Cricket is a funny old game. It can take place over anywhere from two hours to five days, with each different format offering a vastly different entertainment package. As a result of this, the markets offered on the game are plentiful and varied, making betting on cricket an exciting and popular pastime.
Inevitably, this means that while there are plenty of markets which can be highly profitable, there are equally as many which are just the opposite. Have a look at the odds for any cricket match and you’ll find a number of unpredictable markets, which, unfortunately, many people fall into the trap of betting on. Particularly in the longer forms of the game, often these are the kinds of bets which are settled early – after all, many punters don’t want to have to wait all day (or potentially even five days) for their bet to be settled.
Take, for example, a Test match (five-day game) market, in which you can place a bet on over/under total runs scored in the first over. This is a highly variable market which can’t really be predicted with any great amount of logic, and the outcome is largely the result of luck. Betting on it isn’t a great way to make money in the long term, but many people will opt to bet on something like that because the outcome will occur quickly.
Often, bets that run throughout the match, or at least a large portion of it, are more predictable ones to bet on. There are a number of variables in cricket matches which contribute to the outcome, but if you’re across all of these and do your research, there’s no reason you can’t make intelligent bets which give you a good chance of profiting.
Some of these factors include: form (as always), the pitch, and the weather forecast. The latter of these varies in importance across different sports, but in cricket it is a huge factor. In a Test match, for example, the likelihood of a draw is significantly increased if there are large portions of rain forecast. Obviously the betting agencies are across this kind of thing and adjust their odds accordingly, but if you keep an eye on news related to the pitch preparation, the weather forecast and so on, you’ll likely be able to get a leg up on most other punters.
This is particularly the case if you leave your bets until relatively close to the time of the match starting. Betting agencies will put their odds up a few days in advance, and while they will adjust if external factors like the weather forecast change, they won’t necessarily do so as much as they should, and that’s where you can pounce.
Similarly, waiting until after the toss, which occurs 30 minutes before the start of each match, can give you a major advantage in a number of markets. The toss determines who bats and bowls first, and this can have a massive impact on the game in all three formats. Take, for example, a one day match in which team x wins the toss and chooses to bat first. If this is seen as beneficial to their chances of winning the match, the win/loss markets will adjust relatively quickly. Where you can capitalise, however, is on other markets, such as player markets. If you fancy a batsman on team x to make a lot of runs, his team winning the toss and batting makes that significantly more likely as it means he will likely have longer to bat – if his team batted second and bowled the opposition out for a low total, for example, that diminishes his chance of making runs. Generally, these kinds of markets don’t change a whole lot after the toss, giving you a good chance to make money.
With such a wide range of markets on offer and so many matches going on around the world at any one time, cricket can be a great sport to bet on. It is, however, important to be on your guard, as many markets don’t necessarily give you a great chance of making long term gains. Actions like keeping a close eye on all the external factors and waiting until close to the start of play to bet, however, can give you a good head start. As always, it’s important to bet responsibly so as not to be sucked into unprofitable markets, but if you follow a few simple steps you’ll be able to bet cricket more intelligently
