France vs Ireland prediction and Six Nations betting tips: Champs can put down a marker

It’s all change in the Six Nations this year, with the opening fixture on a Thursday, as the tournament gets underway with the reigning champions France hosting Ireland at the Stade de France (8:10pm, live on ITV1)

Both these teams were involved in a three-way title race last year heading into the final round of the tournament, only for Andy Farrell’s side to pick up the bronze medal as they finished third overall.

France beat Scotland in their final match in March to secure their first title since 2022 and move them level with England on seven titles won since the championship became the Six Nations in 2000.

Between them, these two sides have won the last four championships with two apiece, and France are the favourites with betting sites again this time around at odds of 8/11.

As openers go, this couldn’t be much tougher for Ireland, who need to try and find that form that saw them beat England, Scotland and Wales to win the Triple Crown last year, not the one that saw them thrashed by Thursday’s opponents and then only narrowly beat Italy in their final match.

Andy Farrell is back at the helm following his sabbatical in charge of the British and Irish Lions, but there was no dream return in the autumn internationals as they lost to both South Africa and New Zealand.

France have won four of the last six Six Nations meetings between the two sides, dating back to 2020, but Ireland did secure victory the last time they met on French soil, with five tries scored by the away side on their way to a 38-17 win in Marseille.

France vs Ireland prediction 1: France to win by 11-20 points - 5/2 Bet365

France wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey finished last year’s tournament as the top try scorer with eight in five matches – the most tries any players has got in a single Six Nations.

He will start on Thursday and is the favourite to finish as the top scorer again with Six Nations odds of 2/1, so it’s no surprise he’s a best-price of 4/6 on him scoring at any time against Ireland.

The 22-year-old scored two tries the last time the two sides met, back in March, opening the scoring in France’s impressive 42-27 win in Dublin.

He also opened the scoring in the narrow defeat to England, giving bettors the option to back him to score first at 6/1 on some betting apps, or to grab a brace again.

France vs Ireland prediction 2: Bielle-Biarrey to score two or more tries - 3/1 Bet365

France: Ramos; Attissogbe, Depoortere, Moefana, Bielle-Biarrey; Jalibert, Dupont (capt); Gros, Marchand, Aldegheri, Ollivon, Guillard, Cros, Jegou, Jelonch.

Replacements: Mauvaka, Neti, Montagne, Auradou, Meafou, Nouchi, Serin, Gourgues

Ireland: Osborne; O'Brien, Ringrose, McCloskey, Stockdale; S Prendergast, Gibson-Park; Loughman, Sheehan, Clarkson, McCarthy, Beirne, C Prendergast, Van der Flier, Doris (capt).

Replacements: Kelleher, Milne, Bealham, Ryan, Conan, Timoney, Casey, Crowley

France are the bookies’ favourites to win this year’s Six Nations, but anyone fancying England to go all the way can get enhanced odds of 50/1 on Borthwick’s men lifting the trophy with Parimatch.

The offer is only open to new customers who sign up to Parimatch using the link above, opt in to the promotion and make a first deposit of £5 or more.

Next, bettors will need to wager a maximum of £1 on England to win the Six Nations at the normal odds before 3.40pm on Saturday, February 7. Cashed out bets will not qualify for the enhanced odds boost.

If England win the tournament, Parimatch will pay out on the £1 bet in cash at the normal odds, before crediting the remaining amount to bettors in free bets to equal a payout at 50/1.

It’s vital that bettors take steps to remain in control of their time and budget when using gambling sites. The same applies whether you’re using the betting sites UK, slot sites, casino sites, casino apps, or any other gambling medium.

Even the most knowledgeable racing punter can lose a bet, so always stick to a budget and never chase your losses.

It’s particularly important not to get carried away by any free bets or casino bonuses you might receive, both of which are available in abundance on gambling sites, but must be approached with caution.

You can stay in control by making use of the responsible gambling tools offered, such as deposit limits, loss limits, self-exclusion and time-outs.

You may also want to visit the following free organisations to discuss any issues with gambling you might be having:

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