Cricket Betting Explained

Cricket has so many statistics that it generates during a game that the opportunities to create ways of betting on it seem to be boundless. Simple fixed odds bets that wager on which team will win are merely the entry point to a wider world of betting. All sorts of statistics might be used for a bet including the number of runs that batsman will score, the number of overs that will be bowled in a day or the number of wickets taken in a given amount of time. Having an understanding of how cricket is scored will help you to become better at betting on it. For newcomers, understanding how runs are made is the key and you need to include byes, no balls, leg byes and wides – so-called extras – in any bet that wagers on a team’s total.

Limited Over Matches

Many cricket matches have a limited number of overs that will be bowled. Therefore the batting side need to score as high total as possible given this restriction. This can lead to more risks being taken, especially in T20 games. Because of this, form is much harder to predict. In longer, three day games and five day test matches, scoring is more accumulative and – for some – games are consequently easier to predict. Typical bets for a limited over match will include the highest run scorer in a game or the bowler who will take the most wickets during an innings.

Series Betting

These sorts of bets even out the vague nature of some umpiring decisions and freak occurrences that happen in cricket. With series bets, you predict the outcome over a set of games, perhaps a One Day International (ODI) series or a test match series, like the Ashes. Typical bets for a series would again be the top runs corer or the leading bowler. Other series bets include the highest average score of any batsman over the course of all the games or the lowest number of runs given away by any bowler. Series betting will also predict the outcome of a series, perhaps with a bet that says side A will beat side B by two games to one with two matches drawn. Remember that in test match cricket, games are often drawn, especially if there is rain that interrupts play.

Session Betting

This sort of betting relies upon predictions for how many runs will be made or wickets may be taken in a single session and generates lots of opportunity for multiple bets in a day. There are three sessions in a test match, with two breaks – one for lunch and one for tea. Bear in mind that the final session can go on longer, if play has been slow earlier on. It may also come to an end sooner than expected if there is poor light at dusk.