The 2025 British & Irish Lions tour of Australia got off to a flying start last weekend, as the Western Force hosted the tourists but were comfortably beaten. The Lions now face a busy week with two matches, the first of which is against the Queensland Reds on Wednesday. In this preview, we’ll take a look at the clash from a betting perspective and offer a few suggested bets for your consideration.
The Lions are 1.33 to win the 3 match series against the Wallabies and the 3-0 scoreline is trading at 2.25 – click here for betting on all long term markets
British & Irish Lions
The Lions opened their campaign in emphatic fashion, securing a dominant 54–7 victory over the Western Force, with a flurry of second-half tries putting the result beyond doubt. Head coach Andy Farrell has named another strong side to take on the Reds, underlining the importance being placed on every fixture of the tour but also of getting test match combinations right.
Starting Lineup
- Hugo Keenan (Ireland); 14. Tommy Freeman (England); 13. Huw Jones (Scotland), 12. Bundee Aki (Ireland); 11. Duhan van der Merwe (Scotland); 10. Finn Russell (Scotland), 9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland); 1. Andrew Porter (Ireland), 2. Ronan Kelleher (Ireland), 3. Will Stuart (England); 4. Maro Itoje (England – captain), 5. Ollie Chessum (England); 6. Tom Curry (England), 7. Jac Morgan (Wales), 8. Jack Conan (Ireland)
Replacements: 16. Luke Cowan-Dickie (England), 17. Ellis Genge (England), 18. Finlay Bealham (Ireland), 19. James Ryan (Ireland), 20. Ben Earl (England), 21. Alex Mitchell (England), 22. Fin Smith (England), 23. Garry Ringrose (Ireland)
Queensland Reds
The Reds wrapped up their 2025 Super Rugby campaign with two wins from their final five matches. Their last outing was a 32–12 defeat away to the Crusaders in the playoffs after they had finished 5th on the log.
The Reds have a proud history of lifting their performance against touring sides. When the Lions last toured Australia in 2013, the Reds pushed them all the way in a hard-fought contest that ended 22–12 in the Lions’ favour.
Starting Lineup
- Jock Campbell (captain); 14. Lachie Anderson, 13. Josh Flook, 12. Hunter Paisami; 11. Tim Ryan; 10. Harry McLaughlin-Phillips, 9. Kalani Thomas; 1. Aidan Ross, 2. Matt Faessler, 3. Jeffery Toomaga-Allen; 4. Josh Canham, 5. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto; 6. Seru Uru, 7. John Bryant, 8. Joe Brial
Replacements: 16. Josh Nasser, 17. George Blake, 18. Sef Fa’agase, 19. Ryan Smith, 20. Angus Blyth, 21. Connor Vest, 22. Louis Werchon, 23. Isaac Henry
Betting and Verdict*
Match Odds
- British & Irish Lions: 1.01
- Queensland Reds: 26.00
- Draw: 116.00
Handicap
- Lions [-31.5] at 1.91
- Reds [+31.5] at 1.91
Head coach Andy Farrell has named a side packed with quality, many of whom are likely to feature in the Test series against Australia. The starting XV includes several first-choice internationals, and the bench is equally strong, featuring the likes of Ellis Genge, Fin Smith, and Garry Ringrose.
The Reds may give some cheek early but this Lions side should pull clear to win easily.
Suggested Bet: Handicap, Lions [-31.5] at 1.91.
Last weeks match saw Dan Sheehan (who started at hooker) open the books scoring the first try of the match. The has become a bit of a theme for European sides, the hooker scoring early on as the team tests their maul against the opposition pack. Given this pattern, there’s value in backing a forward to open the scoring once again.
Suggested Bet: Any forward to score the first try at 2.50.
Click here for all Queensland Reds v British and Irish Lions Markets
*Note: All prices correct at the time of writing but are subject to change
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