Italy vs. Scotland Betting Preview – Autumn Nations Cup (November 14, 2020)

Italy vs. Scotland goes down at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence this Saturday, November 14.

The 2020 Autumn Nations Cup match is one of two games scheduled for Saturday, with England vs. Georgia is also set to hit our screens. I’ll touch on a couple of the other games a little later, but first let’s dive into the odds, best bets, as well as my prediction for Italy vs. Scotland.

Can Scotland build upon some encouraging performances in the Six Nations this year? Or will Italy turn this fixture into another dogfight between the two nations?

Here is the Italy team we'll face in Florence on Saturday lunchtime in the #AutumnNationsCup? https://t.co/0US439aNix

— Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) November 12, 2020

Italy’s odds to beat Scotland are a cool +350.

The Azzurri have lost eight straight matches to the Scots, meaning you have to go back all the way to the 2015 Six Nations to find the last time Italy found a win in this fixture.

That day, Italy triumphed 22-19 at Murrayfield. The last time they beat the Scots on home soil was in the 2012 Six Nations, where they ran out 13-6 winners at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

Although memory might deceive some fans, Scotland has been in fine form against the Six Nations whipping boys for most of the 2010s. And in this year’s championship, they emerged as 0-17 winners in Rome.

Should those stats give you something to think about when placing your bets on Italy vs. Scotland, keep reading for my thoughts on the top wagers to place.

Scotland -10.5 Points (-114) is a top bet.

Gregor Townsend’s side is in great spirits having put in some really good performances in the 2020 Six Nations.

The Scots pushed Ireland in Dublin in their first match and were probably a little unlucky not to leave the Aviva with the four points. They beat Wales, France, and Italy, and came very close to beating England, too.

They have enough quality in this team to win big in Italy.

Scotland to Score First and Win (-138) is another bet to consider.

The Scots should start as the better team in this match, and I would be surprised if they didn’t score the first try. However, there is always a chance they could be on the wrong end of a penalty, but I think they will register the first score, either way.

Scotland to Win by 11-20 Points (+225) is nice, too.

I believe this is the best points range to target for the Scots, even without Finn Russell and Adam Hastings.

And so we arrive at my prediction for the match. Here’s how I see it going.

??????? @hamishwatson7 believes @Scotlandteam can be #AutumnNationsCup title contenders, as long as they improve their away form ?

Read more here ? https://t.co/GOv58QUs0J

— Autumn Nations Cup ? (@autumnnations) November 12, 2020

There was a time when Italy vs. Scotland was considered a very competitive fixture. And in all fairness, it has been, over the years.

But Scotland’s results are strong enough over the last eight games to surmise that they have been moving past Italy and setting a standard above their Mediterranean rivals.

Italy is winless in the Six Nations. As it happens, their victory over Scotland in 2015 was the last time they tasted the sweetness of triumph in the competition, and that goes to show how far backward they have gone in international rugby.

Scotland, on the other hand, is showing the right signs. They have a couple of true world-class operators in their ranks. Stuart Hogg, for example, gets my vote for the fullback shirt in my 2021 British and Irish Lions team prediction, and he is up there with the best in his position on the planet.

They will be rough and ready, and I can’t see the Italians toppling them. If anything, I expect a big win for the Scots, who will be hungry to show even further signs of encouragement before the 2021 Six Nations in February.

My prediction? I’ll go for Scotland to beat Italy 28-10.

Italy vs. Scotland should be interesting. But ultimately, I believe the Scots have too much for the Italians and should win comfortably.

The same cannot be said for some of the other games coming up soon. You can find more rugby matches worthy of a wager or two in our picks section, but I thought I’d leave you with some more Autumn Nations Cup betting content to digest.

I’ll be back with more Autumn Nations Cup previews and picks soon. Until then, get a load of my predictions for the following matches.