Nations Championship Rugby Round 3 Predictions, Tips & Best Bets

Through two rounds, it hasn’t been the finest display from the All Blacks, but they always save their best for Eden Park. It’s almost impossible for visiting teams to win in Auckland, and after Ireland struggled to get past Japan last week, it’s an ideal time to bet on the All Blacks. They survived a scare against France before putting on a second-half blitz against Italy. They will need to improve, but playing at Eden Park adds 10+ points to their score, so we’re backing the ABs to win and cover the -10.5 spread. The rust has been shaken off, and now is the best time for punters to cash in on the All Blacks.

Credit must go to Japan for playing a couple of competitive games during the Nations Championship. They defeated Italy in an upset before making Ireland work for it last week. However, facing France is a different task, and the French hit their straps in the second half when beating Australia comfortably last week. Covering a -27.5 spread in Japan is a good test for France, and they should prevail. Class is firmly on their side, and we predict another second-half blitz from the favourites.

It hasn’t been a Nations Championship to remember for Italy so far, having lost to Japan and New Zealand. However, they showed their best form in the Six Nations towards the end of the tournament, and they could give Australia some trouble. They were right in the contest against the All Blacks last week before fatigue set in, but a strong 60-minute performance should be enough to cover the spread against Australia. The Wallabies were outclassed by Ireland and France in the second halves of their matches, so if Italy plays well, they could make a game of it in Perth. The +17.5 line is healthy enough to include in rugby picks this week.

Fiji has been given a rough draw during the Nations Championship, but it all comes down to ticket sales. They play consecutive games in the UK after being thumped by England last week, and we can’t see them recovering from that performance. Scotland has played better than expected during the tournament, including an upset win over Argentina before hanging tough against South Africa last week. Playing an ‘away’ game at Murrayfield is cheeky, and they play their best rugby at that venue. It should be too much for Fiji to handle, so lock in Scotland -17.5.

South Africa plays another game at altitude, which has raised eyebrows. That will suit the Springboks, but we don’t think there should be a 40.5-point difference between them and Wales. The Welsh have played well enough to be competitive, including a solid game in defeat to Argentina last week and a win over Fiji. There is no doubting that South Africa is a much better team, but winning by 41+ points isn’t easy, especially against a team that can slow the game down. We expect a close game at halftime before the Springboks pull clear, but Wales will do enough to cover the spread.

In a repeat of Thursday’s Football World Cup semi-final, Argentina and England meet again. It could be misery for the British once more, as we have Argentina holding down the fort at home. They rebounded from a shock loss to Scotland with a good win over Wales last week, which should get their confidence levels where they need to be. England also bounced back from a loss to South Africa with a win over Fiji, but the level of opposition is much stronger this week. The $2.05 odds are generous for the Argies, who should prevail at home.