Friday night lights bring the Sydney Derby to life as the Sydney Sixers square off against the Sydney Thunder in a clash with very different motivations on either side. The Sixers are still chasing a finals berth and know there is little margin for error, while the Thunder arrive with nothing to lose and the chance to play spoiler against their cross-town rivals.
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Big Bash League (BBL15) Sixers vs Thunder Betting Tips
SCG, Friday 16th January, 7:15pm AEDT
Sydney Sixers
The Sixers sit fifth on the ladder with a 4–3 record and likely need to win their final two games to give themselves the best chance of qualifying for finals. Their most recent outing against the Hurricanes was washed out on Sunday night with just five overs bowled, leaving them fresh but still searching for rhythm heading into this crucial derby.
Selection-wise, the Sixers have been bolstered significantly in recent weeks. Steve Smith has rejoined the squad, while Sam Curran and Sean Abbott have also come back into the side during the back half of the season, dramatically lifting their ceiling with both bat and ball. Batting depth has been a mild concern so far, with Josh Philippe the only Sixer to surpass 200 runs this season, but Smith’s presence should go a long way toward stabilising the top and middle order.
Sydney Thunder
It has been a season to forget for the Thunder, who sit bottom of the table at 2–7, but they do arrive off a morale-boosting win over the Renegades in a rain-affected contest on Monday night. Bowling first, Sydney did well to restrict Melbourne to 8 for 170, with Wes Agar the standout, claiming 2 for 23 from his four overs.
Rain then shortened the chase to 140 from 16 overs, and after a shaky start it was Chris Green and Nic Maddinson who steadied the ship. Both chipped in with quickfire 30s to guide the Thunder home with four balls to spare, offering a glimpse of what this side can do when things click. With nothing to lose, expect them to throw everything at their more fancied rivals.
Match Prediction
It is hard to look past the Sixers here. They have far more at stake, greater depth across both disciplines, and recent inclusions that significantly raise their level. Steve Smith’s return in particular gives their batting an authority it has lacked at times this season.
The Thunder will relish the chance to disrupt their rivals’ finals push and won’t be rolling over, especially after tasting success earlier in the week. Still, over a full contest, the Sixers’ talent and motivation should tell. The lean is Sydney Sixers to take control of the derby and keep their finals hopes alive.
Sixers to Win
$1.57 (4 Units)
BBL Sixers vs Thunder Prop Bet
Steve Smith is a standout play. He rarely features in the Big Bash due to international commitments, but when he does, he almost never misses. Since the start of the 2022 BBL season, Smith’s scores read 36, 101, 125 not out, 66, 18, 61, 0, 121 not out and 52, averaging an extraordinary 82.9 in that span. With the Sixers needing a statement performance, this feels like another spot for Smith to deliver.
Smith Top Sixers runscorer
$3.35
