France the pick to win the 2025 Six Nations Championship

Dean Etheridge
By , Updated on: Jan 16, 2025 12:00 AM
2025 Six Nations Rugby Betting Picks
  • The 2025 Six Nations Championship starts with France hosting Wales on January 31st
  • Ireland are the defending champions. The Irish are seeking an unprecedented third successive championship in the six-nation era.
  • The French are looking strong after autumn wins over the All Blacks and Argentina and are popular rugby betting picks to win the 2025 championship.
  • Les Bleus will be looking to take advantage of the absence of Ireland head coach Andy Farrell.

The 2025 Six Nations Championship gets underway at the end of January. Ireland will start the competition as the defending champions and the betting favorites.

Furthermore, the Irish can create history if they win the Northern Hemisphere’s biggest European title again in 2025.

As winners of the title in 2023 and 2024, if they win again this year, Ireland will become the first team in the six-nation era to complete three successive competition wins.

But it won’t be easy. The Irish looked slightly off the pace during the Autumn Internationals. A ten-point home defeat to the All Blacks not only ended their 19-match winning streak at home but also saw Andy Farrell’s team lose their status as the No.1 ranked team in the world.

Furthermore, Ireland will be without the influential Farrell for this year’s competition. The Irish boss was selected as head coach of the British and Irish Lions team that will tour Australia in June and August.

As a result, Farrell has temporarily stepped down from his role for this year’s Six Nations to focus on the Lions’ job. Simon Easterby will take charge in his absence.

Betting to win the 2025 Six Nations

Despite the absence of Andy Farrell, the best rugby betting online sites still make Ireland the favorite.

In the latest 2025 Six Nations betting odds, Ireland leads the way at +160. The French are close by at +175, with England also in the mix at +330.

Scotland is the only other nation really in with a chance. Gregor Townsend’s talented team is +600 to win their first title since 1999.

2025 Six Nations Winner BettingBetOnlineBovadaMyBookie
Ireland+160+160+160
France+175+175+175
England+330+330+330
Scotland+600+600+600
Wales+6600+6600+6600
Italy+15000+15000+15000

2025 Six Nations schedule

The opening weekend of the 2025 Six Nations sees the competition get underway on a Friday night in France for the second successive year. Ireland vs England is the standout fixture of Round 1. The full itinerary follows:

#Round 1

  • France vs. Wales - January 31st
  • Scotland vs. Italy - February 1st
  • Ireland vs. England - February 1st

#Round 2

  • Italy vs. Wales - February 8th
  • England vs. France - February 8th
  • Scotland vs. Ireland - February 9th

#Round 3

  • Wales vs. Ireland - February 22nd
  • England vs. Scotland - February 22nd
  • Italy vs. France - February 23rd

#Round 4

  • Ireland vs. France - March 8th
  • Scotland vs. Wales - March 8th
  • England vs. Italy - March 9th

#Round 5

  • Italy vs. Ireland - March 15th
  • Wales vs. England - March 15th
  • France vs. Scotland - March 15th

Grand Slam betting and pick

To complete the Grand Slam, a nation has to beat all the other five involved in the competition.

No one achieved it in 2024. Ireland won the championship by winning four of their five matches.
But England prevented the Irish from achieving the feat for a second successive season with a last-gasp Marcus Smith drop goal giving England a 23-22 win at Twickenham.

Ireland did manage to win five from five in 2023. They are +350 to complete the Grand Slam again this year. France is +400, and England is +900.

No Grand Slam winner is the favorite outcome at -125. That looks like a solid bet in 2025.

No Grand Slam Winner 2025 Six Nations
Bovada
-125

Wooden Spoon betting and pick

The Wooden Spoon is a term given to the team that finishes at the bottom of the table.

Don’t worry, some poor dignitary doesn’t have to try and physically give one to the captain of the team that finishes last.

In 2024, Wales suffered the indignity. They snapped an eight-year run of Italy finishing bottom.

The betting is a toss-up between Wales and Italy again this year. The Welsh are the marginal favorites at -120, with Italy at +110.

Wales are a team in transition. And with their fixture against Italy taking place in Rome, the Welsh look set to finish bottom again.

Wales To finish bottom of the 2025 Six Nations table
Bovada
-120

2025 Six Nations winner betting pick

By rights, it's Ireland’s competition to lose. The defending champions have their two biggest matches against France and England (there is no home and away in the Six Nations) on home soil in Dublin.

The home-field advantage is huge. And if Ireland beat their two main rivals at home, the other matches should be a formality, and they will win the competition.

But we feel the Irish are slightly off the pace. Furthermore, there is also the added pressure of having the chance of creating history with a third successive win. We feel without the guidance of their inspirational head coach Andy Farrell, Ireland will slip up against either France or England.

England is too inconsistent to win the championship. They have just swapped captains, with Jamie George replaced by Maro Itoje. It’s probably the correct decision. But in keeping with England, it’s been made 12 months later than it should have.

That only leaves France. Les Bleus have the inspirational Antoine Dupont back in the fold. The scrum-half missed last year’s competition. He took a break to focus on Rugby Sevens at the Olympics, where he won a Gold Medal with France.

With Dupont back in the team, we make France our pick to win the 2025 Six Nations.

France To win the 2025 Six Nations
BetUS
+175

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Meet the author

Dean Etheridge

Dean is an experienced freelance content writer who honed his skills by writing for his own football betting website for over 15 years. In more recent times, Dean has extended his sports writing portfolio to cover a whole host of other sports including golf, tennis,...

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