Cricket remains one of the most popular sports in the world and the rise of T20 leagues has made the sport more relevant than ever. Most notably, this is the case in the so-called “Big Three” countries of England, India and Australia.
England’s T20 and ODI series against India drew huge crowds. Both sides scored a split success. The Three Lions emerged victorious in the over-50 contests.
These high-profile matches, as well as “The Ashes” series, remain the highlight of the game, while the Indian Premier League and Big Bash have brought a new audience to the sport. We therefore show you how to bet on the sport by introducing the best markets.
How does cricket betting work and what are the different types of bets?
Betting on cricket is no different from betting on other sports. The sports bettor can place a bet on the result of the match along with other market-specific bets, using the odds provided by the bookmaker.
Match result
Just pick which side will win the match. You can go by gut feeling, decide based on the overall form of the team or be influenced by the terms of the bet. So, this works just like in any other sport.
Best Batsman
This type of bet is also standard. Pick the batsman who will score the most runs in the innings or match. This can be divided into three markets: best batsman in the match, best batsman from team A and best batsman from team B.
Best Bowler (Pitcher)
The same process applies to the top bowler in the match. Just choose the bowler who will take the most wickets (cricket goals). This can also be divided into three markets: best bowler in the match, best bowler from team A, and best bowler from team B.
These are the main types of bets that can be placed before the match and the usual markets that sports bettors look out for. However, there are others as well.
Different types of elimination
Betting fans can also bet on batsmen being eliminated from the game during a match. For example, this can be done by an LBW or a run.
Runs scored (points)
This can cover an entire inning or a specific period in the game. For example, in a Test match, a sports bettor can place a bet on how many points will be scored right at the start, etc. for all 10 wickets. However, bets can also be placed on how many points were scored in a particular period of the game. In the shorter forms of cricket, the most popular points bets include the number of runs when fielding restrictions apply in the early overs (sub-sections).
Lost wickets
This can follow the same pattern as betting on points scored, only then instead of points it’s about wickets. When will the first wicket fall or how many wickets will fall in a given period?
“Man of the Match”/”Player of the Match”.
As with any sporting event, there are bets on the best player. Just pick the player who deserves the title of “Man of the Match” and bet on him with the available odds.
Betting strategies for all game formats
There are big differences in the style and players that compete. Therefore, here is an insight into the format of the game:
Betting strategy for a test match
This is the oldest and still the most important format of the game. A true test of performance takes place here over five days. The elite players of the world are involved and a cricket fan should instantly recognize the dominant playmakers of the competition. For England matches, for example, Joe Root, Alastair Cook, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes, Stuart Broad and James Anderson will all play a central role. In our breakdown of betting markets for betting on the best batsman, Root, Cook and Bairstow will be at the top of the list with the best odds.
They are the best players in the team and have performed well and excelled for the Three Lions over several years. However, there are circumstances that can affect their chances, such as their form and the prevailing ground conditions. Some players are most comfortable in familiar surroundings, while others excel away from home.
Although Root is a quality player for England who certainly performs consistently well, he has struggled to score big recently. Therefore, it would not be wise to bet on him for the top score in the match. Cook, on the other hand, has problems with consistency, but can score big innings in return. So there are always some considerations to make when placing a bet – often it’s just pure gut instinct that decides.
It’s the same with bowlers. Anderson dominates in England and has been good away from home recently. However, his odds of winning, on wickets at home will be high, while he will have lower odds should a match be played in India. There, the game is better suited to spinners than seamers.
In Test matches, the tough conditions players face are increasingly evident as teams traveling abroad truly have to fight to win. England are a strong side on home soil, but have not won away from home since they beat Bangladesh in 2016. That will be reflected in their odds as well. In test matches, even more so than the other formats, conditions are crucial to the outcome. England are strong at home and should be considered favorites for most of the season, including at the Ashes next year.
What you need to know about ODIs
When it comes to time in the game, bets can be affected in a number of ways. Taking England as an example, the Three Lions have become the world’s leading team after being humiliated in the last World Cup. They are now playing more aggressively, knocking India and Australia off the top spot in the format.
However, their style of play makes them vulnerable in one-off matches. England’s defeat to Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy at home proves that even the best can be beaten. The Green Army won the tournament despite some problems and played in unfamiliar conditions.
The white ball is much more unpredictable and can be an equalizer for the rubbers, making good results in India and Australia much more likely. An example was England’s 4-1 win at the Baggy Greens in 2018, and their good form means they are considered favorites for the 2019 ICC World Cup, which will be held in England.
Bets on the top batsman are always in favor of the opener, who will theoretically have more time than his teammates who follow after him. Players like Bairstow and Jason Roy have used their position to score big, although being further down the order can still be useful should Jos Buttler be able to bowl out opposition bowlers late in the innings.
Bowlers are in the same boat, as early on there is theoretically a better chance of leading by wickets. However, time plays a much bigger role here than in batsman betting, as bowlers have a greater chance of picking up more wickets at the end of innings, while the batting team tries to push their score as high as possible.
There are a whole host of factors to consider in ODIs; even the size of the pitch, depending on whether it is size 4 or size 6, can play a crucial role.
The unpredictable nature of T20
This format of the game is the most difficult to predict, as any outcome can occur on a given day. The game can change based on a single ball, making the outcome almost impossible to predict. The most prominent example is probably the West Indies victory over England in the ICC T20 World Cup final.
The Three Lions came close to victory for the second time as Brathwaite needed 20 in the last over to lead his side to victory. He eventually became the hero as he was able to hit every ball from Ben Stokes out of the field to score the highest points. This again shows that unpredictability can be the reason why the odds are so low for the leading teams in the world in the next big competition.
Strike rate is more important than averages in this format of play, unlike the other two formats. Although players like Root and Cook are technically classy, they are not as valuable in T20 as Buttler or Alex Hales. A score of 30 off 15 can be of more significance than an innings of 50 off 45 balls. As a result, circumstances favor players who can hit the ball particularly far on a regular basis. This is the reason why Buttler gets paid a lot of money in the IPL.
Bowling falls into the same category. Here, the main aim is to prioritize runs over wickets, thus providing a form of damage limitation. Usually, this leads to success for the wickets. But players like Jasprit Bumrah and Lasith Malinga have been able to carve out impressive careers in this shortest of game formats precisely because of this ability, although they are nowhere near a bowler of Anderson’s stature.