The latest cricket odds have been released this week and they show that there is plenty of value in the Asian sides after the world cricket championship. The bookmakers originally offered big odds on India and Pakistan to win the world cup. Now they have cut those odds and offered big prices on some of the lesser known teams such as Afghanistan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. The reason behind the reduced odds is that the teams didn’t perform well in the recent past and many people think that this will be the case again.
Under-performance
It’s no secret that a lot of Asia’s top cricket teams haven’t performed well in the past year or so. Between them, only Australia, England, and the West Indies have been able to retain their spots in the top tier of Test cricket. That trio of teams will take on the Rest of the World in a few weeks’ time in what will be one of the marquee events of the summer season.
With only two weeks until the start of the tournament, betting fans have the chance to back the teams that they think will finish in the top eight. And, at the moment, there are plenty of decent value bets to be made. Here are some of the best.
Australia Vs. Rest of the World
The Ashes is probably the most popular and longest-running cricket rivalry in the world. Played every summer across England, Wales, and Australia, the series pits England’s finest against the best that the rest of the world has to offer. Naturally, the betting public have taken a shine to the concept and have backed the Australian team to retain the Ashes since the beginning. And, at the moment, the odds are certainly in their favor. The Aussies are 8/11 to win the series and the rest of the world are 12/1.
The Rest of the World includes Afghanistan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Those three teams haven’t really performed well in years and many people will be backing Australia to beat them. In addition, cricket is a popular game in Australia and England, but it’s somewhat overshadowed by the Summer Olympics in Japan, so there’s also likely to be a bigger focus on the gold medal favorites.
England Vs. Rest of the World
Another marquee event of the summer season is the men’s world cup. Naturally, the world’s best cricket teams will be playing in what is touted as the pinnacle of the sport. Held once every four years, the tournament will be contested by the world’s top eight teams and will feature some of the most exciting cricket matches ever. The tournament will start on May 27 and will end on July 15, with the final scheduled for July 23.
The betting public have taken an interest in the tournament too and have backed England, the winners of the last two world cups, to reclaim the title. Backing the Three Lions to win the tournament is 5/1, while the rest of the world are 12/1.
India Vs. Pakistan
The two arch-rivals face off in a battle of the sub-continent in the 2019 cricket world cup. Hosts England will be looking to maintain the tradition of the white-ball and send the two teams down to defeat. And the betting public seem to agree. Pakistan are 13/8 and India 23/4 to win the tournament. The toss will determine which team wears the white and which team wears the red. If the hosts win the toss and opt to bowl first, they will field first and get to bat last.
This should be an electric contest between two of the world’s best sides and, at the moment, the markets are treating it as such. The two teams have a long history of competitive animosity and the betting public are keen to cash in on that emotion. The cricket world cup is on from May 27 and will end on July 15.
Which Team Will Finish In The Top Eight?
The bottom line is that there isn’t one clear-cut team in the top eight at the moment. There are several strong possibilities and, at the very least, there is enough competitive spirit in the Asian teams to excite the betting public. Here are some of the best bets for the tournament.
Australia
The Aussies are the big favorite with the bookmakers to retain the Ashes and they are also one of the top-rated teams in the world. Mark Taylor, the legendary Australian captain, has said that this team is capable of winning the world cup and, at the moment, the odds are in their favor. They are 11/8 to finish in the top eight and only 4/11 to lose the tournament. Expect Aussies to be led by a strong captain in Joe Hockey and they will look to put in a powerful performance in Japan.
England
If there is one thing we’ve learnt from decades of cricketing experience, it’s that you shouldn’t write off the hosts. England have won the last two titles and will be looking to continue that rich vein of form. Despite being placed in a seemingly weak group, the Three Lions are still 5/1 to win the tournament. And if that’s not enough of an incentive, they’re also a popular side to back, domestically and internationally. Expect a powerful England side, boasting some excellent young players, to put in a full and frank display in what will be one of the tournament’s most exciting contests.
India
The defending champions have a pretty poor record domestically this year, losing seven out of their eight matches. However, that hasn’t done anything to dent their lust for the green. Despite the modest form guide, the bookmakers have still given them a decent rating of 3.5/5 and they are, therefore, a decent value bet. There is a good amount of tension heading into the tournament between the arch-rivals and the betting public are keen to back the underdog. India are 7/4 to win the tournament and 7/8 to finish in the top eight. Captain Kohli has said that his side will aim to improve their T20 forms ahead of the world cup and the shorter formats will be vital for achieving that aim.
Pakistan
Pakistan have been heavily criticized for their umpiring, but we believe that, given time, they will prove their critics wrong. Despite their current poor ranking, they have a strong batting lineup and should be able to cause some upsets. Even if they don’t win the title, they are 12/4 to finish in the top eight. Captain Hafeez has warned that the side will need to raise their confidence ahead of the big event. After the world cricket championship, Pakistan will play a home series against England and that will give the side a chance to redeem themselves. The last few years have been harsh on the Pakistanis and they will be looking to prove that 2018 was a blip in an otherwise excellent career. With the odds heavily in their favor, it’s a good time to back Pakistan.
How Does Overs Score In Cricket?
Now that you know the betting trends for the cricket world cup in Japan, it’s time to find out how scoring over eight.five in cricket works. To create a scoring system that all cricket fans can understand, we looked at a number of factors. While the game itself can be difficult to comprehend, even people who follow it daily can have problems calculating the score. Here are the key factors that go into determining how many runs a batsman scored above or below his average.
Batting Performance
The number one factor that determines how many runs a batsman scores is his batting performance. In cricket, runs refer to the number of shots that a batsman makes, while wickets are the number of balls that he hits for six, either on the ground or over the fence. There are four main statistics that are used to assess a batsman’s batting performance: his runs scored, the number of times he was dismissed, how many times he was driven into a dead end by a ball, and, finally, his strike rate.
A batsman’s runs scored is the simplest of the four statistics to assess. It simply refers to the number of runs that the batsman scores. So, if a batsman scores 20 runs in his first 20 balls, he will have scored 20 runs in his batting performance. The same goes for a batsman who scores 40 in his first 40 balls, except he will have scored 60 runs in his batting performance.