How to bet on cricket

Don't have an account? Create Account

Cricket has been around for hundreds of years. Originating from England, modern cricket remains hugely popular in places like the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand as well as parts of Asia and Africa.

Like any major sport, there are plenty of opportunities to bet on cricket. If you are new to cricket or sports betting in general, Sports Interaction has you covered with everything you need to know to bet on cricket.

Cricket forms

Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on a field. Before you can understand how to bet on cricket, however, you need to know the most common forms of professional cricket.

One of the main forms of professional cricket is called first-class cricket, in which teams have two innings apiece. First-class cricket has a scheduled duration of anywhere from three to five days. Each match day consists of about six hours of playing time with specified break periods.

Another common form of cricket is known as ‘limited overs cricket’, which limits teams to a single inning each. Limited overs cricket matches are planned to last one day, with each team typically bowling 50 overs.

An ‘over’ consists of six legal deliveries bowled from one end of the pitch to the player batting. The action looks similar to a pitcher versus a hitter in baseball.

A second form of limited overs cricket is Twenty20. In this form of cricket, teams are generally limited to 20 overs each, with matches lasting about three hours.

While professional cricket matches can last multiple days, local amateur club matches rarely play matches that last longer than a single day.

Now that you have a general idea of how professional cricket works, there are several ways to bet on cricket, starting with match betting.

Match betting

Match betting is the most popular form of cricket betting and it works the same way as moneyline betting in sports like hockey or basketball.

The example above shows match betting options for a cricket match between England and Australia. Bettors have three options in match betting. In this case, the options are England to win, Australia to win, or the match to end in a draw.

Generally, the favourite to win a match will be indicated by a minus (-) sign, while the underdog will have a plus (+) sign.

In matches that show both teams with a plus sign, like the example above, the favourite is the team with the lowest number next to the plus sign. That means England is favoured to win at +128 and Australia is a slim underdog at +135.

A $10 bet on England at +128 would earn you $12.80 profit. The same bet on Australia at +135 would earn $13.50. If you bet $10 on a draw at +391, a winning wager would earn $39.10.

Completed match

A completed match bet is made based on whether the bettor thinks a single match will be finished in the same day or not. It is a simple yes or no bet on the match being completed the same day it begins.

A potential weather delay is the most important variable to take into consideration when you look at completed match betting.

Innings runs or Over/Under

Innings runs bets work the same way as Over/Under bets in other sports. A sportsbook will establish a specific number of runs for an inning or match and the bettor is wagering on whether the actual number of runs will be more (Over) or less (Under) than the number the sportsbook provided.

Top bowler

The top bowler is another straightforward bet. The bettor picks a player from either team who they expect to have the most wickets in the match.

Bowler match bets

A bowler match bet is a simpler form of the top bowler bet. Instead of choosing the top bowler in the match, bettors are given an option between two players and only need to select the top bowler of the two.

Top batsman betting

In a top batsman bet, the bettor is choosing the player from either team who they think will score the most runs in a match.

Another variation of this bet can include which team will have the top batsman in a match. Keep in mind, because this option is much easier to win, the payout will be smaller.

Batsman match betting

Batsman match bets work the same way as bowler match bets. The bettor is choosing between two batsmen and picking which one they think will score more runs in the match.

Tournament outright winner or futures bet

A tournament outright winner bet works the same way as a futures bet in other sports. The example above shows odds for the 2023 Cricket World Cup, which is scheduled to be hosted by India in October and November 2023. In this type of bet, you are picking which nation you think will win the 2023 Cricket World Cup.

Futures bets provide a higher payout because you are betting on something that can be weeks, months, or in some cases, years, away.

India is a +218 favourite to win the 2023 Cricket World Cup, which means a $100 bet would earn you $218 profit. If you take a team with longer odds and they win, like New Zealand at +800, the same $100 wager would earn $800.

Make sure to visit Sports Interaction for complete cricket betting odds.

This article was written by Sports Interaction. Sports Interaction’s content provides information that helps readers navigate the new landscape of sports betting in Canada.

Please confirm the betting laws and regulations in your jurisdiction as they vary from province to province and country to country. The site is not associated with nor is it endorsed by any professional or collegiate league, association or team.

Information in the above article is for entertainment purposes only and is not targeted to under 19 audiences. Using this information to contravene any law is prohibited. Visit the Responsible Gaming Council's Safer Play to keep gambling safe and fun.