Because cricket is one of the world’s most popular sports, many fans enjoy wagering at the events held in the various leagues. Although cricket gameplay may seem slow to most people that enjoy traditional American sports, it’s an exciting game with skilled athletes using intelligent strategy to lead their teams to victory.
Cricket betting also offers one of the biggest sports betting market selections for any major sport, allowing bettors to show off their skills and earn some extra cash. Whether players are new to betting on cricket or have years of experience, there is always more information that they can learn about the sport.
This guide will help players with the most popular betting markets and provide strategies to help their overall success.
Research Is Important
Like any sport, cricket wagering requires the bettor to have basic knowledge of the game, players, and the different formats. Bettors must also keep up with players’ forms and whether or not they’re 100% healthy. When trying to get the best value, doing a lot of research will also enable players to recognize a good price before placing their bets.
Bettors should also specialize in one type of cricket competition. For example, test matches can sometimes go on for days, while Twenty20 games only last a few hours. These two variations are very different competitions, so new bettors should focus on T20 tournaments like the Indian Premier League when first getting familiar with cricket betting.
The condition of the pitch is also critical, so checking the weather report for the start of the match is always a good idea. Like baseball, rain delays are a big part of professional cricket and can affect whether bettors will have a winning wager.
Popular Cricket Betting Markets
Match Betting
This is the simplest and most popular type of cricket wager, where the bettor must pick the match winner. Players can also wager on whether they think the match will be a draw. The same format is used for betting on the moneyline at U.S. sportsbooks. The odds are always set to pay lower if the favorite wins and a higher amount if the underdog comes out on top.
Innings Runs
Another popular cricket bet is picking the number of runs both teams will score in an inning. Bettors can try to determine the exact number of runs or choose if the runs scored will be over or under a predetermined number.
Players can also bet on the over/under for the entire game. In the T20 format, only two innings are played, while in other variations, the match can be four or more innings.
Top Batsman/Bowler
This category lets bettors select which team will have the top batsman. Players can also make a more difficult pick of a specific player they think will score the most runs in the match.
Picking the top bowler lets players choose the team or player they believe will have the most wickets in the match. A win in this category can sometimes result in the bettor taking home a big payday.
First Ball/First Over
For cricket bettors that want a quick outcome when betting on a match, they can wager on the result of the first ball or first over. Unfortunately, cricket odds for the first ball aren’t always available at some online sportsbooks, which will only list over/under odds for the first ball or first over.
Most Sixes
This popular betting market is similar to the top batsman/bowler, where bettors can make wagers on the player or team with the most sixes at the conclusion of a match.
Win Toss
This prop bet doesn’t rely on either team’s performance on the pitch. Instead, players only need to pick which team they believe will win the coin toss before the match starts. Some sportsbooks also let players bet on whether the result will be heads or tails.