Italy v England Six Nations predictions and rugby betting tips: George can inspire England to opening victory

William Hill are offering £30 in rugby free bets when you bet £10 on the Six Nations. You can grab your free bets here. 

We’ve included further instructions on how to grab your offer later on in this article.

Where to watch Italy v England

Italy v England will take place at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome at 2.15pm, live on ITV1

Italy v England betting odds

To win the match
Italy 11-2
England 1-8
Draw 40-1

Handicap
Italy +15 Evs
England -15 Evs

Best bets for Italy v England

England -19
2pts 11-8 BoyleSports

Jamie George to score a try
2pts 13-10 bet365

You can bet on the Six Nations here and get £30 in free bets with William Hill

Italy v England teams

Italy: Tommaso Allan; Ange Capuozzo, Juan Ignacio Brex, Tommaso Menoncello, Monty Ioane; Paolo Garbisi, Alessandro Garbisi; Danilo Fischetti, Gianmarco Lucchesi, Pietro Ceccarelli, Niccolo Cannone, Federico Ruzza, Sebastian Negri, Michele Lamaro (c), Lorenzo Cannone.
Replacements: Giacomo Nicotera,  Mirco Spagnolo, Giosue Zilocchi,  Andrea Zambonin,  Edoardo Iachizzi, Manuel Zuliani, Stephen Varney,  Lorenzo Pani

England: Freddie Steward; Tommy Freeman, Henry Slade, Fraser Dingwall, Elliot Daly; George Ford, Alex Mitchell; Joe Marler, Jamie George, Will Stuart, Maro Itoje, Ollie Chessum, Ethan Roots, Sam Underhill, Ben Earl.
Replacements: Theo Dan,  Ellis Genge, Dan Cole, Alex Coles, Chandler Cunningham-South,  Danny Care,  Fin Smith, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso

Italy v England team news

Italy: Brothers Alessandro and Paolo Garbisi start together in the halves for the first time at international level, while the Cannone siblings, lock Nicolo and number eight Lorenzo, are also included.

England: Marcus Smith's injury gives George Ford a chance to stake a claim for the number ten shirt. There are debuts for centre Fraser Dingwall and flanker Ethan Roots, while replacements Chandler Cunningham-South, Fin Smith and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso could also make their first international appearances.

Italy v England predictions and betting tips

England begin their Six Nations campaign with a favourable trip to perennial Wooden Spoon winners Italy and new captain Jamie George can mark his big day with yet another try against the Azzurri.

The Red Rose steadily improved during last year's Six Nations and Steve Borthwick's commitment to a pragmatic, if not exciting, game plan paid off as his side ground their way to the bronze medal finish at last year's World Cup.

Borthwick inherited a lacklustre side whose confidence and winning edge had dissipated under predecessor Eddie Jones and may feel that after battling through his first 12 months in charge, his reign begins in earnest in Rome.

The Azzurri's progress under Kieran Crowley saw them tipped to make an impact at the World Cup but they were outclassed by New Zealand and France and crashed out in the pool stage. However, the Kiwi's replacement Gonzalo Quesada has suggested he will follow the same ideals as his predecessor by looking to play fast-paced, aggressive rugby.

That sounds similar to the recent noises emanating from the England camp but Borthwick has resisted the urge to experiment with his team selection for the opener at the Stadio Olimpico.

With Marcus Smith injured, George Ford's inclusion at number ten ahead of the uncapped Fin Smith hints that the visitors will look to control the game before opening up in the final quarter.

If so, England will use Ford's kicking game to dominate the opening hour and new captain George can more than play his part.

The hooker has scored five of his 13 international tries against the Italians, including three in the last two meetings.

England used their driving maul to great effect at the World Cup and Borthwick is unlikely to have discarded that element of the game from his blueprint.

Skipper George is the player most likely to be charged with controlling the ball at the back of the drive and could well be the one to benefit when he and his fellow forwards get close to the Azzurri line.

The 33-year-old has echoed his coach's comments about England becoming more expansive during the Six Nations. However, with Wales heading to Twickenham next weekend, the opening fortnight gives the Red Rose the chance to build some momentum and a victory will be prized above all else going into the match.

Borthwick's forwards should provide the platform for his side to win with plenty to spare and George's record suggests that he will be at the heart of everything on his big afternoon.

Grab a £30 in William Hill free bets when you bet £10 on the Six Nations

We’ve already mentioned that William Hill are offering £30 in free bets when new customers bet £10 on the 2024 Six Nations.

Well, you can follow these simple steps outlined below to grab your £30 in free bets to place on the tournament. It's fast, secure and straightforward.

1. Head over to William Hill through this link and click the Join button on their homepage.
2. Register your William Hill account through the William Hill website or app using the promo code R30.
3. Once your account is registered, place a bet with a minimum stake of £10 on odds of 1-2 (1.5) or greater.
4. Free bets will be credited as 3 x £10 denominations once the qualifying bet has settled. 

William Hill Six Nations betting sign-up offer: terms and conditions

It's worth taking a few minutes to read through the terms and conditions associated with the new player promotion before signing up. Doing so will help you get a better grasp of the details of the 2024 Six Nations betting offer and what's expected of you as a new player.

1. 18+. Play Safe. 
2. New customers only. 
3. Minimum £10 stake on odds of 1-2 (1.5) or greater on sportsbook (excluding Virtual markets). 
4. Further T&Cs apply. 
5. Visit William Hill for additional details.

Click for more free bets and betting offers from the Racing Post

Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links. Offers are handpicked and come from operators our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing and sports betting.