Six Nations Rugby - is it really in the bag for England?

The Six Nations Rugby is about to kick off and promises to be as hotly contested a tournament as ever. Coming at the end of a long winter, it captures the imagination as age-old local rivalries come to the fore.

Sports betting fans can find it a difficult tournament to predict. As a result, there are decent odds to be had and plenty of betting tips for punters to choose from.

World Cup runners up, England, go into the tournament as favourites. Should they pull it off, it would be their first since 2017. England fans may feel that a title is well overdue, but some uncertainty remains. Just how big a blow was the manner of their World Cup defeat to the Springboks and how will they fare without the pace of Billy Vunipola? The odds on an England title look too short to many eyes, but those for a Grand Slam are more attractive.

France went to Japan for the World Cup with limited expectations but confounded belief by reaching the quarter-finals. Sebastien Vahaamahina's red card did nothing for their chances in a hard-fought contest against the Welsh, but with a squad that contains only one player over 30, could mercurial youth spring a few surprises? There are good odds to be had if you're backing Les Bleus.

Last year's Grand Slam winners and World Cup Semi-Finalists, Wales, are not tipped to set the tournament alight this year, but there are some attractive odds to be had for a team that is never far out of the running. Ireland's new head coach, the Englishman, Andy Farrell, is trying to coax his squad into a more carefree form of rugby. Expect them to spring a few surprises.

Hope springs eternal for Scotland fans who have only seen their side lift the title three times in the past twenty years. Could 2020 be different?

Whatever the final result, there's sure to be some surprises along the way with plenty of opportunities for punters to cash in.