The Panel's 3 Autumn International Selections For Scotland Vs Australia

Few would have predicted the Wallabies to be halfway to a Grand Slam after their last place finish in the 2024 Rugby Championship, but their victories against England and Wales have sparked calls for head coach Joe Schmidt to have his contract extended in advance.

Schmidt told the media during the week that he’ll decide in December whether he wants to carry on beyond the mid-year 2025 British & Irish Lions series, instead turning his full attention to their two remaining matches against Scotland and Ireland. 

Schmidt has the opportunity to steer Australia to their first successful Grand Slam tour in 40 years but has a lot of work ahead of him, with rugby betting sites grading his side as 4.5 point outsiders against Scotland, whilst they’ll likely carry a handicap at least double that into next weekend’s match in Dublin. 

These two sides have played out countless thrilling encounters over the last decade and we’ll be siding with some of the rugby betting apps who are anticipating a tight encounter.

The Panel's Predictions For Scotland Vs Australia:

• Either Side To Win By 6.5 Points Or Under - 13/8 With Bet365
• Darcy Graham To Score A Try - 11/10 With William Hill
• Duhan Van Der Merwe To Score A Try - 11/10 With William Hill 
• Tom Wright To Score A Try - 9/4 With Unibet

Scotland Vs Australia Odds: Expect A Close Contest

Scotland are on a three-game losing streak against Tier 1 opposition following their 32-15 loss to South Africa a fortnight ago.

They are under a bit of pressure to prove themselves, whilst Australia’s indifferent form right throughout the year makes this game at Murrayfield difficult to predict.

Instead, we’ll sit on the fence and take a winning margin of between one and six points for either team, which marries up not only with the head-to-head form, but Scotland’s recent games against top-tier teams. 

Four of Scotland’s five Six Nations matches this year were thrilling affairs decided by six points or fewer.

Seven of the last eight meetings between these two nations dating back to 2012 have also been decided by six points or fewer, the most recent of which was a controversial 16-15 win to Australia in Edinburgh two years ago. 

Just 0.53 points and two positions separate Scotland and Australia in the world rugby rankings, adding further weight to the suggestion that they’ll be evenly matched. 

The Panel Prediction 1: Either Side To Win By 6.5 Points Or Under - 13/8 With Bet365

Scotland Vs Australia Betting: New Chapter In Fascinating Subplot

Even before they both overtook Stuart Hogg’s national record of 27 tries for Scotland, Edinburgh team-mates Darcy Graham and Duhan van der Merwe have been motivated by a friendly personal battle to claim the record in their own right.

Van der Merwe’s 29 tries for his country have been notched up in 43 matches and Graham’s 29 in just 41, leaving them neck and neck and making them both appealing prospects in try-scoring markets.

Van der Merwe comes into this game with tries in five of his last nine matches for club and country, whilst Graham did so in his last four following four tries against Fiji and one against Portugal.

Graham faced 'easier' opposition, which makes us lean towards Van der Merwe as the most likely of the two, though they both missed out the last time these teams played. 

Either way, take your pick and make a double with our first prediction! 

The Panel Prediction 2: Darcy Graham To Score A Try - 11/10 With William Hill or Duhan Van Der Merwe To Score A Try - 11/10 With William Hill

Scotland Vs Australia Predictions: Australia’s Rising Star To Shine

Wallabies full-back Tom Wright was Australia’s star performer in their thrashing of Wales last week and arguably one of their best in the win over England and the numbers confirm why.

Wright’s 243 metres gained against Wales was the fifth-most in any top-tier international since Opta began recording such data in 2010, whilst it was the best effort in six years.

Throughout 2024, Wright’s 781 metres lead the way for all 11 top-tier teams and it culminated in his stellar hat-trick against Wales, which was his third try-scoring appearance from his last four internationals. 

The 27-year-old full-back is no stranger to such purple patches, recording two separate hat-tricks for the ACT Brumbies in the 2024 Super Rugby season and they won all six matches. 

Wright was on the winning team (Brumbies, Australia A and Australia) when scoring a try in 14 of his last 15 matches, so he presents good value with UK betting sites for punters who fancy the men in gold to win three in a row. 

The Panel Prediction 3: Tom Wright To Score A Try - 9/4 With Unibet