Round 4 of the 2017-18 Big Bash League season has thrown up some interesting results so far with two out of the three matches played resulting in an underdog victory. At the time of writing, there is still one match to be played in Round 4. You can see the preview for that match here.
However, we are looking forward today, to Round 5 of BBL07, which features some blockbuster clashes including the massive Melbourne Derby. See our preview and tips for all five games of Round 5 below.
BBL07 Round 5 Betting Tips
Hobart Hurricanes vs Adelaide Strikers (Thursday 4th January 7.10pm AEDT)
Both the Strikers and the Hurricanes have played three games so far in BBL07. Adelaide sit second on the table having won all three of their games while the Hurricanes were able to produce their first victory of the 2017-18 season against the Thunder on Monday night. D’Arcy Short was brilliant in the win, blasting 97 from 63 balls to help the Hurricanes post a total of 189, which proved to be 9 too many for the Thunder at Spotless Stadium.
The Strikers haven’t played since the 31st of December, where they hosted the Heat and after posting a total of 147, bowled Brisbane out for just 91. The bowling has been a real standout for the Strikers so far, having taken 28 wickets through their three games. Ben Laughlin has once again been instrumental, picking up 9 wickets so far while 19-year-old prodigy Rashid Kahn is arguably the most exciting player in the BBL at the moment.
The Strikers have surprised in BBL07, that’s for sure, but we still think there are some serious issues with the bat. They have batted first in every match so far, posting totals of just 163, 167 and 147. While they are consistent numbers for sure, their bowling attack has had to be near perfect in all three games to get the win. So much weight still falls on the shoulders of Travis Head to perform with bat and ball.
The home field advantage doesn’t mean much in the BBL, but the Hurricanes have shown over the past few years that they know how to play Bellerive Oval and we think the $2.22 for them is great value, especially after coming off a good win against the Thunder.
TIP: Hobart Hurricanes to win - $2.22 at Sportsbet
Brisbane Heat vs Perth Scorchers (Friday 5th January 7.10pm AEDT)
It seems that the Perth Scorchers can have all manner of unavailable players through injury and international duty, but year after year they just keep winning. They currently sit atop the BBL07 table with a 4-0 record, having beaten both of the Melbourne teams and the Sydney Sixers, twice. Andrew Tye continues to be arguably the most underrated bowler in the country, and leads the league in wickets with 13 through 4 games.
While Brisbane have slipped up heavily in two of their games, they have looked absolutely dominant in their three victories, and currently sit 3rd on the table with a 3-2 record. It took them just 16 overs to chase down the Sydney Thunder total of 149 for their second win, and just 14 overs to chase down the Stars 141. Chris Lynn bounced back to form in his second game back from injury, smashing 63 off 46 balls to lead the Heat to victory over the Stars.
With Lynn back in the team and McCullum firing on all cylinders, the Heat boast arguably the best batting line-up in the league. Joe Burns has proven his worth already in the tournament with a few great innings while Alex Ross, Ben Cutting and Jimmy Peirson are all above average with the bat. McCullum and Lynn opening the batting is a daunting proposition for any team, if they can get going in the power-play and push the Heat to a 70+ score through those first six overs, the middle-lower order is capable of cruising to a monster total before Ben Cutting can pile on more late in the game.
On what has proven to be a great batting wickets in Shield games as well as the Test match this season, we think the Heat are capable of compiling a monster score on the Gabba here, and like them to win.
TIP: Brisbane Heat to win - $1.76 at Ladbrokes
Melbourne Stars vs Melbourne Renegades (Saturday 6th January 7.10pm AEDT)
Saturday night is set to be a massive clash between the two Melbourne teams as the MCG plays host to it’s first game of the BBL07 season. The Stars have been lacklustre to say the least so far this season, losing all three of their games, the last two in pretty embarrassing fashion. They have scored just 149 and 121 in their last two games and while Glenn Maxwell found some form in Tuesday’s game against the Scorchers, a complete batting performance has been hard to find from the Stars this season.
As we predicted at the start of the season, the Renegades have been massive improvers in BBL07 and currently sit fourth on the table with two wins from their three games. With still a game to play in Round 4 at the time of writing, they could improve that tally with a win over the Sixers. The Renegades batting line-up is extremely talented with Marcus Harris, Aaron Finch, Cam White, Tom Cooper and Brad Hodge all capable of turning a game singlehandedly.
Star recruit for the Renegades, Kieron Pollard, is still to come into the team, likely at the expense of spinner Mohammad Nabi, making the batting line-up of the Renegades even stronger in the middle. It’s unknown whether he’ll line-up for this clash, however.
The Melbourne Derbies are usually a flip of the coin, and while the odds haven’t been released yet due to the Renegades still having a game to play in Round 4, you can safely say that the betting will be pretty even on both sides. The MCG wicket was currently rated as poor after the Boxing Day Test due to a lack of opportunity for the bowlers. If it stays like that, we think it helps bring the Stars into the game more than anything, as their batting line-up has struggled through the first three games. Back them to get their first win on the board here.
TIP: Melbourne Stars to win – Price not yet available
Sydney Thunder vs Adelaide Strikers (Sunday 7th January 7.10pm AEDT)
The Strikers play their second away game of Round 5 on Sunday night as they travel to Sydney to take on the Thunder at Spotless Stadium. The Thunder currently have a 2-3 record through five games, and look on the up as star opening batsman Jos Butler has been great in their last two games. Shane Watson continues to get it done even at the age of 36, as he leads the competition in runs scored with 222 through five games.
Obviously at the time of writing this, the Strikers haven’t played their first Round 5 clash against the Hurricanes, so it’s hard to tell where they’ll be sitting going into this one, but with a 3-0 record heading into the round, just one win from the two games would set them up nicely to make a real push at the finals. We did tip them to lose to the Hurricanes, however, so the game here against the Thunder is the one we think they can pull out.
The Thunder have shown glimpses so far this season, but ultimately they have really struggled to put together a complete performance. Their bowling stocks are a real issue, and if spinner Fawad Ahmed fails to perform, wicket taking ability runs really thin. The Thunder were beaten comfortably by the Strikers back in Round 1 of BBL07, falling for just 110 in pursuit of the Adelaide’s score of 163. We think the Strikers get another comfortable win here.
TIP: Strikers to win – Price not yet available
Tips are provided for entertainment and information purposes, and do not guarantee profit. Always gamble responsibly.
