Two of the in-form white ball teams in men’s cricket will collide this week with New Zealand arriving in India for a three match ODI series. With the first game taking place this Wednesday, the 18th of January, both teams will be eager to maintain the momentum they have just gained from their respective series wins last week.
Can India roll on from their 3-0 demolition of Sri Lanka and win yet another home series? Or will New Zealand springboard off their gritty Pakistani series and snaffle a valuable win in India ahead of the ODI World Cup later this year?
We look at the latest odds from bookmaker William Hill and outline the best bets to make ahead of the first ODI between India and New Zealand.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: January 17th, 2:30 P.M. (GMT)
Looking at the overall winner odds from bookmaker William Hill for the first ODI, it’s clear that India are a moderate favourite here. With odds of 1.40 to win against New Zealand’s 2.90, the conservative bet here is to back the home side to win this opener.
While India’s Test match record is often talked about at home, equally as impressive is their record in bilateral ODI series. Since 2010, India have won 22 of the 25 bilateral ODI series they’ve played in India. This does not guarantee that they will win the first ODI against New Zealand—and in fact, during this period, New Zealand have twice pushed India to a deciding match—but it does mean that winning an ODI in India is not the easiest feat in cricket.
New Zealand’s challenge is made steeper by the fact that Kane Williamson and Tim Southee are being rested for this series, while Trent Boult is still off-contract as a free agent in the T20 league currently. This means the Kiwis will be fronting a relatively inexperienced team who will have a stiff challenge in front of them to win in India’s backyard.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: January 17th, 2:30 P.M. (GMT)
A more lucrative bet to make than wagering on India to win outright is betting on which side will have the highest opening partnership. Again, putting money behind India is the best bet here with a return of 1.67 if they deliver. Given that New Zealand’s last three opening partnerships have been 1, 2 and 43, while India’s have been 143, 33 and 95, this feels like a solid bet. The reality is both Finn Allen and Devon Conway are mercurial players and the chances of them firing at the same time are slim.
Tune in this Wednesday to see the first ODI between India and New Zealand in what is the first of six white ball matches between the nations over the next fortnight in India.
