New Zealand v Ireland Rugby Union Betting Tips 02/07/2022

New Zealand face Ireland in the first of a three-match test series throughout July, so sit back and enjoy our New Zealand v Ireland Rugby Union Betting Tips. Ireland already started their five-match tour with a defeat to the Maori All Blacks on Wednesday, and Andy Farrell’s side will look to bounce back quickly as they aim for their first-ever win in New Zealand. However, Ireland’s experimental squad must put in an improved performance to turn around their test tour, starting at Eden Park this Saturday. This match kicks off on July 2 at 8:05. It will be shown live on Sky Sports. 

Team News and Form 

New Zealand will return to action for the first time since November 2021, when they suffered consecutive defeats. A 29-20 loss to Ireland came before a 40-25 defeat to France. The back-to-back losses saw the All Blacks fall from second to third in the World rankings After finishing second in the 2022 Six Nations and winning three matches on the spin, Ireland were humbled by a 32-17 friendly loss to the Maori All Blacks last time out. 

Looking at the team news, New Zealanders David Havili, Jack Goodhue and Will Jordan are out due to illness. Caleb Clarke is also unavailable with a hamstring injury For Ireland, Ronan Kelleher (shoulder), Andrew Conway (knee), Robert Baloucoune (hip), Dave Kilcoyne (neck) and Chris Farrell (hip) are ruled out. 

Matchwinner betting odds

Firstly, the matchwinner odds have a clear favourite ahead of the New Zealand and Ireland clash. Ireland will be reeling after their loss to the Maori All Blacks, and their chances of a turnaround won’t be helped by their recent form in New Zealand. In six visits since 1995, Ireland has never won in New Zealand and the Irish come into this clash with long odds of 9/2, provided by SBK. Therefore, we are going with the favourite this weekend and backing the All Blacks to make it seven from seven against Ireland at home. In addition, New Zealand are unbeaten in 47 matches at Eden Park, winning 45 during this stretch. At 2/7, offered by SpreadEx, a home victory seems likely. 

Winning Margin Bets

With New Zealand in sensational home form, particularly at Eden Park, more value could come from picking the correct winning margin. A much-changed Ireland side lost by a 15-point margin to the Maori All Blacks on Wednesday, and the Irish conceded 124 points across three defeats in their last tour of New Zealand in 2012. As a result, there are decent odds of an All Blacks victory by 11-15 points, with Paddy Power offering 6/1 odds. However, we are anticipating some changes to the Ireland lineup, which could produce a closer contest this time around. Due to this, we are tipping a New Zealand victory by 6-10 points at Eden Park and Betfair will provide 6/1 for this result. 

Highest Scoring Half

For further value in the first test between New Zealand and Ireland, we are looking at the highest scoring half. In the last meeting between the sides in 2021, Ireland won 29-20. But 34 of the 49 total points came in the second period. Also, three of New Zealand’s last four matches have seen higher scores in the second half compared to the first. As a result, we are tipping the highest-scoring half to come in the second period. Boylesports currently has the best odds here at 4/5. 

Our New Zealand v Ireland Betting Tips –

Matchwinner betting – New Zealand – 2/7 with SpreadEx

Winning margin – New Zealand 6-10 points – 6/1 with Betfair

Highest scoring half – 2nd half – 4/5 with Boylesports

Ireland has plenty of work to do to bounce back from their opening defeat of this New Zealand test. The test couldn’t be tougher though as they face an almost unbeatable All Blacks side at Eden Park. Can Ireland finally end New Zealand’s winning streak at Eden Park on Saturday? Although we always look to offer good value odds and prices from bookmakers, please remember that we do not promote guaranteed winners or bets. For more information on good value odds and current free bets offered by bookmakers, please check out our homepage. Always remember to gamble responsibly and to enjoy the bets you choose to place.