Ireland vs. Wales Autumn Nations Cup (November 13, 2020)

Ireland host Wales in the first game of the 2020 Autumn Nations Cup this Friday, November 13, at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

The game will be played without spectators in the Irish capital, but it should be a fierce contest between the Celtic rivals. As most fixtures are between the Irish and the Welsh.

But the traveling side will have more to worry about than their hosts. Life in the Welsh hot seat has been tough for Wayne Pivac so far.

This transitional period was expected to be tough for the former Llanelli Scarlets boss, but five losses from Wales’ last five games means that the pressure is building on Warren Gatland’s replacement.

Ireland boss Andy Farrell will feature a few new faces from the team that was beaten comfortably by France on the final day of the protracted 2020 Six Nations.

Fans are desperate to see Leinster superstar James Lowe in an Ireland jersey for the first time and will be hoping that his provincial form will translate seamlessly to the international scene.

If you’re betting on Ireland vs. Wales this weekend, keep reading. I’ll be breaking down the odds, the best bets, and also giving my prediction for this mouthwatering start to the Autumn Nations Cup.

Ireland’s odds to beat Wales on Friday come in at -400.

Despite undergoing a transitional period of their own, the Irish players that take to the field in this fixture are believed to be in better form than their cousins from across the water.

Ireland finished 3rd in the 2020 Six Nations, behind England and France. Losses to both teams left them with a record of 3-2, following over Scotland, Wales, and Italy.

In recent history, these two nations have been hard to separate. From their last ten test matches, Ireland has won five, Wales have won four, with a 16-16 draw in 2016’s Six Nations rounding up the numbers.

Wales are +305, which would have been incredible value if you weren’t aware of their recent struggles.

The Welsh finished 5th in this year’s Six Nations. They were beaten by England, France, Ireland, and Scotland. However, three of those games, at least according to the final scoreboard, were close. England won by three, France and Scotland by four. Ireland, however, won by 10 at the Aviva in February.

Can Wales find their form against Ireland on Friday? Or will it be a quiet trip home for Alun Wyn Jones and company?

The inspirational Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones will extend his record-breaking tally to 1⃣5⃣0⃣ caps in the #AutumnNationsCup on Friday.

Where does he rank among the all-time greats? ??????? https://t.co/tQ7u0QqKS2

— Autumn Nations Cup ? (@autumnnations) November 11, 2020

Games between these nations tend to be as tight.

For that reason, I’m personally avoiding a big Irish win. Yes, Wales is a little down in the dumps but don’t expect a team with quality players like Justin Tipuric, Liam Williams, Jonathan Davies, and Gareth Cooper to lay down and die.

I think Ireland’s home advantage, as well as the inclusion of James Lowe, Chris Farrell, and Jamison Gibson-Park, should help them to victory. Backing Ireland in with a 1 to 12 Point Margin (+180) with the best rugby betting sites makes sense to me.

It can be difficult to predict how games go between Ireland and Wales. But at the risk of repeating myself, I can’t emphasize enough how close this fixture has been over the past few years. That’s why Wales +9 Points (-110) is a solid bet.

And finally, Wales to score the last try (+170) is a bet that I like.

Justin Tipuric rocked over for Wales for the last try in the last Ireland vs. Wales fixture in February. Of course, that’s not the only reason to make this bet.

Wales typically finish games better against Ireland, and I can see them finding their best form in the last quarter.

So, now to my prediction for Ireland vs. Wales at the Aviva this Friday.

I’m expecting a tough and feisty match between Ireland and Wales this Friday.

The Welsh are sticking with the initial XV that was named before the loss to Scotland in Llanelli a couple of weeks ago. This tells me that Pivac is abandoning any plans to experiment in favor of driving his best team forward onto the cold Dublin pitch.

Ireland will, on the other hand, be looking for something new following a disappointing performance against France in Paris. Johnny Sexton retains his starting place, much to the chagrin of many fans, and the Welsh will be looking to target the Irish captain as long as he is on the pitch.

The conditions should be clear but snappy on Friday, which should allow for a good game of rugby. I can see a fair few tries being scored, especially as Wales have sacked their defense coach, Byron Hayward.

I’ll take Ireland by 7 points, with James Lowe showing the world what he is capable of on the international scene.

A proud day for Leinster wing James Lowe – he will make his Ireland debut in the #AutumnNationsCup opener against Wales on Friday ☘️

Do you think he'll hit the ground running?https://t.co/KTmmUrPRdu

— Autumn Nations Cup ? (@autumnnations) November 10, 2020

I have to call it as I see it. I don’t believe Wales has turned into an awful team overnight, but some issues clearly need to be addressed.

At the start of the year, I discussed how letting Shaun Edwards leave was one of the most baffling decisions I have ever witnessed in sports. And just look at the state they are in now. But, it is fixable. And from what I have been led to believe, former Ospreys coach, Steve Tandy, is the man that the WRU top brass are looking to.

First things first, the Welsh will be looking for the result in Dublin on Friday. But I don’t think they will get it. This Irish team is in a better place, and I think they will look pretty good when the 80 minutes are up.

Make sure to check back our picks section for more rugby betting content ahead of the Autumn Nations Cup fixtures.

I’ll leave you with a little reading material, below. Enjoy the game!

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