The 2024 Rugby Championship: Argentina Vs Australia Betting Tips (Game 1)
When: Sunday 1 September, 8:00am AEST
Where: Estadio Jorge Luis Hirschi, La Plata
Watch: Nine, 9Now, Stan
Best Odds: Argentina 1.35, Australia 3.3
Following two fairly bruising defeats against a full-strength and then a second-string Springboks team, the Wallabies are rooted to the bottom of the Rugby Championship table and look set for a second consecutive wooden spoon.
In fact, the men in green and gold find themselves on an eight-game losing streak in this competition that includes two defeats to upcoming opponents Argentina - one in western Sydney in 2023 and the other a 48-17 thrashing at the hands of the Pumas in San Juan, 2022.
The Wallabies continue to undergo a tumultuous transition under the new leadership of Joe Schmidt and, as we’ll explain shortly, have been underachieving in one sense for years now.
We’ve assessed the stats and picked out our three finest bets from some of the best rugby betting sites on the market to assist you with your investments for Round 3 of the Rugby Championship.
Argentina Vs Australia Betting Tips: Wallabies Fall Short
Australian betting sites have graded Australia as 7.5 point outsiders which, on the basis of their recent form, appears a little generous to the Wallabies.
Are they any better than the team that lost back-to-back games to Argentina by margins of three points at home and 31 away?
There has certainly been no stability on the field or in the backroom as Schmidt appointed Harry Wilson to be their eighth captain in 15 matches, just weeks after he was recalled to the side for his first international in more than 18 months.
The Wallabies have now fallen short of the line in a staggering 13 of 14 matches since the beginning of 2023, and perhaps most ominously for them here, Argentina head coach Felipe Contepomi has gone back to a team similar to the one that defeated New Zealand in Round 1.
The only change to the backline from that particular team sees Matias Moroni replaced by Santiago Cordero, who joins the in-form Mateos Carreras and Round 2 try scorer Juan Cruz Mallia.
Argentina go into this match not only having won in New Zealand, but claiming the scalp of France in their most recent home game.
They should be far too good for an Australian side with a lot of work ahead of them.
Argentina Vs Australia Prediction 1: Argentina -7.5 Points To Beat Australia - 1.9 With PlayUp
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Argentina Vs Australia Predictions:
- Argentina -7.5 Points To Beat Australia - 1.9 With PlayUp
- First Half To Be The Highest Scoring Half - 2.0 With Ladbrokes
- Mateo Carreras To Score A Try - 2.5 With Bet365
Argentina Vs Australia Betting Tips: Flying First Half
Typically speaking, the second half of a rugby game often sees the majority of the points scored as packs tire and fresh, fast-running backs come off the bench to exploit gaps in fatiguing defences.
But matches involving these two sides have gone in the other direction, and in a significant way.
In fact, 80% of the 10 tests in 2024 involving either Australia or Argentina saw the first half as the highest scoring half, extended last week by Argentina suffering a 35-3 half-time blowout against the All Blacks before straightening themselves up.
Meanwhile, 61% of tries conceded by the Wallabies this season were also prior to the half-time break.
To get Evens for a trend that has been so lopsided across a reasonable sample size looks too hard to turn down.
Argentina Vs Australia Prediction 2: First Half To Be The Highest Scoring Half - 2.0 With Ladbrokes
Argentina Vs Australia Odds: Get On Mighty Mateo
Our anytime try scorer pick for this match will wear the number 14 shirt again for Argentina and has crossed the whitewash in six of his last 14 matches for Argentina, a period that begins with a crucial second-half try in the 34-31 win in Sydney last year.
Carreras is perhaps most recently remembered for the way in which he beat Damian McKenzie on the way to Argentina’s famous 38-30 win in Wellington, and whilst last week was a match to forget after sustaining a heavy second-half knock, he has been passed fit to start again.
He’ll be desperate to score his first international try on home soil after notching up 11 across several different countries and now has proved himself against greater oppositions than this one.
We’ll be taking the 2.50 on Bet365 for him to get past Andrew Kellaway, who has spent only a couple of months on the right wing after being a stalwart full-back since the last Rugby Championship.
Argentina Vs Australia Prediction 3: Mateo Carreras To Score A Try - 2.5 With Bet365
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