The difference between union and league lies in slightly different rules – but beyond that, you may find that rugby union bet types are fairly similar to those you can take advantage of for league games.
The union is widely played across the UK and, as such, there are a variety of different markets and opportunities you can take advantage of in an effort to maximise your potential returns.
There’s more to betting than purely picking the right winner – take a look at our quick guide to what you can expect from rugby union bet types and narrow down your choices for your next slip or two.
If you wish to place bets, make sure to check out the best Rugby Union betting sites.
Outright Winner Betting
Outright winner betting is probably the simplest opportunity open to fans. Simply choose which team you think will come out as the winner in any given match, based on odds delivered to you by a bookmaker.
Bookmaker odds, like Ladbrokes, can vary and these odds can change if you choose to go for live or in-play betting – but we will cover that aspect in a little more detail further down in our guide.
As it stands, outright bets can be a 50/50 chance unless you’re dealing with an outright favourite – which is where handicaps come into play.
Money Line Betting
The US betting standard largely revolves around the money line. This means that you will be given a rundown of the teams involved along with a couple of figures which will help you to decide who is more likely to come away from the victor. For example:
- Team A -150
- Team B +150
Betting on Team A means you’ll have to place at least £150 to get £100 back. Therefore, they are considered the favourites. Team B, however, could offer you £150 in these circumstances if you place a bet of £100.
They are, of course, the underdogs. This may seem an odd way of working our favourites and underdogs for some betters, however, it is a fairly simple American process which largely offers the same information up – that is, who is likely to win, and how much money you can expect to claim back from a successful bet.
Rugby Union Handicap Betting
The rugby union handicap betting is where sports bookmakers give one team an advantage in the score to make the game more balanced.
The rugby union handicap betting odds are usually levels in price because they have handicapped the favourite by giving the opposition a point score head start.
Rugby union handicap bets are interesting in that they can benefit both the punter and the bookmaker. In some cases, you’ll find a match where one team is heavily favoured over the other.
Some of the best betting sites to use include:
- Paddy Power Online Bets
- Coral Betting UK
In these circumstances, you may be required to adhere to a handicap bet if you wish for the favourite to win. For example, if Team A massively overshadows Team B in terms of form and recent performance, a bet for them to win will now require them to score at least 10 points more than their rival.
This rugby union bet type aims to level up the playing field, though it may entice the bravest or more experienced of punters out there to take advantage of betting on the underdog instead.
In any case, handicapping helps add to the betting experience – though it may not be favoured by everyone.
Rugby Union Accumulators
They say that accumulator betting is only for the brave, but it can make all the difference financially if you really know your stuff. The accumulators allow you to do the following:
- Bet on two or more matches outright at once – on who will win
- Take advantage of increased winnings the more matches you win
However, it’s worth bearing in mind that this type of bet, otherwise known as a parlay, will become null and void if any of your bets lose along the way. Therefore, while it can be a very nice earner indeed, it does carry a little more risk than your straightforward or simpler markets.
Certainly, consider setting up a parlay or accumulator if you know the sport well or if you’re feeling particularly brave.
Rugby Union Futures Betting
Many people bet on their favourite teams outright before the start of a season or tournament, and this is otherwise known as futures betting (mainly in the US).
Rugby Union futures betting is best undertaken at the head of a season so that you can take advantage of the best odds available (and therefore the best chances of you taking away considerable money) – though you can also choose to bet on outright winners of certain leagues while rugby union games are underway.
Do be warned, however, that choice and odds availability will be more attractive before any matches start – so if you are likely to be getting yourself invested in futures any time soon, make your moves early rather than late on. This way, you could see a brilliant conversion come to light.
Rugby Union Totals
Otherwise known as the overs and unders market, rugby union totals will allow you to decide whether or not a bookmaker has made a rugby union bet prediction on the final score too low or too high.
The bookmaker – whether it is William Hill or another bookie – will offer you a score total for both teams for a given match, and you will be expected to bet on whether or not the final actual score will be higher or lower than the prediction.
Nice and simple, and regular addition to many betting slips. This bet type allows you to not only bet on the outright winner but to also take a further 50/50 chance on the final score which doesn’t come with the tricky trappings of a prop bet.
In-Play Rugby Union Betting
In-play rugby union betting, as we’ve mentioned, allows you to take advantage of an evolving game. While predicting outright winners and propositions can be easy if you know the teams, the territory and the form, in-play bets allow you to take advantage of a game as it unfolds.
Therefore, live or in-play betting is considered a wise move if you’re not necessarily up to speed with the biggest movers and shakers in the sport. What’s more, matches are unpredictable – so now’s your chance to turn things over to your advantage.
