Betting Blog
England in the pink ahead of day-night Test
The future's pink, the future's floodlit. The first day-night Test to have been staged in England gets underway at Edgbaston today
ESPNcricinfo staff
17-Aug-2017
The future's pink, the future's floodlit. The first day-night Test to have been staged in England gets underway at Edgbaston today, with West Indies facing a daunting experiment at the start of what was alre ady promising to be a tough series.
The odds-setters at Bet365 certainly don't hold out too many hopes of them coming to terms with the challenge - England are 1/6 to win the first Test, with West Indies a distant 14/1, behind the draw at 13/2.
The identity of the likely top-scorer is easy enough to guess. Joe Root, who has scored fifties in each of his last ten Tests, is strongly backed to make that 11 in a row, if his pre-match odds of 5/2 are anything to go by. Alastair Cook, whose Test-best 294 came on this ground in 2011, is 3/1, with Mark Stoneman, his debutant opening partner, next in line on 5/1. Further down the order, Moeen Ali, at 20/1, is intriguingly priced. England's Man of the Series against South Africa is in prime form, but maybe won't get much of a sniff coming in at No.8.
Full postEngland on course for 4-0 clean sweep?
Those in favour of a tight, competitive series, look away now. There's not a lot of love flying around for South Africa at the moment, in the wake of their 211-run drubbing in the first Test
ESPNcricinfo staff
10-Jul-2017
Those in favour of a tight, competitive series, look away now. There's not a lot of love flying around for South Africa at the moment, in the wake of their 211-run drubbing in the first Test against England at Lord's this week. Such was the magnitude of England's dominance, in every relevant aspect of the game, that the odd-setters at Bet365 are already eyeing up a 4-0 clean sweep.
It's early days in the series, maybe, but South Africa's hopes of a fightback are considered slender in the extreme. England are already 9/2 to win the series 4-0, with only the 3-0 scoreline (9/4) being considered more likely, presumably on account of the fickle British weather.
South Africa are famously resilient, especially on tours of England where they haven't lost a series since 1998. But they are a dim and distant 40/1 to mount a total series turnaround (as England themselves managed against India in 2014) and come from 0-1 down to win 3-1.
Full postAustralia women tighten grip on World Cup prospects
Australia, the six-times Women's World Cup winners, are the runaway favourites to retain the trophy they last won in 2013, after laying down an impressive marker in their opening-round victory over West Indies
ESPNcricinfo staff
28-Jun-2017
Australia, the six-times Women's World Cup winners, are the runaway favourites to retain the trophy they last won in 2013, after laying down an impressive marker in their opening-round victory over West Indies. At 10/11, they are currently streets ahead of their rivals, according to Bet365, although there's a long way yet to go until the final at Lord's on July 23.
Despite their opening-night loss to India at Derby, England remain second-favourites at 3/1, largely on the strength of their home advantage (they won the tournament on the last occasion it was played in England, in 1993, as well as the World T20 in 2009), although Tuesday's crushing victory over Pakistan will have gone a long way to reassuring punters that they are worth a flutter.
It is perhaps India who represent the best value for money at present, however. Their defeat of England was a thrillingly complete performance, set up by a trio of brilliantly paced and contrasting half-centuries from Smriti Mandhana, Mithali Raj and Punam Raut, then sealed by a probing combination of pace and spin bowling. They've never yet won the World Cup, but at 5/1, they've rarely looked better placed to do so.
Full postTight series anticipated as newcomers take the stage
England have rested the likes of Joe Root and Ben Stokes, and instead have five uncapped players in their squad, all of whom are expected to make a debut at some stage
ESPNcricinfo staff
21-Jun-2017
Despite selecting a much-changed squad, England remain slender favourites going into their three-match T20 series against South Africa at the Ageas Bowl this evening, as both teams seek a return to winning ways following their ignominious exits from the Champions Trophy. A 2-1 scoreline is anticipated by the odds-setters at Bet365 - a reflection, perhaps, of the uncharted waters that so many of the players are about to enter.
England have rested the likes of Joe Root and Ben Stokes, and instead have five uncapped players in their squad, all of whom are expected to make a debut at some stage in the coming three games. Liam Livingstone, one of those new caps, is the 10/1 outsider to be England's top scorer - not a bad shout if he gets, and seizes, his chance early in the series.
The favourites, however, are England's openers - Alex Hales and Jason Roy are both 10/3 to top-score in the series - with Roy's 92 from 81 balls for Surrey last week a sign that he has not allowed his dramatic loss of form in the Champions Trophy to cloud his ball-smiting skills. On the bowling front, David Willey and Liam Plunkett are both at 3/1, although keep an eye on the legspinner Mason Crane (9/2), potentially in line for a debut on his home ground.
Full postValue in Pakistan, Hasan for final upset
Pakistan are one good performance away from their first global 50-over trophy since 1992 but India remain odds-on favourites with bookmakers Bet365
ESPNcricinfo staff
16-Jun-2017
After fighting their way past the hosts, England, in the Champions Trophy semi-finals, Pakistan are one good performance away from their first global 50-over trophy since 1992. They are up against great rivals India, of course, who were one of the tournament favourites going in. Sarfraz Ahmed's team received a shellacking in the group stage - and India are now 4/9 with Bet365 to lift the trophy - but Pakistan are perhaps worth a bob or two at 7/4.
There is more value to be found in the player markets. Virat Kohli is the clear favourite to be Man of the Match, at 6/1, but given how Pakistan's quicks have bowled in their last three fixtures, they must be a factor. Hasan Ali, the tournament's leading wicket-taker and MoM against England, is 16/1 to repeat the trick at The Oval.
You will only get 2/9 on Hasan staying at the top of the wickets list. But India's Bhuvneshwar Kumar, with six in four matches so far, is a more attractive 17/2 to sneak past Hasan with a big haul on Sunday.
Full postBangladesh the outsiders worth a punt for glory
After one match apiece in the group stages of the Champions Trophy, the pre-tournament favourites have strengthened their grip, according to the odds-setters at Bet365
ESPNcricinfo staff
05-Jun-2017
After one match apiece in the group stages of the Champions Trophy, the pre-tournament favourites have strengthened their grip, according to the odds-setters at Bet365, with England now 11/4 - a fractional improvement on 3/1- to end their decades-long wait to raise a 50-over global trophy.
However, they've got company at the top of the tree, with the defending champions, India, signalling their determination to retain their trophy with a record-breaking demolition of Pakistan at Edgbaston.
South Africa are 7/2 after a solid victory over Sri Lanka in their opening round, while Australia are next on the list at 4/1 - they were lucky to get away with a lacklustre showing in their opening round against New Zealand, but the rain did more damage to the Kiwis' hopes than their own.
Full postLittle to choose between England and South Africa
England's preparations for the Champions Trophy are about to take a hefty step-up with the arrival of South Africa for a three-ODI series
ESPNcricinfo staff
19-May-2017
After a fairly straightforward victory over Ireland earlier this month, England's preparations for the Champions Trophy are about to take a hefty step-up with the arrival of South Africa for a three-ODI series that will give a genuine insight into the readiness of Eoin Morgan's men to challenge for that elusive maiden 50-overs global title.
England remain Bet365's favourites for the Champions Trophy at 3/1 , but there's little to choose between them and South Africa in the coming three matches.
England are slender favourites to win the series, at 8/11 compared to South Africa's 11/10, but when it comes to the individual matchwinners, the odds are tilted slightly in the visitors' favour, with each of their anticipated top three - AB de Villiers, Quentin de Kock and Hashim Amla -among the four market-leaders to be named as Man of the Match in Wednesday's first match at Headingley.
Full postMisbah and Younis backed to bow out in style
They suffered a shocking setback in the second Test at Bridgetown, but Pakistan's mercurial cricketers are never down for long, as the odds-setters at Bet365 will testify ahead of the series decider in Dominica
ESPNcricinfo staff
09-May-2017
They suffered a shocking setback in the second Test at Bridgetown, but Pakistan's mercurial cricketers are never down for long, as the odds-setters at Bet365 will testify ahead of the series decider in Dominica.
At 5/6, Pakistan remain strong favourites to complete a 2-1 series win, with West Indies 4/1 to back up their efforts in Barbados with another winning performance. The draw is 9/4 - not bad odds given that the season is drawing on and the weather is perhaps less clement than it might be earlier in the year.
As for the identity of the potential matchwinners - well, call it sentimentality, or call it solid cricketing sense, but with Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan braced to bow out together, both of Pakistan's titans are rated 6/1 to be Man of the Match - an equal price to their legspinning team-mate, Yasir Shah.
Full postAustralia remain favourites in long-range World Cup forecast
The Champions Trophy may be little more than a month away, but already the bookmakers at Bet365 are setting their sights a little further afield, to the 2019 World Cup
ESPNcricinfo staff
28-Apr-2017
The Champions Trophy may be little more than a month away, but already the bookmakers at Bet365 are setting their sights a little further afield … to the 2019 English summer, and the return of the ICC Cricket World Cup.
Who knows how the odds may shift once the Champions Trophy has been wrapped up - the 2019 competition, remember, will be played in the same country and at a similar time of year, so the results of this mini-World Cup could be hugely instructive.
And while England remain the favourites to lift the trophy this time around, it is always hard to look beyond Australia when the main event comes around. They've won four of the last five events, including 1999, when the competition was last staged in England; they've reached the final in five of the last six, and they've lifted the trophy on five occasions overall - more than twice as many times as West Indies and India, their nearest challengers with two apiece.
Full postPakistan backed to give legends a winning send-off
Pakistan have got a chance to return to winning ways - and give a fitting send-off to two of their greatest players of all time - when the first Test against West Indies gets underway in Jamaica on Friday.
ESPNcricinfo staff
20-Apr-2017
It's not so long ago that Pakistan were the No.1-ranked Test team in the world. They've slipped from those heights in recent times, but they've got a chance to return to winning ways - and give a fitting send-off to two of their greatest players of all time - when the first Test against West Indies gets underway in Jamaica on Friday.
Pakistan are 1/3 favourites to emerge victorious in the three-match series, with the hosts a rather more distant 13/2. And though Pakistan are traditionally hard to predict, the impending retirements of Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq will give them an extra incentive to hit the ground running.
The Man of the Match stakes are a revealing insight into how flimsy West Indies' chances of victory really are. Not one of West Indies' players is rated at better than 20/1 to pick up an award that tends to be given to a player from the winning side.
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