SIX NATIONS/Betting: Irish winger Denis Hickie is regarded by Paddy Power bookmakers to be more likely to score more tries for Ireland in this year's Six Nations Championship than outside centre Brian O'Driscoll. The St Mary's player's odds of 11 to 8 are marginally shorter than O'Driscoll's at 9 to 4 with Shane Horgan trailing in third with a reasonably good price of 3 to 1.

Lower down the table Kevin Maggs is rated 10 to 1 with Leicester's Geordan Murphy at 16 to 1.

Only four players, Hickie, O'Driscoll, Horgan and Murphy are named in the top Six Nations try scoring list, with Hickie fifth favourite behind a battery of English players. England unsurprisingly are the hot favourites to win the Championship, Triple Crown and Grand Slam.

Winger Ben Cohen is 9 to 4 favourite to be the competition's top scorer with compatriot Dan Luger second at 4 to 1 and full back Jason Robinson and centre Will Greenwood 6 to 1 and 7 to 1, respectively.

O'Driscoll comes in at 14 to 1 with Vincent Clerc of France. Horgan is at 25 to 1 and Murphy at 50 to 1, just in front of the 200 to 1 price offered for any Italian player to score the most tries.

Given Ireland's opening match is at Murrayfield, a fixture they have not won since the 1986-87 season, it is heartening to see the Ireland captain O'Driscoll and Hickie are shorter odds to score more tries over the five games than the 20 to 1 shot of any Scottish player.

Paddy Power and Stanley Betting place Ireland at 7 to 1 to win the championship behind England and France, with Cashmans giving a little more value at 10 to 1. All three bookmakers have England down as heavy favourites: Paddy Power 2 to 5, Cashmans 2 to 7 and Stanley at 1 to 3.

Cashmans' odds are again more generous for Ireland winning the Grand Slam (20 to 1) or Triple Crown (9 to 1).