France vs Uruguay Rugby World Cup Prediction & Picks: Expect Maximum Points for the Hosts

Last Friday, the 2023 Rugby World Cup kicked off with hosts France defeating New Zealand. With their toughest pool game out of the way right off of the bat, the path to top spot in Pool A should be smooth sailing for Les Bleus, starting with today’s matchup with Uruguay (3:00 pm ET, Peacock).

Expectations were high for France before the tournament, and Friday’s 27-13 win over New Zealand only served to strength France’s status as one of the 2023 Rugby World Cup favorites.

In the win over the All Blacks, Les Bleus scored the final 18 points to take control and pull away at the Stade de France, putting themselves in the driver’s seat to win Pool A, which also features Uruguay, Italy, and Namibia.

With a much more inferior opponent on the other side in this matchup, France will face Uruguay with a much different starting XV than they did against New Zealand, as head coach Fabien Galthie has made a dozen changes.

But France’s “B” team is still significantly stronger than Uruguay, and the hosts will be expected to dominate and pick up the maximum five points at Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

France vs Uruguay Odds

Odds are via Bovada.

Spread

• France -52 (+105)
• Uruguay +52 (-125)

Moneyline

• France -10000
• Uruguay +5000
• Draw +10000

Over/Under

• Over 71.5 (-110)
• Under 71.5 (-110)

Can Uruguay Make a Dent on the Scoreboard Against France?

Uruguay’s first match at the 2023 Rugby World Cup is likely to go like most of the other 15 World Cup matches that they have played.

This is their fifth Rugby World Cup appearance, following appearances in 1999, 2003, 2015, and 2019. In those four appearances, they have lost 12 of 15 games, with wins over Spain (1999), Georgia (2003), and Fiji (2019).

This will be Uruguay’s first meeting with France in international rugby, but most of Uruguay’s matches against the elite in world rugby have not gone well, whether at the World Cup or otherwise.

Along with 42 losses in 42 meetings with continental foes Argentina, Uruguay have lost all 14 of their games against Australia, England, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales.

In World Cup play, Uruguay have been outscored 524-72 in nine matches against Australia, England, Scotland, South, Africa, and Wales.

So, the only real bit of uncertainty about this game is whether or not France will score enough to cover the spread and help the over hit.

Will Uruguay contribute to the total? Along with their memorable upset of Fiji in 2019, Uruguay managed ten points in a 35-point loss to Australia and 13 points in a 22-point loss to Wales.

France vs Uruguay Prediction and Picks

Prediction: France to win

Picks: France -52 (+105 at Bovada) & Uruguay team total over 7.5 points (-105 at Bovada)

Games like these are an opportunity for reserve players to soak up some good minutes and make a case to be more involved in more important matches, so the fifteen starters that take the field for France will be out to put in the best performance possible.

A win by 54 or more points is a lot to ask, especially with the squad rotation/load management that Galthie is doing. However, France should have no problem lighting up the Stade Pierre-Mauroy scoreboard.

Can Uruguay reach double figures for the third straight World Cup game dating back to 2019? It would be quite a feat if they could manage as many or more points than the mighty All Black did against France, even with the rotations in mind.

In the eight matches in the first round of pool play, only three teams–Scotland, Romania, and Namibia–were held to fewer than ten points.

It’s not an easy call even though it’s a very small total, but I feel enough optimism about Uruguay doing enough to go over their team total of O/U 7.5 to lock that play in.

I also feel confident enough in backing France to win and cover to lock that in as well.

To date, France’s biggest win in the Rugby World Cup is an 87-10 win over Namibia in the 2007 tournament. I don’t think that they will approach that in this match, but it will be a very resounding victory for the hosts.

Where to Bet on the 2023 Rugby World Cup

While rugby may not be one of the most widely watched or bet on sports in the United States, the Rugby World Cup always draws a lot of attention.

You can find 2023 Rugby World Cup odds at many of the top sports betting sites available to bettors in the USA. In addition to Bovada, here are some of the online sportsbooks that we recommend which offer odds on each game in the tournament, as well as Rugby World Cup winner futures odds:

• BetOnline
• BetUS
• MyBookie
• Sportsbetting.ag

If you don’t have an account at a book on this list, check out our in-depth reviews to help you determine if it is worth your interest and your betting funds. Happy betting, and please bet responsibly.