Australia vs British & Irish Lions betting tips: 1st Test prediction & best bets

The British and Irish Lions take on Australia in the first test of the best of three series on Saturday morning with the tourists heavy favourites on betting sites to get off to a winning start (11am, Sky Sports Main Event).

The 2025 Lions got off to an inauspicious start as they were beaten 28-24 by Argentina in Dublin but since landing in Australia they have won five games out of five.

Their final match, last weekend against an invitational side made up of players from Australia and New Zealand ended in an emphatic 48-0 win to the Lions, who scored eight tries, including three from Scotland winger Duhan van der Merwe.

The form in their warm-up games means that Andy Farrell’s side will go into the match full of confidence and are favoured by 9.5 points on the handicap against an Australia side who have struggled in recent years.

The Wallabies are currently sixth in the world rankings and rugby union as a sport is struggling to reach the highs previously enjoyed by the two-time World Cup winners.

They have played just one recent friendly match, which came earlier this month, when they secured an unconvincing 21-18 win over Fiji thanks to a try and conversion in the final two minutes.

On last autumn’s tour to the northern hemisphere they lost to both Scotland and Ireland, after beating England and Wales so it’s no surprise to see 11 of the Lions’ starting 15 coming from those two nations.

We will see an all-Scottish fly-half and centre trio for the first time in Lions history with Finn Russell, Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones all starting, and Ireland have eight starters and another three on the bench.

There is no Welsh representation in the first match day squad, with Jac Morgan failing to make the 23. It will be the first time since 1896 that the Lions will line up against Australia, New Zealand or South Africa without a Welshman in the side.

Rugby betting sites are all backing the Lions to win this first test and the series overall with Australia coming into Saturday’s first encounter under cooked and undermanned.

They were already up against it but the Wallabies' cause hasn’t been helped by injuries to back-to-back Australia Player of the Year back-row Rob Valetini and lock Will Skelton, who will both miss Saturday’s game with calf injuries.

Head coach Joe Schmidt will be hoping that both players will be fit for the second Test, which takes place on July 26 in Melbourne.

We’re under no illusion that Saturday’s match will be a far bigger test than the Lions have faced so far but they have had time to prepare and know exactly what to expect when they run out in Brisbane.

All of the pressure will be on the home side, despite Schmidt playing down his side’s chances of winning, so the Lions can play their game, which will hopefully be stronger than Australia’s.

Australia vs Lions prediction 1: Lions to win by over 12 points - 11/10 Betfred

So far tries have come from everywhere for the Lions, the only constant being the conversions from the ever-reliable Finn Russell.

Dan Sheehan is definitely one to watch though having scored the first try down under with just one minute on the clock in the Lions’ opening game against Western Force in Perth.

The Irish hooker scored five tries for his country in this year’s Six Nations having scooped the prize the previous season when he touched down five times again.

He’s available at 5/4 to score anytime in the Lions tour odds, or you can bump up his price by pairing a Sheehan try with a Lions victory.

Australia vs Lions prediction 2: Dan Sheehan to score and Lions to win - 23/20 William Hill

Bettors can claim a free rugby union bet by wagering on the first Test between Australia and the Lions with William Hill.

Hills are running the free bet offer to mark the start of the series and bettors just need to opt in before placing a bet on the Wallabies against the Lions at odds of evens or greater.

In return, William Hill will give bettors a free bet to spend on any rugby union market. The size of the free bet will vary from customer to customer.

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