France are celebrating their 100th year in the Six Nations, and are out to justify their tag as the 13/8 tournament favourites. Their 2010 campaign gets underway at Murrayfield today against Scotland at 3pm.

Marc Lièvremont’s French side can be backed at 2/5 to win the match (bet £50 to win £20), but Scottish fans will be much more interested in the 5/2 available about a home win, especially with Chris Paterson back in the side. As with all rugby union matches, the draw is a highly unlikely outcome, and is a 25/1 shot with Irish firm Paddy Power.

Favourite backers should remember France’s capitulation to the English last year, where they crashed to a 34-10 defeat when highly fancied. However, their autumn test campaign offers plenty of hope for a stellar year, as they took South Africa apart at Toulouse.

Scotland will be equally keen to get their tournament off to the perfect start. Last November they proved that they can mix it with the best with a heroic 9-8 win over Australia. Sportingbet are offering 5/6 about today’s match featuring under 21.5 points, but France will be fielding a very strong team.

Chabal is injured, but France can still call upon the likes of the in-form Aurelien Rougerie. Rougerie is as short as 9/1 with Ladbrokes to score the first try in this match. Mathieu Bastareaud made headlines for all the wrong reasons in New Zealand, but will be started at centre. In other French team news, Frederic Michalak comes into the side to compensate for Jean-Baptiste Elissalde’s injury. Morgan Parra is expected to be on kicking duty for Les Bleus.

In the handicap betting, William Hill’s clients can take 3/1 about France winning the game by more than 16 points, which looks a little harsh on the brave Scots. Alternatively, Boylesports go evens about the home side winning with a seven point (+7) head start.

In last year’s tournament, France beat Scotland 22-13 at the Stade de France. The performance of the winners was unconvincing, and they were only leading 6-3 at the half-time whistle.

Betinternet are the only firm to hold out odds of 5/1 about the French winning the Grand Slam, but opinion is still divided as to what French team will show up this year. They last won the Grand Slam in 2004, and the feeling is that the tournamant will be decided by the France – Ireland clash at the Stade de France on February 13.

Scotland v France Betting Odds

Grand Slam Winner Betting Odds

tags: betting, chris paterson, france, odds, rbs, rugby, scotland, six nations