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Cape Town - So you’re interested in taking a bet on the IPL but you don’t know where to start. With the games coming thick and fast and hundreds of pre-match and live in-play betting markets to consider it can be overwhelming. That’s where we come in.
Here at BET Central, we’ve spent the first few weeks of the tournament testing a number of different strategies. IPL may be an art, but betting on IPL is a most definitely a science.
The scientists at the BET Central Laboratories have tested a number of different theories through the duration of the tournament and we present them to you here for the first time. You can thank us later.
Overs, unders, back the chase.
The simplest philosophy and the most effective. In T20 cricket betting, you are able to wager on how many runs will be scored by the batting team. These markets come in many different forms, but for this strategy all you need to know is the 6-over and innings markets. During the first six overs, teams tend to go hard. With this in mind, it is always wise to back the batting team to score over the projected run-line.
However, once the six over powerplay is up, the fielder’s drop back and runs tend to dry up. This means wickets and what might’ve looked like a 200+ total after six overs quickly becomes a 180 innings, so backing the unders innings run-line is often the correct play.
Finally, chasing teams have won 57% of games this season. Considering odds are generally higher on the chasing team, there’s value to be found.
The toss is important, but not everything
The team who won the toss won the first five matches of IPL 2018. However, the toss hasn’t proved as decisive as previous years. Teams that have won the toss have gone on to win 55% of matches, which suggests losing the toss isn’t as fatal to a team’s chances as one may have thought.
CSK have made the most of winning the toss, while Mumbai and RCB have struggled when having the pick of things. Read into that what you will, but having the experience of MS Dhoni at the helm certainly looks to have played a part in CSKs success.
Make use of the strategy breaks Strategy breaks aren’t only useful for the players. Rather than spending the two and a half minutes watching television adverts, you can spend the time planning your angle of attack. The breaks are notorious for breaking the concentration of batsman, often resulting in a wicket in the first over after the break. Thankfully, you’ll be ready and waiting to take advantage.
Spin vs Pace
One of the most important facets of betting on the IPL is the composition of the teams and the head-to-head battles that occur in every match. Chris Gayle’s performance this year is a prime example of a batsman preferring a certain type of bowling. The West Indian has feasted on leg-spinners in IPL 2018, smashing 79 runs off 33 balls without losing his wicket. Look for mismatches on both sides, left-handers vs off-spinners or big-hitters that like the ball to come on a bit.
Know your grounds
With a wealth of data on sites like CricInfo, it’s easy to check up on previous results on particular grounds. Not all grounds are built the same. The Feroz Shah Kotla Ground in Delhi has an extremely short boundary square of the wicket, meaning higher scores and more sixes. You can use this to your advantage. Other things to look out for include results of chasing teams, whether the pitch favours spin or pace and the pace of the outfield. The more you know, the higher your chances of finding a winning bet.
Now you know how it all works, you can get involved in BET.co.za’s Premium Cricket markets.
