The Heat and Sixers go head-to-head on the Gold Coast, with a spot in the BBL13 Final up for grabs. Can the Heat carry on their regular season form? Or will the Sixers book their place in their seventh BBL Final? We bring you our full game preview, best bet, and Same Game Multi below!
Also, make sure to check out our full Heat vs Sixers fantasy breakfown and tips, as we look to help you build your Draftstars lineups!
Big Bash League (BBL13) The Qualifier Betting Tips
Heritage Bank Stadium, Friday 19th January, 7:40pm AEDT
Brisbane Heat
Predicted XI: Josh Brown, Matthew Renshaw, Jimmy Peirson, Nathan McSweeney, Paul Walter, Michael Neser, Xavier Bartlett, Spencer Johnson, Mitch Swepson, Matt Kuhnemann, Max Bryant
The Heat have been decimated by player availability at the worst possible time of the season, with arguably their four best batsmen out of the side. It was known Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne would be unavailable, however two of their top four run scorers in Colin Monro and Sam Billings have headed to the IL20. Fortunately for the Heat, Matthew Renshaw has been granted permission to leave the Test squad to play on Friday.
The Heat had their first look at their new look batting unit in their final regular season game against the Scorchers, as Jimmy Peirson (42) and Max Bryant (29) getting some valuable time in the middle ahead of the Finals. Despite the impressive performances, it’s going to be tough to replace the 224 and 145 runs Munro and Billings have scored this season respectively, both going at strike rates of 140.
Another tough blow for the Heat during the Finals is the unavailability of their home ground, with the Gabba out of action due to the second Test between Australia and the West Indies next week. The Heat are 4-0 at the Gabba this season, and have an awful 2-6 record at Heritage Bank Stadium. The Heat haven’t played at the venue since 2022, so there isn’t going to be the home ground advantage that they’ve experienced at the Gabba.
Sydney Sixers
Predicted XI: Daniel Hughes, Josh Philippe, Kurtis Patterson, Moises Henriques, Jordan Silk, Jack Edwards, Hayden Kerr, Sean Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis, Stephen O’Keefe, Todd Murphy
The Sixers have been dealt a huge blow at selection with James Vince leaving the tournament to head to the IL20. Vince has been the Sixers leading run scorer with 244 runs, and will likely be replaced by Kurtis Patterson. Given the experience and quality the Sixers possess, they’ll be better placed to handle the absence of Vince, and go into The Qualifier with a stronger lineup than the Heat.
The Sixers earned their place in The Qualifier by pulling off the impossible - beating the Scorchers in Perth. The Sixers chased down a target of 198 off the final ball of the innings, as Moises Henriques finished with an unbeaten 47 off 20 deliveries. Daniel Hughes was the backbone of the innings, scoring 74 off 43 to put the Sixers in a great position.
The Sixers are peaking at the right time of the season, winning three straight games heading into the Finals series.
Match Prediction
The Heat have had an incredible regular season, with a 7-1 record from their eight completed games, however things are going wrong for the Heat at the worst possible time. Losing Munro and Billings leaves a huge hole in their batting line up, with not only the amount of runs they’ve scored this season, but at the strike rate they score at. Not getting to play at the Gabba is also a huge disadvantage for the Heat, which will have the Sixers full of confidence coming into this game
Tournament play is all about peaking at the right time of the season, and that is exactly what the Sixers are doing. Their batting unit is starting to find form, and the Heat are vulnerable with the absences they have. The Sixers have a side that has an abundance of Finals experience, which will hold them in good stead for whatever this fixture has in store for them. The Sixers will ride their wave of momentum and punch their ticket to the BBL13 Final.
Sydney Sixers to Win
$1.73 (1.5 Units)
Same Game Multi
Josh Phillipe 15+ Runs: Much like the Sixers, after a slow start to the season, Phillipe is beginning to hit form. Phillipe has scores of 32, 47 and 41 from three of his last four games and has scored at least fifteen runs in seven of his nine innings in BBL13.
Spencer Johnson To Take a Wicket: Johnson has followed up his breakout campaign in BBL12, with another quality season in BBL13. Johnson has taken 10 wickets this season to rank in the top ten for the leading wicket takers in the competition. Johnson has taken a wicket in seven of his eight games this season.
Stephen O’Keefe 2+ Wickets: O’Keefe has produced his best form late in the season, taking five wickets from his last four games. O’Keefe has taken twelve wickets against the Heat, the third most for any player in games between the Heat and Sixers.
