Rugby World Cup 2019 Predictions and Betting Odds
For the first time in its history, the Rugby World Cup heads to Asia, with Japan hosting the 2019 tournament. This means none of the fancied participants has that all-important home-field advantage to use, something that could blow this tournament wide open, and certainly far more open than the latest betting suggests. Read detailed Rugby World Cup 2019 tournament preview and get the best Rugby World Cup predictions for your bets. We also encourage you to read detailed report prepared by ProTipster. "Rugby World Cup in Numbers" brings closer the ninth Rugby World Cup 2019 hosted in Japan. Click here to read more!
Rugby World Cup Schedule
The tournament begins on Friday 20th September, with the hosts Japan taking part in the first game when they face Russia. There will only be one game on the first day as this is proceeded by the opening ceremony of the tournament, which is sure to be a spectacular event.
Here are some key dates to look out for:
20th Sept – Tournament begins
20th Sept – 13th Oct – Group games take place
19th & 20th Oct – Quarterfinals
26th & 27th Oct – Semi-finals
1st Nov – Third-place game
2nd Nov – Final
Rugby World Cup Stadiums
Japan will be the first Asian country to host the Rugby World Cup, and they will use 12 stadiums to showcase the action. The International Stadium at Yokohama will host a total of seven games, and this includes the semi-finals and the final, meaning it is the most important stadium we will be using during the tournament.
Of the other 11 stadiums, perhaps the most interesting is the Sapporo Dome, an indoor stadium that will see the pitch grown outdoors and then transported into the stadium before games take place. We will get the first glimpse of this when Australia play Fiji inside the Dome on the second day of the tournament.
The Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium is certainly the one with the biggest backstory to it. The stadium was not built until 2018 and is built as a memorial to those who lost their lives during the 2011 tsunami that hit the area.
Tournament Preview
Group A – Ireland, Scotland, Japan, Samoa, Russia
If there is a shock in this World Cup, it could well happen in Group A. The hosts Japan will be the ones aiming to cause it, with Scotland the most likely team to be knocked out of the competition early by them. Ireland are the group favourites at 1/4 while Scotland are priced up at 10/3 to win it, Japan at 16/1 and the other two teams are triple figures.
The group begins with the very first game of the tournament, with Japan hosting Russia. This gives them a fantastic chance to get off to the best possible start and get the home crowd behind them, something that will be key when they face Ireland and Scotland if they want to cause an upset.
Samoa and Russia should both be there for the taking for the other three teams in this group, especially Russia and it would be no surprise to see them on the receiving end of some big score lines.
Group B – New Zealand, South Africa, Italy, Canada, Namibia
If you want to know where we are least likely to see a shock then this is the group. To show just how far New Zealand and South Africa are ahead of the other three teams, the other three are priced up at 200/1, 500/1 and 1000/1 to win this group. To put it bluntly, they don’t really have a chance of doing anything here.
The teams to concentrate on are New Zealand, who are 4/11 favourites to win the group, and South Africa who are 2/1 second-favourites and their only challenger. These two are first and second-favourites to win the entire tournament too, and both will be expected to not only get out of this group but go a long way in this tournament.
The game featuring New Zealand and South Africa will more than likely be the best game of all the group games that we see, and it could well be a dress rehearsal for the final that takes place at the beginning of November. The rest of this group may not be pretty viewing though, with some big blowout wins expected.
Group C – England, France, Argentina, Tonga, USA
Away from the big two teams in Group B, England are the other team fancied by many to go close here. Although France will give them a good game and Argentina are capable of pushing them hard, England should have no problems finishing top of this group and moving onto the knockout phase, so it is no surprise to see them as short as 4/11 to do that.
As far as who finishes second goes, France are favourites to do that, and they should but Argentina will push them all the way and it wouldn’t be the biggest shock in the world if the South American team pipped the French to the second spot.
Tonga and the USA are strictly here as big outsiders, both priced at 500/1 to win the group, and the three main teams in this group will all be looking to record big wins over them.
Group D – Wales, Australia, Fiji, Georgia, Uruguay
This group looks as though it will be settled by the game between Wales and Australia. These two are strong favourites to win the group, with Wales slightly edging it in the betting as the 8/11 favourites to win the group. Australia are only just behind though, priced up at 11/10 and more than capable of performing with the very best on their day.
Of the other three teams in this group, only Fiji have any chance of causing an upset, and their chances don’t look too great. As for Georgia and Uruguay, their odds of 250/1 and 500/1 to win this group respectively show just what a mountain stands in their way.
Although each team will play four teams in the group, it looks as though just one will determine who wins this group, the game between Wales and Australia. Fiji may have a small chance of upsetting the odds, although they do look slim. Games involving Georgia and Uruguay will more than likely see them on the end of some heavy defeats.
Rugby World Cup 2019 Outright Betting
Here is a look at the outright betting market for who will win the Rugby World Cup 2019. Check out our online bookmakers section for the list of recommended online betting sites for Rugby World Cup 2019 betting.
5/4 – New Zealand
4/1 – South Africa, England
9/1 – Ireland, Wales
12/1 – Australia
33/1 – France
40/1 – Argentina
50/1 – Scotland
150/1 – Japan
350/1 – Fiji
750/1 – Italy, Samoa
1000/1 – Georgia
1500/1 – Tonga, USA
5000/1 – Canada, Namibia, Russia, Uruguay
Who Will be the Dark Horse of Rugby World Cup 2019?
The betting is dominated by New Zealand as we have seen, but overall there is a real bias towards the top teams in the tournament. Six teams are priced up at 12/1 or less, with the remaining 14 teams being available at 33/1 or bigger. Of those in the latter named group, France will immediately stand out to some at 33/1, but further down the pile is where we could find a dark horse that makes it through to the quarter-finals.
That team is the hosts Japan, who are currently priced up at a huge 150/1 to win the tournament. While that would be a massive ask, getting to the knockout round is not as far fetched for them. They are priced up at 11/4 to reach the quarter-finals, and far bigger at 20/1 to reach the semi-finals.
They play in a group with Ireland, Scotland, Russia and Samoa, one that could see a surprise. Their chances could well hinge on the final group game in Pool A when Japan will take on Scotland. Their opponents will have played the very physical Russian team just four days earlier while Japan will head into the game after a rest period of over one week.
This will be the fifth and final group game for both, could the tiredness that Scotland have level the playing field and give Japan a chance of qualifying? If there is one type of team you don’t want to play when you’re tired it is a team like Japan that offers pace in all areas of the field, and one that plays the game at a very high tempo. It will still be difficult for the hosts, but they have plenty in their favour as they look to spring a surprise and reach the knockout round.
Rugby World Cup 2019 Predictions and Betting Tips
The Rugby World Cup begins on Friday 20th September, and the tournament lasts for six weeks, which is fantastic news for rugby fans and those who bet on the sport. Games in the group stages come thick and fast, with games taking place on most days, sometimes with multiple games on weekend days, all of which helps to set this tournament up perfectly from a betting point of view.
Whether it is an outright bet on the winner, who will win the groups or individual betting on the games as they come, we have everything covered for you. Those wishing to bet will be able to find the latest rugby betting tips on ProTipster, giving you everything you need to enjoy the upcoming Rugby World Cup, which promises to be a fantastic tournament.