Cricket World Cup Betting Tips
India – Tournament Winners
Jonny Bairstow – Top Runscorer
Haris Rauf – Top Wicket Taker
Liam Livingstone – Most Sixes
Virat Kohli – Player of the Tournament
New Zealand – To Reach The Semi-Final
India making the most of home advantage
India are the pre-tournament favourites to win the Cricket World Cup 2023 outright. This is in part a reflection of their dominance at home, winning 14 of their last 18 ODIs.
Furthermore, it is well-known that teams need to manage spin effectively in India’s turning conditions and they are naturally the best negotiators of turn.
Indian batsmen average 43 against spin bowling since the start of last year which is the highest for any ODI batting unit in that time.
Bairstow key at the top of the order
Current holders England follow shortly behind India to win the tournament. Much of their game plan revolves around their powerful batting line-up, led by Jonny Bairstow at the top of the order. The Yorkshireman has a good record in India, averaging 38 while striking at 148 in T20s in the country since the start of 2019.
In this time, he also struck scores of 94 (66) and 124 (112) during England’s 2021 ODI series in the country. He could be a smart pick for the tournament’s leading run-scorer.
Australian firepower
Any cricket fan would be foolish to write off an Australian team at a major tournament and a central part of their game coming into this edition is their batting aggression in the early overs. Since the start of 2023, they have scored at 7.57 runs per over in the first 10 overs of ODIs, which is quicker than any ODI side has ever managed in a calendar year.
Remarkably, the side who are second on this list, South Africa in 2010, went at more than a run slower (6.22 runs per over). Australia are third favourites to win the tournament.
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Can anybody catch Kuldeep?
Indian superstar Kuldeep Yadav is current favourite to be the tournament’s top wicket-taker – and rightly so. The spinner is averaging 19 with the ball since the start of 2022, taking 45 wickets in that time.
However, it would not be ill-advised to look at Haris Rauf in this category. The Pakistan right-armer is one of the quickest bowlers in the world, since 2019 he has the fifth fastest average speed of 141kph but importantly he maintains this pace – 67% of his stock deliveries are over 140kph. But it is his slower ball that is devastatingly effective, averaging only nine when using it in the final overs in ODIs.
Livingstone to clear the ropes
It is no secret that Liam Livingstone hits a long ball, especially into the leg side, but the data is stark in backing this up. 71% of Livingstone’s runs against pace in ODI cricket have come through the leg side, since such data began being collected in 2006, no batter has scored a higher percentage of their runs this side of the wicket. The batter really does swing for the hills, and his price to hit the most sixes in the tournament is decent.
Indian superstars to light up home tournament
Considering India’s home advantage it is no surprise to see three of their squad (Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma) at the top of the market for Player of the Tournament. Kohli had a quiet 2022 by his standards, averaging just 27 in ODIs, but has roared back into form in 2023, averaging 56. However it is his record against off-spin which is most notable. Since the 2019 World Cup he has averaged 132 against this type of bowling, and with many teams packing their sides with twirlers Kohli is set to be mightily effective.
Gill has burst onto the scene, averaging 66 and striking at 103 from his first 35 ODI innings. However, he does struggle against quick bowling. From deliveries above 140kph he only averages 17.
Sharma, meanwhile, has been a consistent performer for many years now. A stat to note is his pulling ability, since 2006 nobody has scored more than his 1,314 ODI runs using the shot. It is no wonder that Sharma is favourite to hit the most tournament sixes as well.
The race for fourth
While India, England and Australia seem likely to make the semi-final stage, the final spot is up for grabs with Pakistan, South Africa and New Zealand neck-and-neck when it comes to the odds to make the last four. There are fears that South Africa may lack the experience of playing in India, having played just three ODI matches in the country since the 2015 World Cup. However, many of the squad will be familiar with conditions thanks to their involvement in the IPL.
Pakistan’s bowling talisman Naseem Shah will be a huge loss after being ruled out of the tournament through injury though with Shaheen Shah Afridi and Rauf they are not lacking in the bowling department.
New Zealand’s ODI record in India could do with improving (since the start of 2010 they have a win percentage of just 29% in the country) but their batting line-up is strong. Devon Conway, Tom Latham and Daryl Mitchell all average more than 50 against spin in this World Cup cycle.
*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.
Cricket Betting Tips
WORLD CUP FANCIES
India – Tournament Winners
Jonny Bairstow – Top Runscorer
Haris Rauf – Top Wicket Taker
Liam Livingstone – Most Sixes
Virat Kohli – Player of the Tournament
New Zealand – To Reach The Semi-Final
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