Cricket Betting

Cricket is , with football being the first. Strangely though, the sport does not enjoy much popularity in the United States. However, it is a big thing in India and Australia, with the countries having their own prestigious cricket leagues that are watched by fans all over the world.

With more than 2.5 billion fans all over the world, it is almost a given that cricket betting is big as well. If you are still new to it, here is a comprehensive guide that can show you the ropes around betting for cricket.

Cricket Betting Explained

Currently, three are three formats of cricket that are accepted and played professionally in leagues across the world. The is the regulating body that decides the rules and regulations for each format of the sport. They also provide the match officials for every game.

Formats

There are there accepted formats in professional cricket. Each format follows the same fundamentals but differs only in the length it is played.

Test Matches

Test cricket is the oldest form of cricket. It is believed to have been played since 1877. Some people alternatively call this format "traditional cricket."

Attest match is played the longest and is also considered to be the highest standard among the three formats of the game. In this format, two teams of 11 players each would play a match of four innings. This can last up to five days, or even more.

The ICC World Test Championship follows this format.

One-Day Internationals

One Day Internationals, also known as ODIs, are played at a faster pace than Test matches. They began professional exposure in 1971, but only gained popularity in the 1980s.

In an ODI format, the two teams face off with a fixed amount of overs (currently, 50 is the set amount by the ICC) per side. It is played with one inning per side and a game can last up to eight hours.

The Cricket World Cup is played in this format.

Twenty20 Internationals

Twenty20, or simply called T20 cricket, is the newest format of cricket that is played in a number of professional leagues. Of the three currently accepted formats, T20 is the shortest in terms of gameplay length.

This format became the most popular in India. It also enjoyed a huge following in South Africa and Australia. What sets this format apart is that it has become a franchised form for the sport, with some of the biggest professional cricket leagues in the world playing in this format.

The Big Bash League of Australia and the Indian Premier League are played in this format.

In-Play Cricket betting

In-play betting means betting on cricket means that you get to place bets while the game is being played. It is also alternatively called live betting, being that you wager your money while the game is live, as opposed to prior to it.

Since in-play betting is gaining popularity, more and more online bookmakers are starting to offer it on their sites or apps. If this is something that you think interests you, check with your bookie if it is something they offer - and chances are, they probably do.

Cricket Betting Odds

As with all sports gambling that you can bet on, there are also different types of odds used in cricket betting. No matter the format of the odds, it usually only means one thing - it shows you the probability of an outcome happening against another possibility. Aside from that, odds also let you have an idea of how much profit you can make should you win a bet.

Here are the three different types of odds used in cricket betting, and how you can read each of them.

Decimal

Decimal odds, as its name suggests, are written in decimal format. To read this type of odds, multiply the money you will wager to the odds and that would be the amount you can win should you place your money on the winning bet.

Thus, an odds of 2.00 should earn you $2 for every $1 that you bet on it.

Fractional

This type of odds is written in the form of fractions. This is usually used in games played in the UK. The numbers would usually mean the amount you can win (the numerator) for every amount you wager (denominator).

Thus, a sample odds of 10/5 means that you can earn $10 for every $5 you wagered, should you win the bet.

American

American odds, also called Moneyline odds, are odds that are presented in two categories: the favorites and the underdogs. The favorites are labeled with a negative (-) sign, while the underdogs come with a positive (+) sign.

Regardless of the sign, the moneyline odds tell you how much you can win for $100 money you will wager. Thus, if you bet on the favorites with an odds of -200, it means you can win $200 for every $100 you bet.

Betting Markets: Types of Cricket Bets

There are several betting markets in cricket, and each one can offer you a different way to bet. Each market also has the potential to offer a bigger margin of profit.

League Bets

League bet is betting on an outcome for the entire league, as opposed to the common match bet. Profits are usually bigger, though the risk is just as big as well.

Tournament Outright Winner

A Tournament Outright Winner bet refers to wagering who will be the winner of the tournament. Usually, there are top favorites in the odds as well as personal favorites of fans.

Tournament Best Bowler

The bowler's position is something you can also wager on. With the stats of popular bowlers available online, you can predict which one may be awarded the best at the end of the tournament.

Series Bets

Series bets refer to wagering on the results of a series of matches, as opposed to just betting on a single match. A series can run up to five matches.

Series Winner

A series winner is the team that has the most number of matches won. Usually, this would be three matches out of five.

Series Score

A Series Score bet is where you wager on the overall score after the series ends. Bookies usually give options for this bet so you can just make a pick.

Match Bets

A match bet is the most common type of bet in cricket. This is a straightforward wager, as you will only predict which team will win - or if you think it will be a draw.

Match Winner

In a match bet, you simply bet on whom you think would win the match - regardless of the score or the point spread.

Completed Match

Since a cricket match can be so long that one day is not enough, betting on whether it can be completed on the same day or not is also possible.

Tied Match

This is another simple and straightforward type of bet. In a Yes or No question, you wager on whether you think the game would end in a time or not.

Innings Run

When you bet on the Innings Run, you have to predict the number of runs scored within the first innings of the match. Most bookies do this in an over/under type of wager.

Player Bets

Player bets refer to wagers to a specific player in a team, or a team the player belongs to, with most bets getting results by the end of a series.

Man of the Match

The Man of the Match could be any position, as long as he is someone that has made the most remarkable play or had given the most memorable scene in the match or series.

Top Bowler

The Top Bowler bet lets you will predict the bowler who will take the most number of wickets during the match or for the entire series.

Top Batsman

You will put your money on which batsman you think would score the most goals for the match or the entirety of the series.

Top Bowler's Team

This is similar to a top bowler bet but in this case, you only wager on which team the top bowler would come from.

Top Batsman's Team

In the same way, this is also similar to the top batsman bet. In this case, you will put your money on the team where the top batsman will come from.

Bowler Match Bets

This is referred to by other bettors as an easier top bowler bet. The bookies will present you with an option of two players, and you have to pick who you think will take the most wickets in the match or for the series.

Batsman Match Bets

Similar to the bowler match bet, the bookies will give you an option between two players. You will then pick who you think will score the most runs for the game.

Propositions Bets

A proposition bet, unlike other types of bets, is not about the outcome of the match or series. Rather, these bets are about certain specific things within the game.

Over/Under Bets

Over/under bets will have you will predict if the total score of the teams by the end of the match would be over or under the numbers from the bookies.

Toss Winner

This is just a coin flip bet, technically, as you would wager on which team will win the coin toss for the game. This is a fun bet for some, but with a 50-50 chance, some actually do not prefer wagering their money on this.

Odd/Even Runs

Odd/even runs make your wager if the runs of a team for the match would end in an odd or an even number. If in the off-chance that it is 0, it is considered as an even number.

Method of Dismissal

This is mostly for live betting. In this bet, you will predict how the batsman on the crease will be dismissed.

Cricket Betting Tips

Like all other sport, you have two options on how to earn money in cricket betting - you can bet casually, or you can bet strategically. There is no harm in preferring the former, but for most bettors who are in this to make a profit, the latter is the way to go.

Here are some strategic tips for you to make better and, with luck, more winning bets on cricket.

Check the weather

One of the factors that could greatly affect a cricket match, especially a test match, is the weather condition.

Take this as an example: if it rains, it could delay the game and have it cut short. From there, a lot of things could cascade and affect the outcome of the match. For one, the game would be resumed on a different day, and the conditions of the players would not be the same anymore.

Be aware of injuries

A player getting injured in a past game would surely affect the performance of the entire team, especially if that is one of their star players.

So, make sure to check if there is such news in previous matches for each team. Is the injury serious? What was the position of the player injured?

Follow the streak of each team

There will always be a pattern to the performance of a team. Sometimes, they can be hot and on a roll. Other times, they may seem to be not all the way there and just have sloppy games. Usually, a team on a winning streak would be careful not to lose it, for example.

So, which one would it be for Team A? For Team B? Knowing this can give you an idea of their possible level of performance for the upcoming game.

Learn how to lay the draw

There are various tips that you can hear when it comes to cricket betting, especially for test matches, but one of the most common pieces of advice is for you to "lay the draw." This can apply both to newbie bettors and seasoned veterans.

One of the reasons you can often hear this is because there can be major price swings throughout the long course of a Test match, which means that it is easier to read into the possible outcomes.

Although live betting is a more popular way to bet on cricket, "laying the draw" before the match can sometimes lead to bigger profits.

Understand how to find the top batsman in a match

What makes predicting the top batsman a good and strategic thing? The team that would have the top batsman on their side would have a clear advantage over the other already.

Learning how to spot a good batman and comparing the batsmen of two teams will help you land strategic votes on only on a match bet, but also for the top batsman of the match bet.

Use statistics for betting on runs

The numbers would not fail you most of the time. The stats would allow you to predict or at least set a range of expectations for the runs for a match, or the runs that a team could make.

The best cricket statistics databases include:

• (very slow)

Never bet based on your feelings or your personal bias. While it is understandable that you may have your personal favorite, especially if you happen to be a big fan of the sport, too, always go for what the strategic bet would be.

Place in-play bets to catch swings

There is a reason why in-play betting is a popular thing when it comes to cricket. This is because of swings. The tides of the game can change with just one play, and a favorite can become a huge underdog right away.

If you would be able to use the opportunities of in-play betting to your advantage, you can increase your chances of making a more profitable bet.

Focus on a single domestic betting market

Try to choose which local league you would like to focus your wagers on. The popular choice is to bet on the Indian Premier League since most bookies have slots for it and there are more games that are played and thus more that you can bet on.

Avoid unpredictable wagers

Sometimes, bookies would add in some "gimmick" to their betting options. They would add in "exotic" bets and unusual prop bets that may look interesting to the eyes of a newbie.

It can be something like an over/under of the singing of the national anthem, or an over/under of breaks or programs in between. These things are extremely difficult to predict. More often than not, you would only end up making guesswork and leaving it to chance 100%. That could work - or it could backfire on you, and you can lose money, too.

Join multiple bookmakers to shop for the best odds

Any seasoned veteran in the world of sports betting would tell you to not stick to one bookie. It is not about being loyal or not - after all, bookies don't care if you win or not, too. It is more about getting the best odds and lines out there.

Cricket Competitions To Bet On

The good thing about cricket is that there is more than one league or tournament that you can bet on. This means a lot of things - more players to bet for, more teams to follow, more betting options for you.

There are more cricket leagues than what we can discuss in this piece, but here are four of the biggest and most popular leagues in the world for this sport.

ICC Cricket World Cup

The , or the  ICC Men's Cricket World Cup as it is officially called, is the international league for the One Day International (ODI) cricket format. As the name of the league suggests, it is organized by the regulating body of the sport itself, the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The ICC Cricket World Cup in England in June 1975, four years after the ODI format of the sport was first played. Throughout its history, Australia currently holds the most number of titles won.

The game is played in two phases: the qualifications and the tournament phases. Out of the 20 participating teams, only 10 will move forward to the tournament phase. The tournament phase usually lasts for a month before a titleholder for that year gets awarded the Cricket World Cup.

The Ashes

is a Test cricket series that is played only between England and Australia. Its roots can be traced all the way back to 1877, where the first Test match between the two countries was played in Melbourne, Australia. However, the legend of "the ashes" began in 1882.

The name of the series has an interesting origin story. In 1882, Australia won against England in a test match held at , marking the country's first win on English land. The win was reported all over the country through newspapers, but one particular publication stood out among others.

British newspaper The Sporting Times published on September 2, 1882, a mock obituary that talks about the win of Australia over the English team. The satirical obituary said that English cricket "died at The Oval" and that the "body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia."

T20 World Cup

The is the international championship tournament in Twenty20 format by the ICC. This tournament is done every two years and is participated in by a total of 16 teams - ten of which come from the rankings on a set deadline, and six from the T20 World Cup Qualifier.

The first edition of this tournament was played in 2007, and the last one was played in 2016. There had been no games until 2021. A 2020 game in Australia was scheduled but was delayed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The current champion is the West Indies. They also won the championship twice already, which is the current highest record fr the tournament.

Indian Premier League

The is considered the biggest sporting event in India, with millions of Indians following the sport. It has millions of fans not only in India but also in other parts of the world. The tournament is participated by eight teams from different cities of the country and is played in T20 format.

The IPL brand is also worth billions of dollars. In 2019, it was valued at ₹475 billion (US$6.7 billion) by Duff & Phelps in the . There had been 13 seasons of the league so far, and Mumbai Indians holds the record for the team with the most championships under their name. They are also the current defending champion, having won the most recent 2020 season.

Betting On Cricket: FAQ

Answers to the most common questions about cricket betting.