By Peter Ryan – @PeterRyanSports
Scotland will kickstart their Six Nations campaign by welcoming Italy to Murrayfield. Gregor Townsend’s squad will be dark horses heading into the prestigious competition.
There is a great squad stacked with talent, but for some reason, it is not being talked about in the same way as France and Ireland.
Scotland will be looking to kick off their competition correctly with a revenge win over Italy, who bested them last time out in Rome.
It is a fascinating game, with the possibility of many exciting betting options.
Scotland
For Scotland, now is better than ever to take a Six Nations title. They are the most settled side, with Ireland missing head coach Andy Farrell due to Lions duty and France having to deal with a whole crop of injuries.
Scotland have shown in the past they have what it takes to compete with the very best; this year, they will desperately need consistency.
Townsend’s side knows how to produce at a high level but has been guilty in the past of lacking consistency. A prime example of this was their defeat to Italy last year.
As a squad, world-class talent is abundant at their disposal. Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is Finn Russell.
The fly-half is a generational talent and is a joy to watch when he has a rugby ball in his hands. Russell will look to translate his form in a Bath shirt this year onto the international stage.
Rory Darge will look to lead by example and cause trouble for the Italian opposition.
Blair Kinghorn has been playing very well across the Channel and will be dangerous on the counter-attack at the full-back position.
One of the most significant talking points going into this year’s tournament is the injury to Sione Tuipulotu, one of the world’s most in-form centres.
His loss will be felt, as he was lined up to be the squad captain. Stafford McDowell will line up at 12 on Saturday and look to make a seismic impression with the Thistle on his chest.
Scotland should feel quietly confident about winning this year’s title, but they can’t look past Italy.
Italy
For years, they were seen as a place filler in the competition, but the Italians finally emerged as a competitive outfit last year.
They managed a fantastic win against Wales and Scotland whilst drawing with France away from home.
The mix of youth and experience should excite Italian rugby fans, as the team will take another step forward this year.
There is a sense of belief whenever Italy take the pitch, as they have shown they have what it takes to be competitive.
A big reason for their upturn in success is the talent in their squad pulling the strings at fly-half.
Paolo Garbisi, who plays his club rugby in Toulon, can be a sensational operator and produce magic with the ball in his hands.
On the wing, you have Ange Capuozzo, who usually plays full-back in the light blue jersey and will be slotting into the role he normally has at Toulouse.
When talking about players who provide that spark for attack, the electrifying Capuozzo has to be at the top of the list.
Sebastian Negri will be looking to dominate in ball-carrying and be relentless in defence to help his team secure a phenomenal victory.
Italy will want to kick on from a positive campaign last year and notch up more big wins.
The Bets
There are some exciting betting options to look at for this game. The best bet is for the total number of points to be over 53.5.
This bet is based on the expectation of a high-scoring game, with both teams known for their attacking prowess.
Both teams know how to put points on the board and have pulsating talents who know how to get over the try line.
You can find value in a yellow card, a try in the first 10 minutes, and Scotland winning.
Those who like a long shot could see a decent return on Scotland’s winning margin being between one and seven.
Even though it should be a comfortable win for Scotland on paper, Italy will not roll over and will go to Edinburgh thinking they can get a result out of the game.
Best Bet: Total number of points to be over 53.5 – 10/11
Value Bet: A yellow card, a try in the first 10 minutes, and Scotland to win – 6/5
Longshot Bet: Scotland’s winning margin to be between one and seven – 5/1
