Cricket Betting for Beginners: Your Ultimate Guide

Whether you're a novice eager to dive into betting on cricket for the first time or seeking to refine your betting strategy, our comprehensive guide covers everything from match types and betting markets to expert strategies for each game. Discover how to enhance your betting skills and stay ahead of the curve as we highlight the year's main cricket events. Read on to transform your beginner's luck into a winning streak!

The Basics of Cricket Betting

Cricket is a game played between two teams of eleven players; one team bats and the other bowls. The batting side tries their best not to get dismissed while scoring as many runs as possible. The bowling side tries to dismiss the batting side whilst restricting them to as few runs as possible.  

The basic premise of cricket leads the way into a myriad of betting opportunities. 

Most Popular Cricket Betting Markets

• Win the match
• Draw the match
• Match odds draw no bet
• Top Batsmen
• Top Bowler
• To win the toss
• Innings Total
• Inning Line
• Total Fours
• Highest opening partnership
• Total sixes
• Method of dismissal 
• Man of the match
• Method of dismissal
• Series winner
• Series correct score
• Series handicap

Some people like to gamble on single events, whilst others prefer something that offers multiple options for their bets and there are plenty of cricket markets available in both forms so everyone can find what they want!  

But how do these betting markets work, and which are the best to use?

We shall look in more details at many of these popular betting markets below. 

Different Cricket Disciplines

The three main games of cricket you would be betting on are 

• Test Cricket.
• One Day matches. 
• Twenty20. 

One Day Internationals

One Day Internationals (ODIs) are the most common form of international cricket and international cricket is always a form of the game that attracts plenty of money, much of which is patriotic bets.

The Cricket World Cup is a an (ODI).

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Twenty20

Twenty20 cricket was first professionally played in England in 2003 and since then it has become a huge phenomenon and a form of the game that attracts plenty of bets due to the convenient start times of games and short incident packed matches. 

The games last around 3 hours and in running betting can be frenetic. 

The Australian Big Bash tournament has also proved incredibly popular and we cover all angles in a dedicated article titled the Big Bash League Betting Preview. 

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Test Cricket

Test Cricket is the long form of the game and takes place over a number of days.

 Although slower paced than other forms of the game, the fact that teams are competing in a series of matches means there are more long term markets available such as series winner and series correct score.

Those of you who like to bet in running can find test cricket the perfect medium with these longer matches ebbing and flowing. 

We investigated the best bookmakers for in running betting and the results are documented and regularly updated. 

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The Ashes series is a test cricket event.

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Cricket Betting Markets

In this section, I will be looking at many of the markets available for betting on cricket either before the matched begin or once the toss has been completed and the actions started.

You will need the best cricket betting site to place your bets and fortunately the OLBG experts have done the hard work and created a comprehensive guide 

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There are many markets available for cricket betting, and these range from the straight-forward win or lose to more exotic bets such as predicting how long a partnership will last in an innings.

Many of these cricket betting markets are available to tip and comment on via the OLBG Cricket Tipping Competition.  

• Match Betting Markets

Match betting is betting on the event itself. 

• Winner Market

Match betting in cricket works in the same way as other sports, it is a bet on the outcome of the match. If your match bet is a winner you will be paid at the odds when you struck your bet.

The winner market normally has the most bets placed. 

Some matches are two way markets with a draw not quoted, whilst others are three way markets including the draw. 

For those of you who need to understand odds please visit the article below. 

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• Match Odds Draw No Bet

If you backed India or England at the odds in the right hand column and the match ended in a draw you would get your money back. 

You are getting poorer odds in the DNB market but have a safety net if the game is drawn. 

Team	Match Odds	Draw No Bet
India	4/9	1/3
Draw	15/2	-
England	11/4	5/2

• Top Team Batsman

This bet is usually separated by the teams and to pick the winning outcome you must pick the top scoring batsman for one of the teams, or both if you wish to place two bets. 

This is normally a pretty competitive market, reflecting the chances of picking the winning outcome.

• Top Team Bowler

The same principles apply to this bet as the top team batsman, this bet is settled based on the cumulative wickets gained from each bowler throughout the match.

• To Win The Toss

Do not bet on this, both options will be odds on. 

• Man of the Match

A fairly self explanatory bet, this is on the official man of the match and since both teams’ players are included in this bet you can expect bigger odds than you would have received betting on the top team batsman.

• Innings Total

There will be a runs figure offered by the bookmakers and spread betting firms, it can be offered on the first 6 overs or a session of cricket or an innings. 

A figure will be set and you take odds on whether that figure will be achieved. 

India v England	Innings Runs	Decimal Odds
England	150 runs or lower	2.0
England	151-180 runs	2.2
England	181 runs  or over	2.6

• Innings Line

A line will be set, say 165 runs and you have to decide whether that will be beaten (over) or not beaten (under). 

You can also get over/under markets on individual players

• Ben Stokes 1st Innings

• Over /Under 40.5 runs
• Over/Under 44.5 runs
• Over/Under 49.5 runs

• Total Fours/Sixes

How many will be achieved in an innings or session or match. 

• Highest Opening Partnership

An interesting bet which requires the punter to predict which team’s opening partnership will score the most runs in a match. The draw is pretty unlikely in this bet and the odds usually reflect the match odds for both sides.

• Method of Dismissal

Bet on how  you think the next wicket will fall:

• Bowled
• Caught
• LBW
• Run Out
• Stumped 

Test Betting Markets

• Series Winner Betting

This bet is similar to the match betting except this time the bet is on the outcome of the entire series instead of just one match.

• Series Correct Score

A popular bet across a test series, this is a bet on the final test score after all the tests have been played. Since it offers an interest across all tests it can offer great entertainment at competitive and changeable odds throughout the series.

• Top Team Batsman

This is very similar to the bet of the same name for each match except the bet is settled based on cumulative scores from each batsman after all test matches have been played in the series. 

This is another bet that can give an interest in several test matches at competitive odds.

• Top Team Bowler

The same principles apply to this bet as the top team batsman for the series, this bet is settled based on the cumulative wickets gained from each bowler throughout the series.

• Series Handicap

This is a bet on the winner of the series taking into account the handicap set by the bookmakers before the series begins. One of the teams is given a head start and one is given a handicap and when that handicap is applied to the end result there will be just one winner in this market, just like in the series winner betting, although the outcome will often differ from the match result because of the handicap. 

This bet can often offer better value than the series winner betting and is always worth checking out if you are considering a bet on the series winner.

There are enough markets there to find a bet that you want to make on a cricket match, but rest assured, once you get to the cricket section of whichever betting app you use and find an event you are interested in, you will find a good amount more.

In Play Cricket Betting

Cricket is almost tailor-made for in-play betting, especially 5-day test matches, as so much action can happen.

You have plenty of time to add more bets to those you placed before the event to either top up on your confidence or try to right the wrong of a wayward bet that has been going against you since the start of play.

The different forms of the game allow in running punters to find a game that suits the pace of their in running style. 

Those more familiar with in running betting may prefer to bet on Twenty20 cricket whilst punters who are newer to in running betting on cricket might wish to get to grips with this through betting on ODIs and tests.

In running betting on cricket is incredibly popular, as it allows in running punters to adjust their position in the market + they have more time available to make those betting decisions. 

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Most of the pre match markets are available in running on the bigger cricket events and there are also in running specific markets available such as ‘next man out’ and ‘the method of next dismissal’.

 Although cricket can be a slower sport than others, the odds swings during the game can be huge with many markets volatile. 

We recommend that those who are new to in running betting on any sport should paper trade for a while before feeling comfortable and betting with real money.

Trading Cricket on the Betting Exchanges

Many bettors who follow cricket regularly trade live during matches 

If we compare pre match to in play then cricket as a sport has the biggest in play percentage compared to pre match. 

There can be huge betting exchange liquidity (the amount of money available to trade) especially from cricket mad asian fans. 

The betting exchanges such as Betfair, Smarkets, Betdaq and Matchbook allow you to trade your bets at any time. 

The olbg betting experts have created a guide to the best betting exchanges, this guide includes positive and negatives of each exchange, free bets , head to head comparisons, reviews of the leading players. 

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Betting Exchanges UK - The best sites in the UK 2024

For those who would like to start trading we also have a full guide to trading on the exchanges. 

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How to Effectively Use a Betting Exchange: The Ultimate Guide

Spread Betting on Cricket

In spread betting on cricket you can bet on Teams, Runs, Batsman and Bowler Performance, 4s and 6s, wides and host of other cricket markets. 

With spread betting you Buy if you think it will be higher than the spread and you Sell if you think it will be lower than the spread. 

In the India v England  win market you can see that India are priced at:

• Sell 16.8 
• Buy 18.3

The market will be settled at:

• Win 25 points
• Draw 10 Points
• Lose 0 Points

Spread Bet	Sell	Buy	Result	Profit/Loss	Winnings
Buy India £5 a point	16.8	18.3	India Win	18.3 (-25) = 6.7 x your £5 stake =	£33.50
Buy India £5 a point	16.8	18.3	India Lose	18.3 (-0) = 18.3 x your £5 Stake =	(-£91.50)

Had you bought India you can see the result depending on how the game finished. The more right you are with spread betting the more you win .. but the more wrong you are the more you can lose. 

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Things to Consider When betting on Cricket

The more informed you are about the event, teams and players, the better the position you may be in to make a prediction on the upcoming action. 

These are some things to consider before betting on a cricket match.

Statistics

Everything that happens in cricket is a statistic meaning cricket punters often have more information at their disposal than people who bet other sports. Do your research, check all the stats you can and draw your own conclusions from those stats to find the best bets in each market on each match. Then only back the bets you have found that you deem to offer the best value.

Pitch Conditions

The pitch plays a pivotal role in how many runs are scored and wickets taken. 

Clues can be gleaned from which team wins the toss, the captains decision to either bat or bowl can indicate how he thinks it will play. 

Take in all the information from the pre match pundits and monitor how the pitch is changing as the game progresses

Weather

Always keep an eye on the weather if you are betting on a cricket match. Bad weather means no play in most cases and this can have a huge impact on which way the game goes. Even the different weather types during which cricket can still be played take their toll on a match with sunny conditions often favouring the batsman and overcast conditions more likely to favour bowlers.

Different Disciplines Equal Different Results

With so many forms of the game, it is essential to differentiate between each discipline. Some teams may be having a great run in Twenty20 cricket but will struggle in test matches, whilst other teams may be doing well when it comes to ODIs, but their form may need improvement in Twenty20; never assume form from one discipline will translate to another.

Know Your Terms And Conditions

Different bookmakers and exchanges can have different rules when it comes to settling cricket bets. Most will be the same across the board but some markets, especially those more susceptible to ties, can have different settlement terms and conditions and before placing any bets it is worth making yourself aware of these with the bookmaker you are choosing so that there are no nasty surprises.

Summary of Cricket Betting for Beginners

Hopefully the above information and links have helped you when it comes to cricket betting. 

Why not add some comments and tips in the cricket tipping competition or follow the best cricket tipsters on OLBG.

FAQ

Author

Steve Madgwick, OLBG Editor in Chief, is the author of this cricket betting article. Steve has over two decades of experience in creating sports betting content, always endeavouring to explain the intricacies and vagaries of sports betting to a new audience.

Another of our OLBG Betting Experts, Nigel Skinner, updated and fact-checked the article. 

Nigel, a Kent supporter, has followed the county since the long-gone days of one-day cricket when tobacco and razor companies sponsored the game.  

Responsible Gambling

Whether betting on cricket or any sport, you must gamble responsibly. At OLBG, we have always advocated this approach. With this in mind, we have a host of responsible gambling articles, including the two below. . 

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