Six Nations 2017 Betting Tips & Preview

This should be a cracking Six Nations. England will break the record for the most number of Test wins in a row if they complete back-to-back Grand Slams and remain 100 percenters under Eddie Jones.

Ireland will show that they deserve all the plaudits for their wins over each of the southern hemisphere big guns in 2016 if they can win a third title in four years let alone a second Grand Slam in nine. Leinster, Munster, Saracens and Wasps are playing brilliant club rugby in domestic leagues and the European Champions Cup. The schedule has these two top teams duelling in Dublin on the final day.

But this tournament is unlikely to be all about just these two countries, who have injury issues that cannot be ignored before the tournament begins.

Bonus points for four-tries in a match and a loss by seven-or-less have been added to encourage attacking play, with a built-in guarantee that grandslammers can't be beaten to the crown by a nation that has lost a game.

There are British & Irish Lions tour spots up for grabs, which will keep high-quality players from all the Triple Crown nations determined to the last and up for every match whatever the result of their last outing or the course of the championship.

Scotland are arguably the most dangerous they have been since sneaking the last-ever Five Nations title in 1999, scoring tries as well as benefiting from the boot of Greig Laidlaw.

Wales are not firing on all cylinders like when back-to-back winners in 2012 and 2013 but are far from has-beens and host England and Ireland.

Rather than no Grand Slam-winner at odds-against, get on no Triple Crown winner at 33-20.

France and Italy don't look strong enough to derail the title challenges of England and Ireland so if it is going to happen to one before their Aviva showdown, it will be in Edinburgh or Cardiff in Ireland's case. The Red Rose bandwagon will be road-tested in Cardiff and rocked and rolled by Scotland at Twickenham.

There has been no Triple Crown-winner in four of the last seven tournaments including in 2015 when there was the sensational finale of Wales, Ireland and England all trying to claim the title on points aggregate. Ireland prevailed. In 2011, Ireland denied England a Grand Slam and Triple Crown in Dublin on the final Saturday but not the title. This year Ireland may deny England a Grand Slam and Triple Crown and take the title but without securing those two spoils themselves.

France and Italy have been judged as not strong enough to beat England and Ireland but that does not mean that they will not be dangerous enough to beat the other nations or to beat eachother.

France host Scotland and Wales and go to Rome as well as London and Dublin wbile the Azzurri, rejuvenated enough under the guidance of Conor O'Shea to stun South Africa in November, welcome Wales as well as Ireland and Les Bleus.

Take Italy, winless wooden-spoonists in last year's tournament, to claim one success this time around at 7-4. Plenty in their camp, including the incomparable Sergio Parisse, will feel that they owe France for losing out so narrowly in Paris 12 months ago and they can target the game as it comes a fortnight after their round three trip to Twickenham. They will have a real go at Wales in round one and have proved a regular worry for Scotland at Murrayfield not just Stadio Olimpico.

Take on the top tournament tryscorer market-leaders Jonny May, George North, Jonathan Joseph, Simon Zebo and Virimi Vakatawa with some bigger-priced wing wizards in Liam Williams at 33-1 and Sean Maitland at 50-1 and an up-and-coming outside centre in Garry Ringrose at 66-1.

May and co are not overrated for their skills and speed but traditionally these spoils are hard won, often somewhat surprisingly and frequently the places are spread thickly.

Lions tour spots are a huge incentive for players to perform and while Wales and Scotland do not look primed for title charges, they will not be found short for want of trying or attacking game plans.

Injuries have hampered Williams's Wales career and he has never scored more than once in a Six Nations but he rarely fails to fizz when fully fit. Saracens have snapped him up from Scarlets for next season following a try in the summer in New Zealand, a five-pointer against Argentina in November and four Pro12 touchdowns this campaign. A good showing in this tournament and his versality as a full-back too should get him on the plane to New Zealand. Last year's top tryscorer North is rarely out of the shake-up but it didn't stop Alex Cuthbert from getting in too when he was the preferred selection on the other wing.

Maitland is a Kiwi by birth so would love a return as a likely Lions dirt-tracker much as he was when picked by Warren Gatland to tour Australia two years ago. He has scored seven tries for Saracens this season including one at Toulon in the Champions Cup and scored tries for Scotland against Argentina and Georgia in November. Seymour's sensational Pro12 tryscoring form may mean his curved inside-ball running lines have been prepared for by defensive coaches.

Everything Ringrose has done for Leinster and Ireland this season - just his second as a club first-team squad member - suggests he can live up to the hype of being the next big thing in the Ireland midfield if not the next Brian O'Driscoll.

Ringrose has scored five tries for Leinster, including one at Northampton in the Champions Cup, and just a fortnight after making his Ireland debut against Canada, and a week after playing 70 minutes as a replacement against the All Blacks, he dotted down against Australia. Ringrose should be the beneficiary of plenty of space. Ireland love to use their pack and Conor Murray's darts to make inroads and fly-halfs Johnny Sexton, Paddy Jackson and Ian Keatley and inside centre Robbie Henshaw are happy to take the ball up to the gainline.

BOD is the tournament's all-time top tryscorer with 26, Ringrose may make a flying start from base camp zero on an Everest-like climb.