super Rugby, Rugby Pro D2, Rugby Premier League, RFU Championship, Pro 14, Premiership, NRC, Major League Rugby and the Mitre 10 Cup.
There are three basic bets that you can make in rugby and these kind of markets are also common in other sports: Moneyline, Handicap and totals.
The Moneyline is the simplest of the three. In this bet, you only have to pick which team wins the match. Every matchup has a price for both teams. The amount you have to bet and win for a particular team will depend on the odds stated in the moneyline.
For beginners, betting on the moneyline is advised but once you get the hang of it, you can then progress with the handicap bets which will give you better betting values. Handicap simply means that the bookmaker will be giving a positive handicap to one team and a negative handicap to the other in order to make the game more balanced.
The team with the negative handicap must win by more than the figure set by the bookmaker in order for a bet on them to win. On the other hand, the team with the positive handicap must either win, lose or draw by less than the figure set by the bookmaker in order to win a bet on them.
Totals refer to the total number of points scored in a particular match. Under this bet, the bookmaker determines a total combined score for both teams in a particular game and sets a bet for either over or under that specific total. If you bet on the over, the teams’ aggregate score should be over that total while if you bet on the under, the teams should combine to score less than what is specified by the bookmaker as the total.
Aside from the three we mentioned above, there are different types of bets that may be available. Now most of these are just modifications of the basic bets. For example, the moneyline bet is used to make a bet on who wins the match. But there are Double Result Bets which require you to make bets on which team is ahead on points at the end of the half and which team wins the match in full time. Then there is also the First Scoring Play bet wherein you will have to choose between try, penalty or goal as the manner by which the game’s first points are scored. The Highest Scoring Half will ask you to pick between the first half, second half or tie as to which will have the higher score.
There is also a market for the First Team or Player Try where you will pick which team scores the game’s first try or which player scores the game’s first try. There is also the number of tries where the bookmaker will set an estimated total tries for both teams in the match and you will have to bet either over or under that total. The Time of First Try will ask you at what point during the match will the first try be scored. Futures odds are also available for which team will win a particular upcoming tournament. In connection with tournament winner betting, there are also futures bets for Top Try Scorer during a particular tournament. Actually, there are many more other bets that can be made for Rugby. The bigger the event, the more bets are available.
Like in other sports betting, you need an overview of Rugby betting just like what you are getting now from us. Then of course you need to spend some time doing research on the teams, players, leagues, etc. After which, you should be able to analyse the betting lines and look for bets with excellent value.
Analyzing a team’s style of play also helps. Based on your knowledge or research, if a team employs a defensive style of play then tries may come few and far in between. This information can influence your bets on say the totals and perhaps would encourage you to just bet on the “first scoring play” market since the total scoring would be unpredictable.
Teams also employ different strategies. There are some teams who start soft in the first half in order to try and wear down the opposition and then go strong in the second half. This kind of strategy can create opportunities for you to bet on halftime scoring, full time scoring and the totals market.
Lastly, check the weather because while it may not be a factor in other sports, the weather is a factor in rugby. A good and dry weather often leads to an expansive and fast-paced match where the backs usually see the ball a lot. On the other hand, wet and muddy conditions lead to a dull match dominated by forwards. There are some teams that play better in certain weather conditions. Consider the weather especially when you make handicap bets because teams may not cover the handicap due to unfavorable weather conditions.
So there, we hope to have given you enough knowledge which in turn will give you enough courage to take Rugby bets. So what are you waiting for, make your first rugby bet now.
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