In recent years, cricket betting markets have greatly expanded to cover all levels of the game, from club cricket to international markets. Nowadays, the popularity of top cricket tournaments like the Cricket World Cup rivals even that of football and other major sports. In this article, weāll be going over the most popular cricket betting markets, the best cricket betting sites, the biggest cricket events, and more!
Best Betting Sites for Cricket Betting Markets
- Bet Builder function availableĀ
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- Odds on men and womenās cricket
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- Offer markets for all major cricket competitionsĀ
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- Excellent choice of betting marketsĀ
- Good cricket section
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Top Betting Sites Offering Popular Cricket Betting Markets
Most Popular Cricket Betting Markets
While the best cricket betting sites will allow you to enjoy a number of cricket betting variants, it's also essential to know how to bet on cricket efficiently. This means finding the right tournaments and matches to bet on, and which markets are the ones to use when betting on certain teams and players.
Below is a detailed breakdown of the most popular cricket betting markets and how to use them. As previously mentioned, it's very important that you know how to use these markets, as backing a market that you aren't knowledgeable about could lose you money.
Outright (Tournament) Cricket Betting Markets
Cricket Betting Markets: Tournament Winner
This market allows bettors to wager on which team they think will win the tournament. This is one of the cornerstones of competition betting, with both novice and expert bettors often utilising this market. There are a number of methods you can use when tournament betting.
First, many will go for the favourite to win the tournament as they'll usually be above evens, although not by much. The second and usually most popular method is to back one of the favourites behind the leader. For example, for the 2023 Cricket World Cup, India will likely go in as the favourite, but this means that backing England, Australia, or New Zealand will offer better odds and thus a decent chance of your bet coming off.
You need to be aware of your timing when using this market, as backing India to win the competition if they're already in the final will offer less value than backing them before the tournament starts.
Best betting site for Tournament Winner: bet365
Cricket Betting Markets: Top Batsman/Top Runs Scorer
Top batsman betting is a favourite cricket betting market among viewers who enjoy watching the bowlers getting hit to all corners of the ground. With this market, you'll be backing the batsman you think will score the most runs across the competition.
As with the Tournament Winner market, it's important you bet at the right time. If you were to back Kane Williamson to top score at the World Cup, you'll likely get pretty good odds on this, since there are so many world-class batsmen in the game today that Williamson could be usurped by the likes of Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Quinton de Kock, Jos Buttler, Babar Azam, or any number of other players. This is also not to mention a dip in form for a player, or the fact that he may not be needed to bat if his team chases the total down before he comes in.
However, backing Williamson after five games of having yielded 600 runs and sitting a few hundred clear of the competition will offer shorter odds than backing him before a game is played. Similarly, if you back a player after a few tough games where he looks to be on the edge of a big score but now trails behind the leaders, you'll almost certainly get good odds. If your selected player then turns things around and dominates with the bat before finishing with the most runs, you'll likely get a good payout from this particular cricket betting market.
Best betting site for Top Batsman: BetVictor
Cricket Betting Markets: Top Wicket Taker
Like the Top Batsman market, you'll be looking to back the right player over the course of the whole tournament. Wickets tend to tumble often as matches go on, which is particularly true in ODI and T20 cricket, where teams will look to accelerate and score runs as quickly as possible as they try to swell their totals.
A word of warning, however. While wickets will likely fall in a game, you should always do your research on the conditions that players will play in. If a competition is being played in England, most types of bowling will get some sort of help on the pitches. However, in India, conditions will aid spin bowling more than they will seam bowling. With this in mind, you should ensure that you know which bowling types will likely excel in the conditions.
Best betting site for Top Wicket-Taker: BetVictor
Cricket Betting Markets: Top 2 Finish
If you think the competitionās winner is a foregone conclusion, then you can choose to back the placement outside of the winner. The Top 2 Finish market lets you wager on which team will finish as the runner-up in the competition.
Be careful with this one, as you need to know whether you're betting on the team that will finish second in the group stage or the team that will finish second overall. Many competitions have a round-robin stage before four or eight teams progress to the knock-out stages. This means that while you could have nailed the team that finished second in the group, the market was actually letting you bet on the team that finished second overall.
Best betting site for Top 2 Finish: bet365
Cricket Betting Markets: To Win the Group
As mentioned above, it's important to make sure you know exactly what betting market you're wagering on. The To Win the Group market can be used if the competition is using a round-robin format where there's only one group, or you could be betting on the winner of a certain pool if there are two or more groups in the competition. This can offer pretty good odds, especially if there's no outright favourite to win the group.
Best betting site for To Win the Group: bet365
Cricket Betting Markets: To Finish Bottom
Here, you'll be betting on which team you think won't perform at the competition. Instead of wagering on who will finish top, you'll be looking to pick out the side that will prop up the table at the end of that stage. This can be particularly difficult as the favourite to finish at the bottom often won't be as clear as the favourite to finish at the top.
Best betting site for To Finish Bottom: BetVictor
Single Match Cricket Betting Markets
Cricket Betting Markets: Match Winner
This cricket betting market is the baseline for cricket betting. Here, you'll bet on the outcome of a particular game. The options will generally be Team A to win, Team B to win, or a draw. If you're looking for a straightforward market, then this is the one, although it can be difficult to find a lot of value here.
Generally, you'll have a team that goes in as the favourite (often at odds-on), playing against an underdog that offers some value. However, while backing the underdog will give you a decent payout if you were to win, this is unlikely, while backing the favourite won't bring about considerable winnings.
Instead, you're better off looking for a game where there's no clear favourite; either because the two are so evenly matched, or because the two don't have much of a history of playing each other. This will bring you the chance of decent winnings, although it should be noted that, in a game in which the two sides are evenly matched, your wager has a good chance of losing in comparison to betting on the overwhelming favourite.
Best betting site for Match Winner: Unibet
Cricket Betting Markets: Draw No Bet
Of all the cricket betting markets, this one is designed to give you some security, and is generally best used when backing the underdog. If you back the underdog and they win, you'll be paid out as normal. However, if they were to draw, your bet would be refunded. If the team you backed loses, your bet loses as normal. This type of market is perfect if you aren't overly convinced by the underdog but still think there's a chance of a win and want some protection for your bet.
Best betting site for Draw No Bet: Unibet
Cricket Betting Markets: Top Batsman/Top Runs Scorer
This market lets bettors wager on the player they think will score the most runs in the match. This can offer good value as you'll either be backing one player against his 10 teammates, or one player against the other 21 players on the field.
Backing one player against the whole field offers bigger odds as there are more batsmen that can outscore him, meaning there's a higher risk. For example, if you aren't so confident in Ben Stokes outsourcing his teammates and the opposing side, you can back him to finish as top scorer in the Team A Top Batsman market, though this will offer shorter odds.
Best betting site for Top Batsman: bet365
Cricket Betting Markets: Top Wicket-Taker
This is almost exactly the same as the Top Batsman markets, only with Top Wicket-Taker you'll be backing the bowler you think will finish with the most wickets. This can be backed against the other 21 players, or just against your pickās team, as with the Top Batsman market. As mentioned previously, it's always vital that you do your research, with different pitches giving help to certain bowlers, while teams will often look to target the opposition with bowling plans that could see your bowler left out for long swathes of the game. Ensure you have some idea of which bowlers will excel in the conditions.
Best betting site for Top Wicket-Taker: bet365
Cricket Betting Markets: Top Opening Partnership
This market will have you wagering on which opening pair will score the most runs. The opening partnership refers to the first pair that comes out to bat for either team. As openers, their job is very important as they're tasked with seeing off the new ball and the new ball bowlers while also building a strong foundation for the rest of the team.
In certain formats of the game, the openers won't always look to get themselves in by soaking up a lot of deliveries as they would in Test cricket. For example, in T20 cricket, many of the most destructive batsmen come out to open so they can get their team off to a flyer, but this can often see the wickets sent tumbling. With this in mind, don't back a pair just because they're a big name, as this can often get in the way of actually scoring runs.
Best betting site for Top Opening Partnership: Unibet
Cricket Betting Markets: To Win the Toss
You'll be wagering on which side will win the coin toss and thus get the choice of batting or bowling first. Which way the captain that wins the toss decides to go is irrelevant, as you're solely betting on who will call the coin toss correctly.
Best betting site for To Win the Toss: bet365
Cricket Betting Markets: Top Team A/Team B Batsman
This is the alternate version of the Top Batsman market. Here, you'll be betting on the top batsman from Team A or Team B, with your chosen player having to outscore his teammates for your bet to come in as a winner. This market usually offers less value than the top batsman one, but if you aren't particularly confident in your choice, this will offer slightly more safety, as there are fewer players that can outscore him.
Best betting site for Top Team A/Team B Batsman: 1BET
Cricket Betting Markets: Man of the Match
The Man of the Match is awarded to the player that performs the best in the game. While the player can come from either side, he'll usually hail from the winning team unless there have been some extraordinary circumstances.
This type of cricket betting market can be difficult to call. You may back Steve Smith to be given the award, and, after scoring a century in Australiaās innings, you may think you're well on course for your bet to come in. However, if Mitchell Starc were to then take seven wickets and win the game for his side from there, he may be given the award instead. With cricket being a game that can turn on its head at a moment's notice, this is a market that's always changing.
Best betting site for Man of the Match: NetBet
Cricket Betting Markets: First Wicket Method
The First Wicket Method market will see you betting on how the first wicket of the match will fall. This can be bowled, caught, run-out, stumped, or LBW (leg before wicket). Ensure you look at the opening bowlers and the way they generally bowl, as this will play a big part in which way you bet. If the opening bowler tends to aim outside of off-stump, then the ācaughtā option may be the way to go. Similarly, if the batsman at the crease is usually desperate to get off the mark immediately, making him liable to take a tight single, then perhaps run-out could be the option to go for.
Best betting site for First Wicket Method: Unibet
Cricket Betting Markets: Team to Score Most Fours
This type of cricket betting market sees bettors looking to predict which team will score the most fours in the game. A āfourā is when a batsman hits the ball over the boundary rope and it bounces once or more.
Best betting site for Team to Score Most Fours: 1BET
Cricket Betting Markets: Team to Score Most Sixes
Like the To Score Most Fours cricket betting market, this one revolves around backing the team that will notch the most sixes in the game. A āsixā is when a player hits the ball over the boundary rope without it bouncing.
Best betting site for Team to Score Most Sixes: Unibet
Cricket Betting Markets: To Score a Century
The To Score a Century market allows bettors to wager on whether they think a century will be scored in the match. A century is when a batsman scores 100 runs, which is a test of their physical and mental capabilities. The āYesā option tends to be shorter than the āNoā option, as there will usually be a century scored in the match. This means that there's typically more value in backing there not being a century if you think the bowlers will be on top in the game.
Best betting site for To Score a Century: BetVictor
Cricket Betting Markets: To Score a 50
Like the To Score a Century market, you'll once again be backing a batsman to make a score, although this time, it'll be a fifty. Due to the fact that a score of fifty is lower than a century, the odds will reflect this, meaning there isn't usually as much value here.
Best betting site for To Score a 50: BetVictor
Cricket Betting Markets: First Ball
In this market, you'll be wagering on what you think will happen with the first ball of the day. There are a number of options, including a dot ball, one, two, three, four, six, wicket, and more. Due to the fact that there are so many options available, there is always value to be utilised here.
Best betting site for First Ball: bet365
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What Is Cricket?
Cricket is a sport that can be split into three distinct groups, each bringing varying ways to play the game. These three types are:
Test Cricket
The oldest format of the game and the one that cricket purists enjoy most, Test cricket is generally played over a five-day period, with 90 overs being bowled per day for a total of 450 overs a match. Each team will bat and bowl twice apiece, with Team A batting first before Team B batting, or vice versa, depending on who wins the toss and elects to bat first. Usually, Team A will then come back out to bat again to try to build on their lead or chase down the opposition's total before building further. The winner of the match is the team that scores the most runs after bowling their opposition out.
This type of cricket is the longest format of the game, and, due to seeing a lot of sessions where little happens, can be viewed as quite boring by some. However, Test cricket is a chess match in itself, with the tactical plans and battles between every player on the pitch having a big impact on the game itself.Ā
ODI Cricket
One Day International (ODI) cricket is a game in which only 100 overs are bowled across a day. Here, each team will bat and bowl for 50 overs each, with this format of the game being a lot more explosive than Test cricket as there's so little time for teams to get themselves in. Whereas in Test cricket, there are 90 overs a day and a total of 450 overs bowled in the match (weather-dependent), ODI cricket sees teams trying to build as big a score as they can in 300 balls (50 overs). This means that while the first 10 overs or so are generally akin to that of Test cricket, teams quickly begin to accelerate as they look to get the runs flowing.Ā
This format of the game provides a lot of excitement, along with enough overs to keep things moving back and forth. Ultimately, the 50-over game provides all of the same betting features as Test cricket, along with the excitement that there will almost definitely be a result at the end of the day.
T20 Cricket
Twenty20 (T20) cricket is the shortest format of the game, and the one that's seen as the most explosive. Both teams will bat and bowl for 20 overs (120 balls) each, meaning there's no time to waste in this format of the game, with matches lasting little more than four hours.
While Test cricket fanatics will say that the longest format of the game remains the most popular, it's difficult to argue against T20 cricket. Indeed, incredibly popular iterations of this format include the Indian Premier League, Big Bash, and T20 Blast. T20 cricket has also seen an impressive rise in the amount of people betting on the sport, with the all-action style of cricket coupled with wagering proving to be an exciting combination, especially when used in tandem with the best cricket betting appsĀ and the right cricket betting markets.
The Most Popular Events for Cricket Betting
There are so many different cricket competitions across the world, all having their own attractive qualities, that it can be tough to pick the most popular. However, of all the formats, competitions, and leagues, we feel the three listed below are the most popular:
Indian Premier League
Played every year starting from around March/April, the IPL is the premier cricket competition in India. The T20 format means that teams go out of their way to smash the ball around as big scores are likely, while the combination of the best batsmen and bowlers in the world all coming together makes things incredibly exciting. The round-robin format that leads into a playoff for the top four teams is very popular, with the fanatical support that the teams receive from India in particular showing that cricket is alive and well around the world.Ā
Cricket World Cup
The biggest event in the ODI game, the Cricket World Cup brings together the top international teams for a āwinner takes all' tournament. The fact that the poster boys of the game in Virat Kohli, Ben Stokes, Kane Williamson, and many more all take to the field means there's always a lot of interest, while the sheer amount of teams that play means there's attention from around the world.
The last iteration of the Cricket World Cup saw England and New Zealand end level after 100 overs of cricket in the final before a super over also saw them tie on the scoreboard once again. The whole tournament was incredibly exciting, and the unpredictable nature of the competition went right down to the final ball as Englandās Jos Buttler ran New Zealandās Martin Guptill out to see England lift the trophy for the very first time due to their superior boundary tally.Ā
The Ashes
The Ashes is the competition played out between England and Australia. As one of the most fierce rivalries in cricket, this Test series always gets a lot of attention, with some world-class talent battling it out in what's always a ferocious contest that brings with it a glut of cricket betting markets. Australia tend to dominate the series when they host, while it's generally quiet when Australia travel to England to battle for the urn. While this is a Test cricket series, meaning it's a lot slower than the other formats, the rivalry between the two sides makes for very absorbing viewing.Ā
Cricket Betting Markets FAQs
Which betting sites are the best for betting on cricket?
The best sites for using the best cricket betting markets are all listed above. You can bet with any of these bookmakers in confidence, knowing that you will get a good experience. However, we'd personally recommend bet365 and BetVictor, as they both offer an extensive range of features, competitive odds, generous promotions, and a lot of cricket markets.
Which are the most popular cricket betting markets?
The most popular of these cricket betting markets tend to be Match Winner, Top Batsman, and Outright Tournament Winner. The three are fairly simple to understand, and can offer value if utilised correctly. A number of cricket betting markets can also be used alongside the best in-play betting sites and live cricket streaming sites to add to the overall excitement.
What are the most popular cricket events to bet on?
There are so many ways for you to bet on cricket, with the list of competitions being seemingly endless. IPL betting has proven to be particularly popular with bettors, alongside the Cricket World Cup and the Big Bash in Australia. Dream11 Fantasy cricket has always been a popular way of getting involved with any sport, but for the cricket purists, backing the best cricket predictions in the world, along with the best cricket betting markets, is the way to go.
Geo-restrictions apply. You must have a funded account or to have placed a bet in the last 24 hours
CricketBettingAdvice Final Say
Betting has evolved in recent years, and has seen the scope of sports betting increase exponentially. Cricket certainly hasn't rested on its laurels in this regard, now boasting an impressive array of markets for bettors to get involved with.Ā Where cricket betting has really impressed is in its ability to provide markets suitable for both novice and experienced bettors, while there's been no shortage of bookmakers looking to offer cricket options.
Cricket betting variants have become very widespread, and, if used correctly alongside the right betting types, can offer a lot of value and excitement. Once you know how to play with each of the different markets, you should ensure that you utilise the best betting payment methods with the best cricket betting markets.
The Cricket Betting Advice team of writers are all defined by one goal: to provide you with the best online betting content on the web.