If you have just discovered the beauty of cricket and would like to start betting on the sport, I recommend you spend some time preparing first. The game barely has anything to do with any other sports you might know.
Some even find its rules and format weird. As you could imagine, this affects the betting strategy you should pick, too. Especially if you are a newbie that is just entering the world of cricket.
In this post, I will try to explain the fundamentals of cricket betting. It won’t automatically make you a winner, but you will be given the right direction. Put in the necessary effort, and you will reach the ultimate goal of making money from cricket.
Before I proceed with the actual betting tips, I would like to go through the different cricket formats. I assume you know the main rules such as batting and bowling, what a wicket is, and how the scoring works. All these remain the same for all types of cricket matches.
However, the length varies, and this is the main difference. Here are the formats you could encounter.
As already mentioned, all other rules remain the same.
There are some differences from a betting point of view. For example, the longer format would mean fewer wins for the underdogs. While a team could get lucky and beat a stronger opponent in the Twenty20 format, this is nearly impossible when it comes to first-class cricket.
Also, the teams tend to pick more explosive batsmen for the shorter format and more consistent ones for the longer options. With that in mind, let’s move on to the actual betting picks I’ve prepared for you.
It’s somehow suitable to start talking about the weather when discussing a typically British game. Jokes aside, the weather is more crucial in cricket than any other sport I can think of.
For a start, a lot of matches are abandoned if the weather conditions do not allow a proper game. Even if that’s not the case, things like rain and strong sun affect the surface dramatically. This impacts the way the ball interacts with it, how it spins, and generally makes the behavior hard to predict.
Also, the batsmen could have an advantage in bad weather. The players who are occupying the different catching positions around the field will have a harder time moving if there was rain recently.
On top of that, the condition of the surface can change dramatically during the match. Imagine a first-class cricket game where the first 2 days are played on a wet pitch that dries up for the last 2. The difference would be huge, and the team who is batting first will have the advantage.
This is why you should always check the weather before you place a cricket wager.
The home advantage is a factor in pretty much any sport you could think of. Cricket is not an exception for one big reason. The home team will be playing on the same surface it has used for training on a regular basis, and this could be a huge bonus.
I already talked about the importance of the surface in my last point. It affects the height of the ball jump, as well as the spin. Both the batsmen and bowlers of the home team will know better what to expect.
At the same time, their opponents will usually need some time to adapt and see how it goes. By the time they do that, it might be too late.
The same applies to any changes that might occur during the game, especially in the longer format. For example, a bit of rain would certainly affect the pitch. Once again, the home team would know how to take full advantage under such circumstances.
Tossing a coin is a typical way to determine who starts first in a lot of sports. It’s usually considered a tradition that doesn’t affect the outcome in any way.
Well, that’s not the case in cricket. The winner of the coin toss can choose if his team bats first or second. This gives a ridiculous advantage, as all the captains will pick the batting-first option. The stats show about 5% more wins for the team that has that choice in first-class cricket. This is from a simple coin toss.
To be honest, I find it stupid, but there’s hardly a way to eliminate such an advantage without changing the game too much. The thing is, the pitch becomes worse as the time passes by. This is not the biggest problem in the 1-day formats, but if you have to play for 4 or 5 days, it could be a nightmare.
Batting becomes close to impossible because the surface is unpredictable in terms of bouncing and spinning. This is the reason the second team usually has a lower score at the end.
You should always have the coin toss in mind. Obviously, it would be hard if you’re placing a cricket bet before the game starts. Most of the time, I recommend you to actually see who wins the toss before going for it.
One of the main advantages of our time is the quick access to almost all the information in the world. You can simply open your phone and dig up tons of relevant data on any topic.
Cricket is not an exception. There are so many places where you will find important stats such as previous results, top players, performance in different formats, and on different pitches. It would be stupid not to take full advantage.
Take your time and analyze each team. What are the strong and weak sides? What is the general style of play? Does the team rely more on batting or bowling? Also, what is the performance in the format that’s about to be played?
Answering this list of questions is the very least you should do before placing a real money wager. It will allow you to recognize both short- and long-term trends in the performance of both teams. You will get a better idea what to expect, and it will increase your chance of evaluating the odds correctly.
Since this post is for newbies in the cricket betting world, I will stop here and not flood you with too much information. These 4 tips are my best, so make sure to carefully read them and understand the logic behind each. It will give you a good start, but there’s a lot more work to do.
You should never forget general tips that apply to pretty much any other type of sports betting. Check the team news for injuries and suspensions, follow proper bankroll management, and explore the opinions of other experts in the field. If you play it smart, you could become a consistent winner sooner rather than later.
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