It is important to know about the best betting markets before you jump into the ring of cricket betting. Knowing the most popular cricket betting markets not only improves your betting experience but also boosts your chances of placing profitable bets.
In this blog, we have covered some of the most popular and exciting cricket betting markets, and included some tips on how you can make the most of each bet. Read on!
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What Are Cricket Betting Markets?
In simple words, cricket betting markets refer to the variety of bets offered by the bookmakers for every match.
Each market is based on some unique element or probable outcome of that match. For instance, the match-winner market – one of the most common cricket betting markets – is based on which team will win the match.
Bookmakers analyse which events in a cricket match the bettors would like to bet on and accordingly develop cricket betting markets. Some markets, such as toss winner and player of the match, are common across all cricket matches.
However, top cricket tournaments and one-off high-ranking cricket matches require bookmakers to chalk up special betting markets as punters look forward to betting more actively in such matches.
Why Should You Read About Cricket Betting Markets?
The global sports betting market is valued at more than $85 billion (approximately ₹6.38 lakh crores). It is serious business and you should know all about it if you are here to make money through betting. Betting markets are the starting point of your betting journey.
Every betting market carries different odds, and knowing about them helps you bet on markets suitable for your risk appetite. Moreover, knowing how different cricket betting markets operate helps you study the factors that influence that market and improve your betting success rate.
No matter which betting sites you use, the betting markets follow the same basic structure. So, huddle up and read on.
The 10 Most Popular Cricket Betting Markets
We have researched and listed the ten most popular cricket betting markets for you, along with expert advice on how to bet on that market.
1. Match Winner
Offered as a betting option for all cricket matches, the outright winner market is one of the simplest to play. As the name suggests, this market predicts which team will win the match.
Advice for placing bets in this market
Most cricket betting sites have a dedicated team to develop markets, and their odds. The odds are well planned, and you can expect the results to be in line with their odds placement many times. For instance, the odds of a match win by team A are 1.71, and by team B is 2.2. The odds indicate that the probability of team B winning are lower than team A, thus the higher odds.
There is a good chance that Team A will win, but you should never rely singularly on odds for predicting the winning team. Look at the head-to-head records, the result of recent encounters, and their performance on that pitch. Such information helps you make a more informed prediction and possibly even make high earnings by betting on the underdogs based on real data.
2. Toss Winner
The toss winner market is designed to give you a chance to bet on the moment that ardent cricket enthusiasts look forward to – the toss!
Match results can turn tides because of the toss result, and a match without such a market would be like a half-baked cake.
Advice for placing bets in this market
The toss event is a pure luck-based event with a 50:50 chance of either heads or tails and no other influencing factor apart from the coin flip. Therefore, the odds in this market are always equal for both teams.
Do not place a high-stakes bet on this market as the toss result cannot be predicted by anyone, not even by the match referee conducting the coin toss ceremony.
3. Series Winner
The series winner market is also referred to as the outright winner market. It explores the possibility of the team that will win the series. Cricket fans have their favourites decided for every series, and this market lets them bet on the team they think will win the series or tournament.
It is relatively easy to predict this market in a bilateral series. However, the prediction requires much more research in trilateral series or other major tournaments, like the World Cup or the IPL.
Advice for placing bets in this market
The past records always help in making the right bets. In addition, you should look at the team line-up and the recent performances of individual players. Focus on the cricket format too; very few cricket teams perform well across all the formats, so knowing how the teams perform in a particular format is key to predicting the series.
4. Top Batsman
The most exciting market, especially if the match is host to batsmen like Kohli and Root, is based on the prediction of which player would score the highest runs in the match.
Also referred to as top runs scorer, the top batsman market is not as easy to predict as the markets mentioned above. The prediction becomes even more challenging if you are betting on a match between two heavyweights like India and England.
Advice for placing bets in this market
The format plays a huge role in predicting the batting performances. Some batsmen are excellent in the test format but display an abysmal performance in limited-overs cricket and vice versa. So, track batting records based on the different formats.
Secondly, check the pitch records. It's fairly easy to find the batsman who has scored the highest runs on a certain pitch on the internet. Teams often play county cricket and practice matches in the host country before beginning their overseas tour to acclimatise themselves with the pitch conditions. Tracking player performances in these matches gives a fair idea of how the player is adapting to the pitch conditions.
Most importantly, consistently monitor the game – whether it’s your team or any other.
5. To Score a Century
An extension of the cricket betting markets for batting records, this market is designed to allow you to bet on the player you think will score a ton.
Advice for placing bets in this market
Scoring centuries requires consistency from the batsman. Analyse how consistent the player has been in scoring good runs and factor in this element before placing bets in this market.
There are always black swan events where some player hits a century out of the blue. However, most centuries come from players who have been performing well and whom you had probably considered as a top batsman already.
6. Top Wicket-Taker
Nothing beats the excitement when your favourite bowler takes a wicket! Be it a test match, ODI or T20I match, the top wicket-taker market will always be offered by bookmakers to let you bet on the bowler whom you predict would take the highest wickets in the match.
Advice for placing bets in this market
The performance of bowlers is highly dependent on the format and the country where they play. In countries like England and Australia, the pitches are curated to largely benefit pacers, while Indian pitches are known for their spin magic.
A lot depends on the weather too. If a T20 match is held in Mumbai or Sydney (coastal cities) at night, the dew factor comes into the picture. Dew adds moisture to the pitch and reduces swing. So, you’ll have to choose your pick for the top wicket-taker accordingly.
Apart from this, always check up on the past records and bowling stats. You can easily check these records on the ICC website or on the website of the respective country’s cricket association.
7. First Wicket
The first wicket or the first wicket method involves betting on how the first wicket in the match will drop. Whether it will be a catch-out, stumping, LBW, or a run-out, you can bet on any of the methods!
Advice for placing bets in this market
Studying the playing patterns of both bowlers and batsmen is crucial to succeeding in such bets. If the opening bowler is known to deliver deadly yorkers, then LBW would be your best bet.
You can also check the fielding pattern to better understand how the bowler is planning to take wickets. If the team is using a heavy slip line-up, there are high chances that the bowler will deliver an off-sided ball and try for a catch-out.
8. Man of the Match
The man of the match title goes to the best-performing player in the match. It can be the highest run-scorer, the best bowler, or even a player who has fielded exceptionally well in the match. The title almost always goes to a player from the winning side or the best among the two teams’ players in case of a tie.
However, there are no rules against giving the title to a player from the losing side, and if a player has delivered an excellent performance from the losing side, he can become the man of the match too.
Advice for placing bets in this market
The trend in this market usually favours batsmen. However, that’s not a benchmark, and if a bowler has taken a hat-trick or a fiver, the man of the match may very well be awarded to him. You should prepare a shortlist of contenders and study their overall performance before placing bets in this market.
9. Total Match Boundaries
This cricket betting market is for betting on the team that will score the maximum boundaries. This market gets especially exciting in limited-overs cricket, where teams are more inclined to score quick runs than run between the wickets.
Advice for placing bets in this market
This market is completely dependent on the playing style of the batsmen. You should check the squad line-up, the batting strength, and skim through the average number of boundaries the batsmen have scored in the past. Such data is easily available on the internet.
10. Draw No Bet
*Odds correct as of 14:05 G.M.T., 23/08/21
This market is a popular and somewhat safe betting market for cricket bettors. In this market, you reduce your exposure if the match ends in a draw.
With draw no bet, the bet works similar to a match-winner bet in case your team wins or loses, but if there is a draw, your money is refunded. In an outright match-winner bet, the money is not refunded in such cases. Thus, even though the odds of a draw no bet are lower than the outright bet, punters prefer it as the risk is also less.
Advice for placing bets in this market
You should opt for this bet when chances of a draw are high, like in Test matches, so that you at least get your bet stake back.
Other Popular Markets According To Match Formats
Now that we have covered some of the most profitable betting markets, let’s look at the most popular cricket betting markets format-wise.
Test Matches
First innings lead
In this market, you will be betting on which team will score the highest runs after batting their first innings. The bet is closed once both teams have completed their first innings.
Advice for placing bets in this market
Check how the team has performed in the first innings in the past matches. Every team follows different strategies and might not perform as well in one innings as in the other. Some teams might be good at setting long targets, some at chasing scores, and some at using their bowling prowess to dominate matches.
Opening partnership
Test matches are centred around playing long innings, and batsmen look forward to sustaining partnerships as scoring hard-hitting runs is not the primary aim of this match. In this market, you will be presented with player pairs that may score the highest partnership runs. You need to make a pick from among those pairs.
Advice for placing bets in this market
The only advice is not to blindly pick the pair of hard-hitters for placing your bets. Test matches require patience, and batsmen scoring tons in limited-overs cricket might not necessarily perform well in tests.
One-Day International (ODI) Matches
Most sixes
Limited overs cricket is all about hitting the ball wide and far. This market is designed for betting on players who will score the most sixes.
Advice for placing bets in this market
Do not assume that openers will play safe and not go for centuries – cricket has become more aggressive than ever. So, acquaint yourself with some player stats and place bets with an open mind.
Score over ‘X’ runs
Bookmakers design markets to let bettors predict whether the actual target score will be over or below the score set by them, and this varies from match to match.
Advice for placing bets in this market
You can pull up the pitch records and head-to-head records of the past encounters of both the teams and then take a calculated call regarding this bet.
T20 International Matches
To score a 50
Although centuries are not a rarity in T20 matches, they are not frequent either. On the other hand, half-centuries or fifty runs are pretty common and attract a lot of attention from bettors. This market is for wagering on players who will score a minimum of fifty runs.
Advice for placing bets in this market
The T20 format is the most dynamic one, and player performances may differ a lot from one match to another. So, while looking at past performance is a good habit, you must also use your gut instincts while betting in this market.
Team to score above ‘x’ runs
Similar to ODIs, this market is extremely popular in the T20 format too.
Advice for placing bets in this market
Read the past records of both teams as well as of other teams on that pitch, and then place your bet.
Cricket Betting Markets FAQs
Do all betting sites offer the same cricket betting markets?
The cricket betting markets explained above are the most popular markets and are provided by all leading betting sites. The naming may vary but the sum and substance of the markets remain the same. However, betting sites try to include certain additional markets unique only to them to attract more audience. Therefore, not all markets are present on every site.
Which are the best sites for cricket betting?
Odds and markets variety are important to rank as a good betting site. In addition, the site must also be reliable, secure, and easy to navigate to be included in the list of the best cricket betting sites. Considering these factors together, the top three cricket betting sites for us are 10CRIC, bet365, and Betway.
Do mobile betting apps provide live streaming services?
Live streaming is an integral feature of cricket betting nowadays. It allows betting enthusiasts to bet from anywhere while watching cricket. Most of the best cricket betting apps provide live streaming services to their users as a standard feature without any charges.
Can we bet on any markets during the match?
Yes, of course. Such markets are called in-play markets, and you can find them listed separately on the betting sites.
Are past records important for placing bets?
Betting, naturally, has a certain uncertainty or risk element, but bookmakers also put in a lot of research of past match trends to develop odds. Therefore, analysing past records and stats help you place an educated bet and increases your chances of success.
CricketBettingAdvice Final Say
Now that you know about the top cricket betting markets, get going and explore betting in new markets. As always, we advise you to select value over everything else while placing bets.
Be safe, bet safe!
The Cricket Betting Advice team of writers are all defined by one goal: to provide you with the best online cricket betting content on the web.