The Big Bash T20 Cricket League (BBL) is one of the World’s premier domestic summer sports tournaments. The eyes and minds of two billion (YES 2 billion!!) T20 cricket fans across the globe are fixed firmly on the 8 city-based franchises as they go toe to toe in a 9 week slug fest under the heat of Australia’s Down Under Summer!
As franchises compete for the coveted title, and players clamber for global recognition and lucrative contracts, so do bettors looking for online cricket prediction on matches. The seasoned sports bettor salivates over the virtually endless wagering options available pre-tournament, pre-game and of course live in-game. If you love to bet on sport you would be crazy to let this betting bonanza pass you by.
Read on to get the 13 monster takeaways that will get you hitting your Big Bash bets high into the stands.
The Basics You Must Know to Bet on The BBL
Note: While this article focuses on the BBL, the key concepts can be easily transferred to other T20 franchise cricket around the world.
Tournament Format
It is important to understand the tournament format to put all betting advice into context. Here is a basic rundown:
Regular Season
- 8 team competition
- Home and Away Schedule. All teams play each other twice (double round-robin).
- 56 total matches
- No conferences. One table of standings.
Post Season
- 5 franchises qualify for the postseason knockout finals system (playoffs).
- All finals, including the championship match, are one off sudden death matches
- Highest regular season finisher receives home ground advantage in all playoffs
The 13 Betting Strategies
1. Get Your Head Around the Major Pre-Tournament Betting Markets
The Big Bash League is fertile ground for bettors chasing bulk futures markets. It is important to keep your focus on popular markets while you develop your understanding of the tournament trends. After you have established a strong base then by all means expand your betting horizons. In the meantime here are the most popular pre-tournament markets:
- Tournament Winner/Grand-Finalists/Team “to make” or “not make” the finals
- Batter to score the most tournament runs
- Bowler to take the most tournament wickets
- Each individual team’s most runs or wickets
- Ground/Venue with the most runs scored
Early exposure to these markets present you with the option to cash out or hedge bets as the season progresses.
The Take-Away: Teams that go deeper into the tournament will more than likely have the individual standout player for the tournament, and obviously they will play more matches. So look to the stronger teams when betting on ‘Tournament Most Runs’ or ‘Tournament Most Wicket’ style bets. Teams that perform well tend to dominate the individual markets.
2. Teams ‘Moneyball’ Their Playing Rosters
The wide variety of climatic conditions across the vast continent of Australia forces franchise to work hard to get the playing roster balanced. They need to be able to cover all bases, allowing the team to be competitive in each and every match regardless of the playing conditions they encounter. This player juggling act also occurs within the constraints of a salary cap and a maximum roster of just 18 players. No mean feat.
The Takeaway: The salary cap constraints mean teams simply can’t cater for all conditions. Be on the lookout for the home underdog ambush. They know the environmental conditions and have a squad to match. For example swing bowlers in Perth, economical finger spinners in Sydney, cross bat bullys in Hobart can all look a million dollars at home in favorable conditions but when thrown into unfamiliar environments they often falter.
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3. The Unknown Import
Of the 18 rostered players, 2 can be International players from outside of Australia (ie non-domestic) . These “Guns-4-Hire” are expected to bring clutch performances, vast experience, a level head and most importantly put bums on seats and eyes on screens globally. Just like the paying public, the betting markets love matches where two proven international stars face-off. T20 cricket is often decided by a blistering individual performance. An effective international player is worth their weight in gold, well Aussie Dollars at least.
In the more traditional test cricket, batters are blessed with plenty of time. Time to watch and learn a bowlers action in play. However in T20 cricket these X-Factor Bowlers deliver 24 balls (20%) of the innings max limit of 120 balls. Meaning there is no time for the battors to look and get a feel for the bowler, Battors need to go hard from the start. Wickets often tumble, but if they don’t, pressure builds on the fielding team as with wickets in hand runs can quickly flow.
The Takeaway: The X factor in some squads are the seemingly unknown international players (usually spinners) who are brought into the competition with little fanfare. Their low profile has not only commentators and spectators unawares but often opposition players. Look for these savvy spinners to take the comp by storm , particularly in their first year. They are always value in the leading wicket taker markets.
4. The Home Grown Experience
If its value you are chasing then look no further than the homegrown stalwart who knows the aussie grounds like the back of his hand. While he may not carry a high profile he will certainly won’t shy away from the fight when he faces the world renowned superstars. These guys have been lying in wait for a chance to make a star look second rate and maybe build a career for themselves
The Takeaway: The underrated home grown talent is always great value in performance points betting. Similar to fantasy points players earn these for on field achievements like wickets, runs and catches. Sportsbook will offer an over/under points total on all players and often the under the radar local will be over the odds!
5. The International Cricket Clause.
Be wary of “International imports” if betting on tournament markets. The risk is they earn a call up to their national team mid tournament. All International players have a clause in their contract that representing their Country takes precedence over BBL contracts. BBL franchises are able to replace them in the squad without penalty but that doesn’t help you.
The Take-Away: When betting BBL futures, fade the international star centrally contracted to their national team. They can and will leave if the call comes. Your bet will suffer.
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6. The Franchise Model Changes the Game
The franchise model is perfect for bettors. Salary caps compress the difference between the top and bottom teams on a single ladder format, effectively evening out the competition. When 5 of the 8 teams make the finals, value can be found at every corner. In Big Bash cricket the head-to-head (moneyline) odds are always reasonably close to each other. Rarely is the favorite shorter than $1.50 (-200) before a match begins. And even then it only takes one outstanding burst with ball or bat and the tide turns in favour of the outsider.
The Take-away: Don’t be afraid to look for an underdog. The evenness of the competition and the unpredictable nature of T20 cricket means favorites lose and lose often. This is evidenced by the bottleneck of teams that finish the season on 50% win records.
7. Venues Matter Big Time
Each BBL venue has its own little intricises for the players to negotiate and bettors can use this knowledge to their advantage. Cricket is a traditional game played internationally since 1877, and unlike football codes each ground has its own unique shape and dimensions. There is no one size fits all here. The most impacted markets are: Over/Under Total Runs and Over/Under Total Sixes for the match.
Here is a quick alphabetical guide on team’s home venue description
| Team | Usual Home Ground | Venue Description |
| Adelaide Strikers | Adelaide Oval | Short boundaries square and long boundaries straight. The batting friendly pitch requires bowlers to be very accurate. Express pace bowlers tend to not suit well to Adelaide’s Unique shape as any width when bowling is easily punished and fielders have no chance in cutting off loose balls.Spinners need to use flight well here, as short boundaries and subtle variations brings stumpings into play. Obviously batters strong square of the wicket love this place, and so do the fans as crowd catches are quite common side on. |
| Brisbane Heat | Gabba | Often regarded as the best cricket wicket in the world for it’s pace and true bounce. Bowlers can not help themselves but unleash maximum speed. The danger is, Brisbane’s outfield is lightning fast and has short boundaries straight. A miss timed pull or cut often travels for a six over the keeper.Spinners can be economical as batters try to knock them around for 1-2s rather than 4-6s. This brings run-outs into play when spinners come on. The Gabba is always in the mix for “Ground to have the most runs scored at” betting due to its quality wicket.Brisbane is however located in the sub tropics, so is more susceptible to evening storms, which can shorten matches into a total Bash Fest. |
| Hobart Hurricanes | Blundstone Arena | Short boundaries and a great wicket = a batters paradise!! Plenty of runs are usually scored here and depending on the strength of the squad and which team bats first can impact betting markets. “Team to score the most sixes” and also “Under/over total match sixes” is a fun way to watch Hobart Hurricanes games. The crowd loves it in the Nation’s most southern and 2nd oldest city. |
| Melbourne Stars | MCG(Melbourne Cricket Ground) | The magnificent Melbourne Cricket Ground with a seating capacity of over 100 000 is a sight to be seen at capacity. This is a drop in wicket, which can tend to offer something for the bowlers early in the innings but then those that can vary pace will draw mistakes from battors late. As one of the largest fields in the world hitting sixers is less common compared to other grounds as a result under/over total sixers markets are set accordingly. Spinners that can dart the ball and cramp battors do well here as the straight boundaries are short. The trend has been for strike bowlers to use “Slower-ball Bouncers” and set fields accordingly square. Despite its big open space. “Caught by fielder” is popular online live betting market as bowled and LBW is usually not the focus of bowlers here. |
| Melbourne Renegades | Marvel Stadium | This venue will never be impacted by weather as it is the only cricket stadium in the world with a retractable roof. Infact at just over 53, 000 seating capacity it is the largest indoor stadium in the southern hemisphere!! Bowlers have more freedom to bowl flatout here as the drop in wicket isn’t the same quality of that as the MCG. Pitch variations come into play more for balls pitched up. LBW comes into play in the opening overs. |
| Perth Scorchers | Optus Stadium | This new stadium is the 3rd largest in Australia and can hold over 60 000 people. Apparently it has the same dimensions as Melbourne’s MCG. Big open spaces can make it hard for fielding captains to set fields square of the wicket, while the new drop in pitch doesn’t have the same terrorising pace as the old WACA ground. Note: In Perth the “Fremantle Doctor” a daily westerly wind arrives every afternoon (without fail) from off the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean. This means matches in Perth do not suffer the same effects of late night dew other grounds in Australia can be impacted by in the 2nd innings. Much like the MCG, accumulator batters do well here. |
| Sydney Sixers | SCG | A beautiful cricket ground in Australia’s largest city. This ground is smaller than the MCG as it has kept some of it traditional appeal. The wicket is the most spin friendly wicket in the land. Its size is just perfect for T20 cricket, the accumulator batters can knock it around risk free, while big hitters can still clear the fence. Home grown spinners handle these conditions best at knowing how to set suitable fields, while the long straight long straight boundaries encourage quicks to bowl fast at the stumps. Look for “Fall of next wicket” online live cricket betting to be “Bowled” once the innings is past the 10th over. |
| Sydney Thunder | Sydney showgrounds | A larger venue than the SCG. Here a drop-in pitch is used and can be quite dull for the pace bowlers to get any reward for effort. Swing is lost early in the innings and dew can settle in impacting the fielding conditions of the team batting 2nd. Bowlers that change their length and pace do well here. |
The Take-Away: As part of taking the “game to the people” most teams move some home games to regional venues, including the Gold Coast, Launceston and Geelong. Keep this in mind when placing bets on markets impacted by ground conditions and dimensions. A new venue changes the dynamic and brings the road team right back into the game.
8. The “Time Zone” Factor is Significant.
Most matches start daily at 7:10pm (UTC +11) which is primetime for the large population base of Australia’s East Coast Cities. There are also some selected double header game days which feature an early 1:15pm game or a late start in the West Coast City of Perth ( 6:10pm local, UTC +8).
The table below highlights BBL start times by key international time zone.
| Matches | Sydney Melbourne Hobart | Brisbane, QLD | Adelaide, SA | Perth, WA | INDIA IST | UK | US EST | US WST |
| Most games | 7:10pm | 6:10pm | 6:40pm | 4:10pm | 1:40pm | 9:10am | 4:10am | 1:10am |
| Day games | 1:15pm | 12:15pm | 12:45pm | 10:15am | 7:45am | 3:15am | -1D 10:15pm | -1D 7:15pm |
| West Coast Games | 9:10pm | 8:10pm | 8:40pm | 6:10pm | 3:40pm | 11:10am | 6:10am | 3:10am |
The Takeaway: Night matches on the east coast are affected by dew later in the game. The slippery ball prevents qualify spinners getting purchase on the ball in the 2nd innings. The lack of control can make them far less effective.
The fielders are met with numerous extra challenges like the ground being slippery underfoot hindering lateral movement and increasing the chance of misfields and dropped catches. All these things favor the team batting second.
9. Pay Homage to The Weather Gods
Cricket being an outdoor game (with the exception of Marvel stadium’s retractable roof for the Melbourne Renegades) is unfortunately impacted by Weather events, much like golf and Baseball. This can work in favour of todays cricket predictors. Betting online live on cricket requires bettors to be ready to go when they see value and have the inside knowledge of the conditions. Across the 56 home and away games weather will no doubt impact 2-8% of games a season. Cricket fans hate it, but bettors see opportunity. Matches are shortened even more than traditional T20 (120 balls per innings).
The Take-away: Weather evens out matches. A team that seems out gunned can all of a sudden have a hug impact in a shortened game. Underdogs with only a couple of strong hitters all of a sudden are right back into the match.
For quality Online cricket weather predictions check out Australia’s “Bureau of Meteorology” (BOM) (www.bom.gov.au)
10. Understand the BBL Finals System
At the conclusion of the 56 home and away games, the 5 match post season begins. The top 5 teams qualify and here you can learn how the BBL finals format works. Team listed first hosts the match.
| Finals Stage | Who Plays | Nuts and Bolts |
| Match A “Eliminator” | 4th v 5th | Winner plays away in “Knock-out” [Match C], Loser Eliminated |
| Match B “Qualifier” | 1st v 2nd | Winner to host “Final” [Match E]; loser to host “Challenge” [Match D] |
| Match C “Knock out” | 3rd v Winner of Eliminator [Match A] | Winner plays away in “Challenge” [Match D]; loser eliminated |
| Match D “Challenger” | Loser of “Qualifier” [Match B] hosts vs winner of “Knock-out” [Match C] | Winner plays away in “Final”; loser eliminated |
| Match E “Final” | Winner of “Qualifier” [Match B] hosts vs Winner of “Challenger” [Match D]. | Winner Crowned Champion |
Why the System Works so Well?
- Higher ranked teams have home ground advantage vs lower ranked teams.
- The journey progressively gets harder for each team. The BBL finals structure is outlined below
| Finish Position | Easiest Journey to win Title | Hardest Journey to win Title |
| 1st | Host 2nd and winHost either 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th and win | Host 2nd and loseHost either 3rd,4th or 5th and winAway to 2nd and win |
| 2nd | Away to 1st and winHost either 1st, 3rd, 4th or 5th and win | Away to 1st and loseHost either 3rd, 4th or 5th and winAway to 1st and win |
| 3rd | Host either 4th or 5th and winAway to 2nd and winAway to 1st and win | Host either 4th or 5th and winAway to 1st and winAway to 2nd and win |
| 4th | Host 5th and winAway to 3rd and winAway to 2nd and winAway to 1st and win | Host 5th and winAway to 3rd and winAway to 1st and winAway to 2nd and win |
| 5th | Away to 4th and winAway to 3rd and winAway to 2nd and winAway to first and win | Away to 4th and winAway to 3rd and winAway to 1st and winAway to 2nd and win |
The Takeaway: 1st and 2nd get a crucial double chance with fans guaranteed a home Post-Season match from these positions. At the other extreme the journey for 5th to claim the championship is near impossible. At best 5th needs to travel across the continent to win 4 away games in less than 2 weeks, a very tall task indeed.
Use the above table to make informed decisions about betting online to win on cricket’s BBL finals system.
11. Wait For The Toss
Markets are posted before the toss for logistical reasons. However the toss allows the winning team to dictate the style of match they prefer, either setting a total or chasing down a target. Teams more often than not prefer to chase but this doesn’t mean it’s the right call or even bad news for their opponents. It helps to understand a team’s prefered method even if it means watching a few games early in the season, before starting your betting journey.
Teams are also officially announced at the toss so be wary of late changes to line ups.
The Takeaway: Waiting for the toss allows you to see who gets the better of the conditions. While odds fluctuate accordingly sometimes it’s worth losing some value to get all the information.
A fun market to bet is “Team to score the most sixes” Teams that have stronger bigger hitters do well when batting first, however if they are chasing a small total batting 2nd, then they do not have the urgency to score big runs, and tend to protect their wicket and take less risks. The toss matters in this market.
12. Become an Expert On More Than One Team
Having a favourite player or team is all part of enjoying any sport. Just watching your own team and having a wager is a way to be invested in the result. However when the season schedule comes out, look for another team (or two) that you will be able to watch often during the season. For example, Perth Scorchers being the in Western Time Zone play a lot of late games. Maybe that aligns with your preferred viewing time and you end up seeing them play often.
Investing some time into watching a particular teams games makes it easier to understand more about the pitch, players and conditions. Not being emotionally invested in the team means you have an unbiased opinion looking at the odds or betting live..
The Takeaway: Have a team which you know will watch regularly that isn’t necessarily your own. This could be a team that has more day games or even later night games that suit your viewing timezone.
13. Christmas Cheer and Compressed Draw
Several factors come into play which can impact teams negatively. The 56 match regular season draw features nightly matches (and double headers) across the Australian summer. Throw in the vast size of the country and a Christmas/New Year holiday period. There will be times when teams are just simply below their best. No one can stay ‘up’ for that long.
The Takeaway: The away teams around Christmas can be more distracted despite previous form, as they have to juggle training, family time and travel. Lookout for teams that have won a few games early because they have been at home. They can struggle in this holiday period in away matches.
Related Question:
Why Don’t Indian Nationals Play The Big Bash League?
The simple answer is the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is looking after its main assets. That is it multi billion dollar deal with broadcasters of the Indian Premier League (IPL). As a result no Indian cricketers play in any Domestic T20 cricket outside of India. This is disappointing for the global cricket fans, but it does however allow for other nations players to have exposure to new conditions.
The BBL is an opportunity to see future stars from not just Australia but other nations, and each bettors understanding of the game increases as they are able to see a wider variety of players from across the globe in the 2nd biggest domestic competition in the world. Use this knowledge in coming years to bet on players with confidence knowing you have followed their career.
The Game Starts Now!
There you have it, 13 Strategies to bet and win on Crickets Big Bash. Watch, learn, discuss, and discover why two billion people have a passion for T20 cricket betting. Fine tuning your cricket predictions game can be made much easier with some basic calculated research prior to betting. These cricket tips will put you in a good position to make informed decisions on cricket’s online betting market.