The following is a preview with betting tips for the 2017/18 Big Bash League (BBL) season, which runs from December 19, 2017 until February 4, 2018. Betting tips are provided along with a list of betting resources.
Key BBL statistics
- Last season was incredibly tight, with no team finishing better than 5-3 in the regular season and no team finishing worse than 3-5. For this reason each team’s net run rate is crucial.
- Home advantage isn’t actually an advantage. Since the BBL began the home team has only won 44.6% of all matches. Last season the home side won only 37.1% of the matches.
- Winning the toss is more important than home advantage. Since the competition began, the side that won the toss has won 52.0% of the non-abandoned matches.
- Only one team that topped the regular season standings has gone on to win the title. This was achieved by Perth last year. Prior to that, the competition winners had finished 3rd, 4th, 3rd, 2nd and 4th in the regular season standings. Much of this trend is due to international commitments, with teams losing key players to the Australian ODI and other international sides late in the competition.
- Teams that batted second have won 52.5% of the non-abandoned matches. Last season teams that batted second won a whopping 65.7% of the matches.
Team Previews
Adelaide Strikers
History:
- 2011–12 – 6th (2-5)
- 2012–13 – 5th (4-4)
- 2013–14 – 7th (2-1-5)
- 2014–15 – 1st (6-1-1), eliminated in the semi-finals
- 2015–16 – 1st (7-1), eliminated in the semi-finals
- 2016–17 – 6th (3-5)
Squad:
Wes Agar, Alex Carey, Jono Dean, Travis Head, Colin Ingram (RSA), Ben Laughlin, Jake Lehmann, Rashid Khan (AFG), Michael Neser, Liam O’Connor, Peter Siddle, Billy Stanlake, Jake Weatherald, Jonathan Wells.
INS: Colin Ingram (RSA), Rashid Khan (AFG), Peter Siddle (Renegades), Jonathan Wells (Hurricanes).
OUTS: Ben Dunk (Stars), Chris Jordan (ENG), Brad Hodge, Jon Holland, Tim Ludeman, Kieron Pollard, Kane Richardson (all Renegades), Craig Simmons, Kelvin Smith.
Daily Telegraph prediction: 7th
Ladbrokes’ prediction: 7th
The good:
- Good quality bowling attack
The bad:
- Have lost a lot of talent during the off-season, including Ben Dunk, who was the top scorer in the competition last year
- Look to be lacking in depth with the bat
- Have never made a final despite two 1st place finishes in the regular standings
Brisbane Heat
History:
- 2011–12 – 5th (3-4)
- 2012–13 – 4th (4-4), title winners
- 2013–14 – 5th (3-5)
- 2014–15 – 8th (2-6)
- 2015–16 – 6th (3-5)
- 2016–17 – 2nd (5-3), eliminated in the semi-finals
Squad:
Max Bryant, Joe Burns, Ben Cutting, Brendan Doggett, Jason Floros, Cameron Gannon, Sam Heazlett, Shadab Khan (PAK), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Lalor, Chris Lynn, Brendon McCullum (international, captain), Jimmy Peirson, Matt Renshaw, Alex Ross, Mitchell Swepson, Mark Steketee, Cameron Valente.
INS: Max Bryant, Brendan Doggett, Shadab Khan, Matt Renshaw, Cameron Valente, Yasir Shah.
OUTS: Sam Badree, Alex Doolan, Andrew Fekete, Nathan Reardon, Jack Wildermuth, Tymal Mills.
Daily Telegraph prediction: 4th
Ladbrokes’ prediction: 4th
The good:
- Retain Chris Lynn, who averaged 154.50 with the bat with a strike rate of 177.58 in the 5 games he played last season. Brendon McCullum also returns.
- Had their best ever regular season finish last season
- Showed improvements in their bowling attack last season
The bad:
- Still lack depth in their bowling attack compared to the leading sides
- Chris Lynn could be called away due to international commitments
Hobart Hurricanes
History:
- 2011–12 – 2nd (5-2), eliminated in the semi-finals
- 2012–13 – 6th (4-4)
- 2013–14 – 4th (3-1-4), eliminated in the final
- 2014–15 – 5th (3-5)
- 2015–16 – 7th (3-5)
- 2016–17 – 7th (3-5)
Squad:
George Bailey (c), Jofra Archer (international), James Bazley, Cameron Boyce, Dan Christian, Hamish Kingston, Ben McDermott, Simon Milenko, Tymal Mills (international), David Moody, Tim Paine, Jake Reed, Sam Rainbird, Tom Rogers, Clive Rose, D’Arcy Short, Matthew Wade.
INS: Jofra Archer (WI), Tymal Mills, Tom Rogers, David Moody, Matt Wade.
OUTS: Stuart Broad, Kumar Sangakkara, Shaun Tait, Beau Webster, Jonathan Wells, Dominic Michael
Daily Telegraph prediction: 8th
Ladbrokes’ prediction: 6th
The good:
- Unlikely to lose much talent to international commitments
- Have retained the services of George Bailey
- All-rounder Jofra Archer could prove to be a good signing. The youngster has been impressive for Sussex in English domestic cricket.
The bad:
- Weaker overall squad on paper compared to other squads
- Lose a lot of experience with the departures of Stuart Broad, Kumar Sangakkara and Shaun Tait
Melbourne Renegades
History:
- 2011–12 – 7th (2-5)
- 2012–13 – 1st (7-1), eliminated in the semi-finals
- 2013–14 – 6th (3-5)
- 2014–15 – 6th (3-5)
- 2015–16 – 5th (3-5)
- 2016–17 – 5th (4-4)
Squad:
Aaron Finch (c), Dwayne Bravo (WI), Tom Cooper, Marcus Harris, Brad Hodge, Brad Hogg, Jon Holland, Tim Ludeman, Joe Mennie, Mohammad Nabi (AFG), Kieron Pollard (WI), Kane Richardson, Matt Short, Will Sutherland (rookie), Chris Tremain, Guy Walker, Beau Webster, Cameron White, Jack Wildermuth.
INS: Tim Ludeman, Kane Richardson, Jack Wildermuth, Brad Hodge, Jon Holland, Joe Mennie, Mohammad Nabi, Will Sutherland (rookie), Beau Webster.
OUTS: Peter Nevill, Peter Siddle, Callum Ferguson, Matthew Wade, Sunil Narine.
Daily Telegraph prediction: 3rd
Ladbrokes’ prediction: 8th
The good:
- Have a lot of experience in the squad
- Dwayne Bravo is expected to be available for the duration of the tournament
- A lot of flexibility to the high number of all-rounders
The bad:
- Aaron Finch might be called away to international duty
- Sunil Narine, one of the top BBL bowlers last season, has pulled out of the competition
- Kieran Pollard will miss the first seven games (virtually the entire season!) due to international duties
- James Pattinson looks set to miss the season due to injury
Melbourne Stars
History:
- 2011–12 – 4th (4-3), eliminated in the semi-finals
- 2012–13 – 3rd (5-3), eliminated in the semi-finals
- 2013–14 – 1st (8-0), eliminated in the semi-finals
- 2014–15 – 3rd (5-3), eliminated in the semi-finals
- 2015–16 – 2nd (5-3), eliminated in the final
- 2016–17 – 4th (4-4), eliminated in the semi-finals
Squad:
Michael Beer, Scott Boland, Jackson Coleman, Ben Dunk, James Faulkner, Seb Gotch, Evan Gulbis, Peter Handscomb, Sam Harper, John Hastings (c), Ben Hilfenhaus, Glenn Maxwell, Kevin Pietersen (ENG), Rob Quiney, Marcus Stoinis, Dan Worrall, Luke Wright (ENG), Adam Zampa.
INS: Jackson Coleman (upgrade), Ben Dunk (Strikers).
OUTS: David Hussey (retired), Tom Triffitt.
Daily Telegraph prediction: 1st
Ladbrokes’ prediction: 3rd
The good:
- Incredibly consistent, finishing in the top 4 in every season of the BBL thus far
- Strong squad with a lot of international experience
- Have signed Ben Dunk, who was the top scorer in the competition last season
- There’s no risk of Kevin Pietersen being called into the England ODI squad
The bad:
- Could lose a lot of talent later in the tournament to international call-ups, which is one of the recurring reasons for the side only making one final despite qualifying for the semi-finals six times
Perth Scorchers
History:
- 2011–12 – 1st (5-2), eliminated in the final
- 2012–13 – 2nd (5-3), eliminated in the final
- 2013–14 – 3rd (5-3), title winners
- 2014–15 – 2nd (5-2), title winners
- 2015–16 – 3rd (5-3), eliminated in the semi-finals
- 2016–17 – 1st (5-3), title winners
Squad:
Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Jason Behrendorff, Hilton Cartwright, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Johnson, Michael Klinger, Mitch Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Joel Paris, Jhye Richardson, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, Adam Voges (c), Sam Whiteman, David Willey (ENG)
INS: Cameron Green, Josh Inglis
OUTS: Ian Bell, James Muirhead
Daily Telegraph prediction: 2nd
Ladbrokes’ prediction: 1st
The good:
- Incredibly consistent, finishing no less than 3rd in the regular season standings and making 5 of the 6 BBL finals, winning 3 of them
- Have retailed the nucleus of last year’s title-winning squad, which was the first team to finish 1st in the regular standings and go on to win the tournament
- Boast great depth in their bowling attack
- Have retained Michael Klinger, the all-time highest scorer in the BBL
The bad:
- Could lose key players to international duties later in the season
- The side has been beset by injuries, including Nathan Coulter-Nile (back) and Sam Whiteman (finger), Jason Behrendorff and Joel Paris
- We might not see any of Mitch Marsh, Shaun Marsh or Cameron Bancroft due to international commitments
Sydney Sixers
History:
- 2011–12 – 3rd (5-2), title winners
- 2012–13 – 7th (3-5)
- 2013–14 – 2nd (6-2), eliminated in the semi-finals
- 2014–15 – 4th (5-3), eliminated in the final
- 2015–16 – 8th (2-6)
- 2016–17 – 3rd (5-3), runners up
Squad:
Sean Abbott, Sam Billings (England), Jackson Bird, Johan Botha, Ben Dwarshuis, Mickey Edwards, Jack Edwards (rookie), Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Nathan Lyon, Nic Maddinson, Peter Nevill, Steve O’Keefe, Jason Roy (England), Jordan Silk, Mitchell Starc, Henry Thornton.
INS: Peter Nevill (Renegades), Henry Thornton (upgrade).
OUTS: Ryan Carters (retired), Brad Haddin (retired), Michael Lumb (retired), Joe Mennie (Renegades), Doug Bollinger (unsigned), Josh Hazlewood.
Daily Telegraph prediction: 5th
Ladbrokes’ prediction: 2nd
The good:
- The core of the squad is the same as last season
The bad:
- Will only have access to Nathan Lyon near the end of the tournament
- It’s unlikely we will see anything of Mitchell Starc due to international commitments
- Jason Roy and Sam Billings will likely depart for international duties halfway through the tournament
Sydney Thunder
History:
- 2011–12 – 8th (2-5)
- 2012–13 – 8th (0-8)
- 2013–14 – 8th (1-7)
- 2014–15 – 6th (3-5)
- 2015–16 – 4th (4-4), title winners
- 2016–17 – 8th (3-5)
Squad:
Fawad Ahmed, Aiden Blizzard, Jos Buttler (ENG), Pat Cummins, Andrew Fekete, Callum Ferguson, Ryan Gibson, Chris Green, Liam Hatcher (rookie), Usman Khawaja, Jay Lenton, Mitchell McClenaghan (NZ), Clint McKay, Arjun Nair, Kurtis Patterson, Ben Rohrer, Gurinder Sandhu, Shane Watson.
INS: Jos Buttler (ENG, first six only), Andrew Fekete (Heat), Mitchell McClenaghan (NZ), Callum Ferguson (Renegades), Liam Hatcher (rookie).
OUTS: Carlos Brathwaite (WI), Jake Doran, Nathan McAndrew, Alister McDermott, Eoin Morgan (ENG), Andre Russell (WI, banned), James Vince (ENG).
Daily Telegraph prediction: 3rd
Ladbrokes’ prediction: 5th
The good:
- Have retained the services of Shane Watson, who has shown promising form in Sydney grade T20 cricket
- Have signed promising English batsman Jos Buttler
- Have added experience the the addition of Callum Ferguson
The bad:
- Finished last in 4 of the 6 BBL seasons thus far
- Jos Buttler will likely depart for international duties and miss the end of the season
- Pat Cummins is unlikely to feature due to international duties and I’m not sure if Usman Khawaja will feature either
Betting Tips
I would back the Melbourne Stars at 6.40 with Betfair and look to lay them later at shorter odds when they lose players to international duties. I also like the Brisbane Heat at 6.60 but, again, I would lay them later if Chris Lynn is pulled away to international duty.
Given the 1st placed team last season finished 5-3 while the 8th placed side finished just two wins back at 3-5, it’s worth taking a small punt on the Hobart Hurricanes at 14.50 because they will be the least impacted by international duties. If they can sneak into the playoffs then anything can happen.
The team I’m the least inclined to back is the Adelaide Strikers at 9.40. You can lay them with Betfair at 9.80.
For top batsman I would consider someone who will play for the duration of the competition. Some names that come to mind are Brendon McCullum at 9.00 (bet365) and Michael Klinger at 10.00 (bet365). If Chris Lynn is fit and plays enough games then he too is a real chance at 8.00 (William Hill). Lynn was the 5th highest scorer last season despite just playing 5 games! Another big chance is is Ben Dunk at 13.00 (bet365) if he doesn’t get called up to international duty, because the Melbourne Stars are a good chance of making the playoffs.
Betting Resources
Bookmaker cricket promotions
Active bookmaker promotions for the Big Bash League can be found in the bookmaker promotions section. Please note that this section isn’t available to NSW visitors.
Form guides
Weekly BBL form guides are available in the Data section. These provide recent results, head-to-head data and historical betting values for the upcoming round of fixtures.
Bookmaker odds comparison
View and compare the latest Big Bash League odds in the Bookmaker Odds section. Odds are provided for both fixtures and futures markets.
Compare the latest BBL futures odds.
Historical data
To assist you with model building, historical BBL data, including game results and bookmaker odds, can be found in the Data section. The data set is updated daily during the season and is available in Excel (.xlsx) format.
Live scores
Live cricket scores, recent results and upcoming match schedules are available in the Live Scores section.
On AusSportsTipping.com
Our sister site provides the following Big Bash League resources.
Match Centres
AusSportsTipping.com offers Big Bash League match centres for every fixture. Each match centre provides bookmaker odds, member tipping tallies, form guides and in-depth performance guides for the game.
Interactive form guide
The Interactive Big Bash League Form Guide enables you to filter each team’s form by home/away and strength of opponent.
Betting Value Index
The Big Bash League betting value index ranks each team based on their betting value in the head-to-head market. The data can be filtered by date.
Home-field Advantage Analysis
The Big Bash League home-field advantage analysis compares each team’s winning record at home versus away. League averages and medians are also provided. The data can be filtered by date.
Elo Ratings
The Big Bash League Elo ratings tool enables you to calculate the Elo ratings of each team using the parameters of your choosing.