The highly anticipated Australian franchise Big Bash League starts this week, with the Brisbane Heat and Melbourne Stars kicking off the first match. As with the nature of T20 cricket, the Big Bash has tended to be unpredictable, something the fans of the game love and admire. Eight teams will play a total of 44 matches across more than eight venues in Australia, with 40 League matches, two eliminators and one qualifier culminating into the grand finale.
The Perth Scorchers, the defending and record five-time champions, are the team to beat again this year. The Scorchers have a solid core of Australian internationals, including Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh and Ashton Turner, while Laurie Evans and Zak Crawley aren’t flashy overseas players but are solid nonetheless.
Can they go all the way yet again and win their sixth title? We break down the latest betting odds from bookmaker William Hill ahead of the Big Bash League this year and outline the best bets to make.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: December 6th, 5:45 A.M. (GMT)
The squad strength and historical dominance of the Perth Scorchers are why they are the bookmakers’ favourite as well, with William Hill having odds of 3.50 for the franchise to win the tournament. Behind them, the Sydney Sixers, three-time winners and one of the only two teams to have won the BBL more than once, are the next favourite, with odds of 5.50.
The Sixers boast a strong batting line-up including the likes of Steven Smith, reborn as a T20 opener, Josh Philippe, James Vince and Moises Henriques. This batting core, coupled with a few clever operators in the bowling line-up, makes them a formidable side and a decent bet to win the tournament given their favourable odds.
The Hobart Hurricanes are a solid team, and especially with the wily Matthew Wade at the helm and some x-factor players like Corey Anderson, Ben McDermott and Tim David, they can be a serious threat to give the historic favourites a run for their money. They have decent odds of 7.50, which can be attractive given their strength in depth.
The Adelaide Strikers have perhaps the most explosive top-order of the tournament with the likes of Travis Head, Chris Lynn and Matt Short, who can blow any opposition away with their firepower. Their odds of 8.50 are favourable, even without Rashid Khan, who withdrew from the tournament. There isn’t a lot to separate the rest, with the Brisbane Heat, Melbourne Renegades, and Sydney Thunder all having odds of 9.00.
The Melbourne Stars are the ultimate underdogs, with the highest odds at 10.00. That isn’t to say these teams aren’t strong or unlikely to have any impact in the tournament. All of them have some impressive Australian and overseas players who are capable of deciding the games all by themselves, which is what makes Big Bash such an exciting tournament.
