Betting on cricket is an integral part of enjoying the sport. Follow our top ten cricket betting tips to get the most out of your cricket betting.
1. Familiarize yourself with the game of cricket.
Cricket betting is not for the uninitiated. You should be aware of the different formats of the game and the rules. The best way is to follow the international matches. This will make you familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of the teams and the players.
2. Check out the ICC rankings before betting.
The game of cricket is administered by the International Cricket Council (ICC). ICC ranks the teams in all the different formats – Tests, ODIs and T20s. This serves as a basic guideline in betting on the outcome of a match.
3. Are key players sitting out?
The ICC rankings are based on past performance. Present conditions have to be factored in before placing the wager. A key player may be sitting out because of injury and this could weaken the team’s chances.
4. Pitch conditions are important.
A grassy pitch would favour pace bowlers and therefore the team with the better pace attack would have an advantage for that match. Similarly certain grounds tend to favour spin bowlers and the team with the better spin attack has to be given due weightage.
5. The series betting market.
Cricket matches between two countries are known as a bilateral series. Each series would consist of a number of fixtures. Betting on the outcome of a series is a less volatile option. The better team may lose one match, but would generally prevail over the entire series. This market is particularly suited for conservative bettors.
6. The top batsman market.
Most online betting sites offer odds for the batsman who will score the most runs in a match or in a series. Punters wagering on this market should bet on batsmen who open the innings or bat up the order. They have a greater opportunity for scoring runs than batsmen who come lower down the order.
7. Markets to avoid.
There are some markets that are not based on cricketing skills, but on chance alone. Which team will win the toss is one such market. These markets are avoidable because they will not generate any profit in the long run.
8. Try to pre-guess the odds.
As you engage in cricket betting more and more, you should be able to formulate your own odds for a particular market. This will help you in ascertaining whether the odds offered by the sports book are fair according to your assessment. If the odds offered provide a lower payout than you think fair, then avoid placing the bet.
9. Bet only at reputed sites.
As in every industry, in online betting there are reputed service providers and there are those that may rip you off. Ensure that the betting site is licensed from a responsible jurisdiction and check out the reputation of the site from various online sources.
10. Compare odds before betting.
All online betting sites do not offer the same odds. Once you have decided on a market, shop around to see which betting site offers the most favourable odds for that market.
