Ashes 2023 Betting Tips
Series Betting
Batting bets
Harry Brook Top England Runscorer
Harry Brook Top Series Runscorer
Travis Head Top Australian Runscorer
Bowling bets
Pat Cummins Top Australian Wicket-taker
Pat Cummins Top Series Wicket-taker
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
There is nothing like an Ashes series. Nothing. And as cricket becomes more prolific and attention turns more to T20 cricket and franchise tournaments encroach even further on international play, it is still very much true that the most important cricketing series on the planet remains the Ashes.
The long-anticipated Ashes series shapes as an incredibly tight one with very little in it when it comes to betting. Australia have held the Ashes for three straight series, drawing the last series played on English soil, but have not won a series in England since the 2001 tour.
Unlike the last Ashes series on Australian soil, there is significantly more stability this time around with the Australian team. Pat Cummins had just been handed the captaincy in 2021 but is now entrenched as the leader of a team that very much resembles the one that retained the Ashes 18 months ago.
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Usman Khawaja has usurped Marcus Harris at the top of the Australian order while Josh Hazlewood and Scott Boland are in a strong battle for the third quick role but there are very few question marks around how the tourists will line up.
England also enters the series with a fair degree of stability. Ben Stokes’ team contains veterans Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad. The biggest concern for England is with their spin bowling after Jack Leach was ruled out with a stress fracture in his back. In an astonishing move, the retired Moeen Ali has been recalled despite not playing first class cricket since 2021.
Australia enter the series the slightest of favourites but as is so often the case, it will be the ability of the visitors to adapt to the conditions that will dictate how this series plays out. Australia managed a 2-2 draw last series in England but the fact is Australia have won just seven Tests on English soil across the last five series.
There is little to match the stakes and the drama and the action of an Ashes series. From the first ball at Edgbaston to the final delivery at The Oval, this is going to be a compelling series from beginning to end.
The Result
This is set to be a fascinating series between the two old foes and the value in this series lies it in finishing drawn. The last time Australia visited England, the series finished 2-2 with a draw and in the last five series in England, only one series has been won by more than a single Test. The seven draws over the last five series too is high.
The strength of each team is its batting. There is also probably not the A-1 strike bowler at the peak of their powers on either team to boot – though Cummins is arguably pretty close. This series projects to tumble over with plenty of momentum changes. With all being equal and both teams looking fairly similar in their profiles, a drawn series is the bet with 2-2 my predicted correct score.
The Runscorers
England’s batting will, as has typically been the case, be carried by Joe Root. The veteran though has not scored a century against Australia since the 2015 series – a total of 31 innings – and carries plenty of bruises from the most recent tour of Australia.
The man all of England is excited about is 24 year old Harry Brook. Brook has enjoyed a sensational start to his Test career with the young Yorkshire lad averaging 81.80 on the back of four centuries and three half-tons in his seven Test career. With so much upside he looks a strong bet to top the England and series averages.
The Australian runscoring stakes is priced as a battle in two between Steve Smith and the prolific Marnus Labuschagne. Labuschagne has not got a wonderful record in England though – at least relative to his own high standards – with an average of 47.37 (10 points down on his career average) and no centuries from eight innings on English soil.
Smith scored a century in the World Test Championship final but value for series top runscorer is with the in-form Travis Head. Head scored 163 at The Oval and was arguably Australia’s best bat on the recent tour of India. He struggled last Ashes series but happy to bet on Travis to be the top Aussie Run Scorer on recent form and at the price.
The Wicket-Takers
England’s bowling lineup is a fascinating affair and makes finding a bet difficult. Veterans Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad are both unlikely to play all five Tests while star Ollie Robinson missed the Ireland Test with a shoulder injury. Mark Wood is the English bowler that brings fitness, age and form into the series and is probably the safest play. With 90 wickets at 31 though, he remains too risky to bet to dominate a batting lineup of Australia’s class.
For Australia, even though Scott Boland seems to be the best suited, he cannot be backed as there is every chance he has his playing time eaten into by Josh Hazlewood. Nathan Lyon is also unlikely to be able to dominate on English wickets. Mitchell Starc has been worse than average in England. That leaves Pat Cummins as a complete standout as the best bet to top Australia and the series’ wicket count in England. Cummins topped all wicket-takers in 2019 with 29 wickets at 20.
England v Australia Betting Tips
Series Betting
Batting bets
Harry Brook Top England Runscorer
Harry Brook Top Series Runscorer
Travis Head Top Australian Runscorer
Bowling bets
Pat Cummins Top Australian Wicket-taker
Pat Cummins Top Series Wicket-taker
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
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