This Thursday, England heads to Manchester to take on Australia for the fourth time in as many weeks in part four of the Ashes 2023. And the cricket world couldn’t be more excited.
Statistically speaking, this is the second closest Test series in history. Considering there have been well over 2000 Tests across the course of nearly 150 years, that’s saying something. With every match going down to the wire, there’s every chance that the fourth Ashes Test will also be a tight affair as England looks to square the series 2-2 and force a decider in London next week.
We break down all the latest betting odds from bookmaker William Hill and outline the best bets to make on this much anticipated contest.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: July 19th, 8:00 P.M. (GMT)
Looking at the outright betting odds, for the first time this series, England is ahead. Unsurprisingly, odds are still neck and neck with England sitting at 2.50 to win the fourth Test, while Australia is slightly behind at 2.87. Odds for a draw are lower than previous Tests as well—likely considering Australia’s motivations—with this result paying only 3.30.
When it comes to outright betting, we say backing England is the way to go here. Everything about this English side over the past year indicates that they’ll go hammer and tongs at the Australians and look to force a result. While this approach could lead to the side crashing and burning, it worked 11 out of 13 times prior to this series, so the best bet is that they’ll pull off the win and level the series at 2-2.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: July 19th, 8:00 P.M. (GMT)
However, considering the risk inherent in this bet, another great option is to look at proposition bets instead. Looking at the odds for England’s top scorers, we see great value in again backing Harry Brook to be England’s main run scorer in the opening innings.
By Brook’s standards, he’s had a quiet series so far, picking up scores of 32, 46, 50, 4, 3 and 75. While four of his six scores have by no means been poor, given that he passed 50 seven times in seven Test matches prior to the Ashes, he’s well overdue for a big score. Coming off a score of 75, expect Brook to go well and make a century this week.
On the other hand, those looking for a conservative bet ahead of the fourth Ashes Test might want to consider William Hill’s double chance odds on England or Australia. Essentially, this bet backs the fact that this Test will produce a result with odds of 1.30. While this wager won’t see you retired on a beach in the Bahamas next week, it’s a very likely to deliver a return considering England will be looking to force a result one way or another.
