Chapter 3: Before You Begin
Now that the basic rules and events have been outlined, it’s important to understand the variety of betting markets available, as well as certain actions that can be taken to help you best prepare to bet on rugby union.
- What are the most popular rugby union betting markets?
Match Betting
Rugby union is similar to many other sports, with match betting being the most popular betting market. However, unlike other team sports, rugby union games are typically very high scoring, making the chances for a draw significantly lower.
Handicap betting
Punters can assign a hypothetical advantage or disadvantage to a specific team, whereby they either gain or lose points. For example, if England are playing Australia, bettors can back England to win with a handicap of -10 points. This means they’ll need to win the game by 10 clear points for the bet to come in.
Over/under betting
Pick a category of actions and a number and decide if the number will be exceeded or not. For example, betting that the match will finish with over 65 points. If the match ends with over 65 points, then the bet wins.
Individual player bets
Rather than backing an entire rugby union team to win, punters can bet on the actions of certain players on the team. First try-scorer is one of the more popular markets, along with highest points scorer, and yellow/red cards.
How do I set a betting budget?
It is best practice to set aside a specific affordable bankroll to be your betting budget. Identify your regular financial commitments and decide how much of your disposable income you’re willing to designate to your betting budget. One of the main benefits of a betting budget is that it helps you set a staking plan.
Read Chapter 4
Now that you understand the key betting markets of rugby union, take a look at the variety of things to consider before you bet.