The British and Irish Lions begin their much-anticipated Test series against Australia on Saturday morning UK time.
Coached by Irishman Andy Farrell and captained by England star Maro Itoje, the Lions are expected to dominate Down Under.
The Lions beat Australia 2-1 in the 2013 tour and will be looking to better that result this time around. Although, that is the only series they have won in the last 27 years, a surprisingly poor record.
Below, we take a closer look at the First Test at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, with the latest rugby union odds available to view in this online betting preview.
And if you are a new NetBet customer, make sure to check out our Welcome Offer before the start of the First Test, with Free Bets and Free Spins up for grabs.
Lions Tour: First Test Preview
The Lions’ preparation for the First Test has been fairly good, with five consecutive victories over different club sides from Australia.
However, their last match against international opposition did not go to plan, with Argentina winning 28-24 in a fiercely-fought contest back on June 20.
But the Lions camp will likely not let that result weigh too heavily as it was the first of the warm-up matches, with the array of talented players still getting used to each other’s games.
Now with an additional month of training and match awareness under their belts, the Lions should feel confident of beating an Australia side which is not in the best of form.
The Aussies defeated Fiji in their previous outing, but that came after consecutive losses to Ireland (22-19) and Scotland (27-13).
However, Australia did beat England 42-37 and Wales 52-20 in the two preceding matches, so the talent is certainly there to cause an upset.
Captained by Harry Wilson, the Wallabies know that a series win over the Lions would put the nation back on the right rugby path after some turbulent years on and off the field.
Lions Tour: First Test Odds
*All odds are subject to change
The Lions are big favourites to win the First Test at a price of 1.28. Australia are at odds of 3.52, while the unlikely draw is 23.00.
Lions Tour: First Test Betting Tips
British & Irish Lions to win both halves – Yes @ 2.20
On paper, the Lions have the superior players and with a new level of synergy in the team, we are backing them to deliver a dominant display.
British & Irish Lions to win by 11-15 points @ 4.80
This selection is, of course, a risk, as the scoring system in rugby means the numbers can shift in the blink of an eye. Australia’s defeat to Scotland was by a margin of 14 points, so there is method to the madness here.
Australia total points – Under 20.5 @ 1.85
In Australia’s last three defeats to Ireland, Scotland and New Zealand, they failed to reach a total of 20 points. So as we are backing a victory for the Lions, it feels only right to tip this market as well!
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