A Beginner’s Guide to Cricket Betting

Popular Cricket Bets 

Regardless of whether you are betting on international Test matches, One Day games or Twenty20 cricket, there are a huge number of betting markets on offer. You do not need to use all of them but by understanding all of the different bets available, you will be able to have the most fun.  

Match Betting 

This is the most common and one of the simplest forms of cricket bet. It is a simple bet on the outcome of a match. There are just three possible outcomes, you can bet on the home team to win, the away team to win or a draw. It is a great way to get started with cricket betting, as it will take no time at all to understand.  

Completed Match 

When you are betting on One Day matches, you can place a bet on whether you think the game will be finished on that day or not. For example, you think that some bad weather may be coming that will halt play, and therefore prevent the game being finished. It is a simple yes or no bet and a great advantage of it is that it does not require detailed knowledge of the sport.  

Tied Match 

This is another very simple yes or no bet. It is simply a bet on whether you think the match will end in a draw. If you choose correctly then you will win the bet.  

Innings Runs 

This bet requires you to correctly predict the number of runs that will be scored in a match’s first innings. This is often presented as an over/under bet. This means that you will be betting on whether there will be more or less than a specific number of runs (e.g. more or less than 100). Very often, you will find a number of options for this bet, giving you greater flexibility.  

Top Bowler 

This is a popular bet amongst those who enjoy betting on specific players. It is a bet on which player you think will take the most wickets across a given period of time (normally a match or a series). You can bet on players from either teams and a great thing about this market is that if often presents very generous odds.  

Top Batsman 

This is another bet on a specific player. This time, you need to pick which player you think will score the most runs throughout the match or series. You can choose any player from either team and once again, as it is hard to get right, there are often some very generous odds available.  

Team of Top Batsman 

If you would rather not be as specific as the Top Batsman bet, then this is an excellent alternative. You can bet on which of the two teams will have the top batsman in it. As this bet only presents you with two options, the odds are generally fairly short, but it can be a fun way of giving yourself a chance to win a bit more.  

Bowler Match Bets 

This is a slightly easier version of the Top Bowler betting market. These bets require you to pick one of two players. You simply choose which of the two you think will take the most wickets over the course of the match or series.  

Batsman Match Bets 

This is another bet that makes it easier to pick the top batsman. Rather than selecting from every player, you are presented with two to choose from and need to select the one that you think will score more runs over the course of the match or series.  

Tournament Outright Winner 

This is the most basic type of bet when betting on an entire cricket tournament. It simply requires you to pick which team will win the tournament. If you think that there is likely to be an upset, then you may find some very generous odds on your chosen team. Of course, the favourites are likely to have fairly short odd.  

Series Winner 

Very often in cricket, teams will play a series of matches. Rather than just meeting for one game, they will play a number of games in a row. This market allows you to bet on which team you think will win the series of matches. It can be a good market to use after a series has started. For instance, you may think that one of the teams started slow but is likely to come from behind, and this may present you with some very generous odds.  

Over/Under Score 

Over/Under bets are very popular and this one refers to the total score that a team will have at the end of a match or series. The bet is simply on whether the team will have scored more or less than the number provided by the sportsbook. It is a very simple bet, but can present some long odds.  

Series Score 

This betting market allows you to bet on the score of the series; it is a bet on what the final overall score will be. The market will contain a number of options for how many matches each of the teams will win. It requires you to be very specific (for instance one team winning two and the other three), and as such, it often has very long odds.  

Method of Dismissal 

If you enjoy live betting then this is a fantastic market to make use of. It is a bet on what method the batsman currently playing will be dismissed by. There will be a number of options such as bowled, run out, caught, leg before wicket, stumped, and so on. Simply select the one that you think is relevant and then watch the action to see if you are correct.   

Win Toss 

This is a fun market to use before the start of a match. It is a 50/50 bet that requires no prior knowledge. You are simply betting on which of the two teams will win the coin toss at the start of the match.  

Toss Combination 

This is an extension of the Win Toss bet. First, you need to pick which of the two teams you think will win the coin toss. Next, you need to decide if that team will then opt to bat or bowl first. If you manage to predict both parts of the bet, then you will win.  

Odd/Even Runs 

This is a very simple bet that can be a lot of fun. It just requires you to predict whether you think a team will score an odd or even number of runs throughout a match. It is worth remembering that 0 is considered to be an even number.  

Most Run Outs 

This is simply a bet on which of the two teams will have the most runs out in a match or series.  

Man of the Match/Player of the Series 

At the end of many cricket matches or series, a player will be singled out as Man of the Match or Player of the Series. This is simply a bet on which player will receive the award. It is a fun way to back a favourite player of yours before a major game. 

What to Consider When Betting on Cricket 

As with any sport, it is vital to be as well informed as possible when betting on a cricket match. This can require a large amount of research, as there are many different factors to consider. However, to start with, you can consider where a team is playing. Just as in football, very often a team enjoys a home advantage. A good example is India, who are known to be extremely difficult to defeat on their home ground. Back in 2012, England won their first test series in India in nearly three decades.  

You will also need to look at the players and their strengths and weaknesses. For instance, a particular batsman may be vulnerable to a particular type of bowler, such as Kevin Pietersen, who was known to struggle with left-arm spin bowlers. This type of knowledge will take a long time to build up, but by reading about the players, looking at previous games, and following the sport closely, you will soon begin to have an idea.  

It is also worth looking at external factors, such as the weather. A change in the weather can affect the game time and this is important when betting on a runs market as a shortened game may lead to a captain declaring in order to try to bowl the opposition out. This can result in a big change in the odds and if you are able to anticipate it, then you could benefit from some very long odds. If you are betting on the total number of runs being made in a day, then it is vital to first check the weather forecast as rain could drastically shorten the amount of playing time. In other words, carry out as much research as possible into the teams, the players, and the conditions that they are playing in, and this will hopefully result in many more bets that are successful.