How to Bet in Cricket

Betting on sports is a popular way to generate interest for the game. Cricket betting is steadily gaining popularity among enthusiasts because the sport offers a variation from other popular sporting events such as football and soccer. In addition, there are many different types of wagers on different types of cricketing events. With the emergence of the T20--or twenty-twenty--format in cricket, many fans have found renewed interest for the shorter, more action-packed version of the game, and betting on the sport has become more popular.

Instructions

  1. Procedure

    • 1

      Familiarize yourself with the three most popular international formats of the game, including ODI (one-day international), T20 (twenty-twenty) and Test (5-day). Follow the historical performances of teams in each format. For example, India may be better at T20s whereas South Africa may be the better Test side.

    • 2

      Understand betting conventions in cricket. Since betting involves three distinct formats, it follows that there are differences in the types of bets you can make on each format. For an ODI series between two teams--as opposed to a tournament involving at least three teams--there is going to be a home side and an away side. The home team always has the upper hand, and this is reflected in the odds. Suppose Zimbabwe, a weak side, traveled to Australia, a strong side, for an ODI series. The Australians would be favorites to win.

    • 3

      Understand and review "outright" odds, which are wagers made on the outcome of a game, regardless of individual players' performances. For the aforementioned series between Zimbabwe and Australia, you would see outright odds such as: 9/1 Zimbabwe, 1/5 Australia. This means if you bet $1 on Zimbabwe, you would earn $9 if they won, and if you bet $5 on Australia, you would earn $1 if Australia won. In T20 and ODI games, wagers are void if the game is drawn or ends in a no-result, and the bets are settled as "no action."

    • 4

      Review odds for Test matches. Unlike ODI and T20, you can bet on a game ending in a draw in a Test match, because many test matches do end in draws after the fifth day. For a Test match, you may see odds such as: 7/1 Bangladesh, 1/3 England, 7/2 Draw. If a bettor placed a bet favoring the game ending in a draw, he would earn $7 for every $2 risked.

    • 5

      Understand odds on batting performance. In a T20 tournament, you could see odds such as: Gayle 7/1 To Be Leading IPL Six-Hitter. The outcome of this bet will depend on whether Chris Gayle hits the highest number of sixes by the end of the IPL (Indian Premier League) season. If Gayle is the highest six-hitter, you will earn $7 for every $1 that you risked; if on the other hand some other player hits more sixes, you will lose all the money you risked.

    • 6

      Understand odds on bowling performance. In an ODI match between Sri Lanka and England, an odds stating "Plunkett 5/2 To Take 3" means a bettor would win $5 for every $2 risked if Liam Plunkett took at least three wickets during the game. Another odd stating 'Vaas 4/1 To Go For 40' would mean that a better would win $4 for every $1 risked if Chaminda Vaas costs more than 40 runs for Sri Lanka, in his 10-over spell.