The Australian Summer of Cricket is now in full swing! The Test matches are underway, the Sheffield Shield is reaching its climax and the 2018-19 Big Bash League season is about to kick off! There’s plenty of hype around the eighth season in the Big Bash League and as usual, we bring you our full season preview and betting tips for the upcoming BBL08 season below!
Remember, you can check out our season previews for all eight teams and where we predict they will finish in BBL08 by heading to our Blogs Page or using the links below!
2018-19 Big Bash League Season Betting Tips (BBL08)
The Contenders
The Adelaide Strikers will be aiming to successfully defend their BBL title this year and come into the season as second favourites. They possess a dominant batting lineup and arguably the best spinner in the Big Bash League in Rashid Khan. Along with the Perth Scorchers, the Adelaide home field advantage is one of the best in the league and we think they are a certainty to finish in the top four this season.
The most successful team in Big Bash League history, the Perth Scorchers will be looking to win a record fourth BBL title this season and continue their run as the only side in the compeition to never miss the top four. While the Scorchers batting line-up looks a little thin and relies heavily on all-rounders, it’s the fast bowling stocks that make the Scorchers a threat in any game, especially at home. Andrew Tye, Nathan Coulter-Nile, David Willey, Jhye Richardson, Joel Paris and Jason Behrendorff all have international experience and should make the Scorchers a contender in BBL08.
As they have done for the past few seasons, the Heat will rely heavily on a few key players in BBL08. They will see themselves as a real contender for the title this season, but it will only happen with strong seasons from the likes of Brendon McCullum, Chris Lynn and Ben Cutting. The Heat definitely have enough role players to support them on their quest for a second title, but at the end of the day it comes down to those three.
The fourth favourite to win the title and our pick in BBL08 is the Hobart Hurricanes. The Canes reached the final of the Big Bash League for the second time in BBL07 and came out second best for the second time. They will be hungry to claim their first title this season and have added some extremely key pieces in the likes of James Faulkner, Jake Doran and Johan Botha.
The Canes also possess some guys who are in great form in the domestic competitions at the moment. Matthew Wade has arguably been the best batsman in the country through the domestic one day and Shield seasons and George Bailey is coming off a great hundred in his last Shield game. D’Arcy Short proved himself to be one of the best T20 batsmen in the country last season and will be looking to have another big season.
Unfortunately for the Melbourne and Sydney teams, it looks like they are both a bit behind the eight ball this season. While one or two could surprise and reach the top four, we don’t expect any of the four teams to be challenging for the title.
The Sixers in particular look very weak to us. They were arguably the best of the bad teams last season but have lost a few key pieces this year in Johan Botha, Nic Maddinson and Jon Hastings who has had to withdraw from the season through illness. We think they are odds on to finish bottom this season.
Sixers to finish bottom
$5.00
Player Props
When looking for a high runscorer or wicket taker prop bet, arguably the most important thing to take into consideration is how many games will your selection actually play. With three ODI’s scheduled against India at the start of January, some of the top picks are likely to miss a few games eg. D’Arcy Short, Chris Lynn and Ben McDermott.
Of the guys that shouldn’t be hindered by international selection, we like the look of Michael Kilnger from the Perth Scorchers. The Scorchers are pretty light on top order batsmen this season, esepcially with Shaun Marsh set to miss the majority of the season with Test duty.
Klinger is the all-time leading run scorer in the Big Bash League and although he is now 38 years old and had a bit of a down season last year, the Scorchers possess no other openers bar Klinger and Bancroft, so he should get all of the opportunity he can handle.
Michael Klinger most runs
$15
Top Tournament Wicket Taker
Much like Short, Lynn and co. There are plenty of top BBL bowlers who will likely get a look into the three match ODI series against India in January. Andrew Tye, who was third in the top BBL wicket takers last season will almost certainly be on the team alongside the likes of Billy Stanlake and Nathan Coulter-Nile.
Rashid Khan and Dwayne Bravo led the BBL in wickets last season with 18 apiece and open the betting markets as the two favourites again. We are looking a bit further down the list for value this season and opting for a resurgence from the former Renegade turned Brisbane Heat fast bowler James Pattinson.
After a few injury prone seasons, Pattinson finally looks to be back fit and firing and has a great opportunity to shine in Brisbane this season. Pattinson is far and away the cream of the fast bowling crop in a Heat line-up that includes Mark Steketee and Brendan Doggett. If he can stay healthy he should get plenty of opportunity and not be hindered by international duty.
James Pattinson most wickets
$15
