It feels like the Rugby Championship is barely getting started, and yet it’s already entering its final round this weekend. As the only undefeated team, New Zealand hold a commanding lead over the rest of the field, and can they close it out with a win over Australia in Melbourne? Or will they revert to their usual pre-World Cup antics and leave the door open for another team to swoop in and win the Rugby Championship 2023?
Rare is the year when three teams can still win the Rugby Championship with only two games remaining, but that’s the juncture we find ourselves at currently. The All Blacks hold the advantage, but South Africa and Argentina will both fancy themselves as well if Australia do them a favor on the weekend. With everything to play for, it’s a big end to the Rugby Championship as we bring our final round Rugby Championship 2023 predictions based off the latest 2023 Rugby Championship odds.
| ℹ️ Tournament: | 2023 Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship |
| 🏟️ Venues: | Stadiums in New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, and Argentina |
| 🗓️ Dates: | 8th to 29th July 2023 |
| 🗓️ Round 3 Date: | Saturday 29 July |
Before getting into our Rugby Championship 2023 betting predictions, let’s take a look at the outright 2023 Rugby Championship odds. Here’s what the rugby betting apps are saying right now:
New Zealand have one hand on the trophy already, as the bookies indicate with their odds of 1.11 (1/9). However, should Australia – who are completely out of the 2023 Rugby Championship already with two losses from two games – manage to upset the Kiwis, then this gives South Africa an outside chance of winning, hence their odds of 6.00 (5/1).
Argentina, while mathematically still a chance, would need a victory of Biblical proportions in order to claim the title, with odds of 101.00 (100/1) alongside Australia’s heroics.
Looking ahead to round three of the Rugby Championship 2023, here’s how the odds for Saturday night’s big clash in Melbourne are sitting currently:
It’s top vs bottom in Melbourne, and the Kiwis are heavy favorites at 1.17 (1/6) to win, compared to Australia’s 5.00 (4/1).
Another lopsided encounter is expected in Johannesburg, with South Africa’s 1.07 (1/14) favorites against Argentina, who pay 7.50 (13/2).
After two rounds of action, here’s how the Rugby Championship 2023 table is looking so far:
| Team | Wins | Losses | Points | Points Differential |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 2 | 0 | 9 | +44 |
| South Africa | 1 | 1 | 5 | +16 |
| Argentina | 1 | 1 | 4 | -26 |
| Australia | 0 | 2 | 0 | -34 |
Both of our 2023 Rugby Championship Round 2 tips were right, but it’s time to make some risky choices and try to approve even sharper and more dangerous predictions.
2 (50%)
(50%) 2
Australia may not look like a major threat in the Rugby Championship 2023, with two losses from two games. However, ask any All Blacks fan, and they’ll tell you that there’s nothing more dangerous than a wounded Wallaby. Particularly with Eddie Jones at the helm.
You can bet your bottom dollar that Australia will be up for this match, and let’s remember that up until a fortnight ago, New Zealand were far from a picture of consistency as well. There’s a very good chance that this game is far tighter than the bookies are predicting, and the Kiwis only scrape over the line by the skin of their teeth in Melbourne.
1 (25%)
(75%) 3
Looking at another high return 2023 Rugby Championship Round 3 betting tip, we say there’s an outside chance that South Africa steal the competition this weekend. Here’s our argument:
Combine all of this, and betting on the All Blacks to get upset by Australia, then South Africa to thrash Argentina isn’t the craziest bet. A big margin is certainly our South Africa vs Argentina rugby prediction, but it’s better to check South African bookies once more before the game start and after the result comes from the Australia pitch.
We’ve given our 2023 Australia vs New Zealand preview and handed out some Rugby 2023 SA vs ARG betting tips. Now, it’s time for you to decide: will the All Blacks get across the line this weekend? Or is there going to be more drama in this abbreviated version of the Rugby Championship? We’ll know on Sunday.
