- Renegades won their game against Heat this week overwhelmingly by 44 runs, and lost to the Hurricanes narrowly by 4 runs.
- However, in that same week, the Sixers managed to beat the Stars (managing to stop their 8-match winning streak), and then went on to win comfortably against Heat themselves, by 8 wickets and with more than 4 overs to spare.
- Since Sixers managed to beat a team that was placed far above them with a fair margin (21 runs defending 143), they get a small boost in our prediction. And of course, there is a gulf of 13 points between these teams. So the Sixers definitely walk in as favourites.
Sydney Sixers vs Melbourne Renegades match prediction
Sydney Sixers will host bottom-placed Melbourne Renegades in match no. 52 of the 2019-20 Big Bash League at the Sydney Cricket Ground, this Saturday afternoon.
It’s justifiable why Sydney Sixers are the outright favourites to win the match, but the fact that Melbourne Renegades have nothing to lose and are going to play fearless cricket is surely going to make the contest more interesting. While we are definitely going to witness the enthralling contest in front of our flat screens, let us take a look at the best odds from the market which are going to bring us money this weekend.
Tom Curran is the second highest wicket taker 2019/20
This youngster has taken bowling in T20s to a different level, isn’t it? I would not think twice before placing the bet for the most consistent bowler in the BBL so far.
The fact that he has taken at least one wicket in each of the last five matches makes him an outright contender for topping the charts in the upcoming tie, but you will be more amazed with what he has done since the start of the competitions. For starters, let’s look at his figures in the last five matches – 2/25, 2/23, 1/10, 1/58, 4/22, that’s quite remarkable, having taken 10 wickets in the last five matches (2 wickets per match).
Even though he has played only four times at the Sydney Cricket Ground this season, he has still managed to scalp 7 wickets and was also the pick of the bowlers in one of those games. Overall, Curran is the second highest wicket taker this season having picked up 19 wickets in just 13 matches at an average of 21.05. In the three matches he played against the Renegades he has picked up 4 wickets including a haul of 3 for 22 (highest wicket taker for his side in that match). There’s no reason to believe that he is going to shine with the ball in the upcoming match.
Josh Phillippe’s average in the last five matches is 15.2
Many might question my selection because Josh Phillippe is a player who boast of his consistency, but if I tell you a different story, you are sure to change your mind.
Even though the batsman has scored a half-century in the previous match, his four previous innings have been less than ordinary having scored just 24 runs. So, if we look at his average in the last five matches - it sums up to a mere 15.2 runs per innings. Even though he has scored a total of 340 runs this season, the Aussie could not extend the purple patch which he enjoyed in the initial games. For example, he scored 264 in the first eight matches (average of 52.8) and added just 76 in the last five.
His scores in the last five innings at the venue - 10, 11, 8, 81, which amounts 110 runs at an average of 27.5. As you can figure out, only once did he get past the 34-run mark, which is our criteria. In the last four matches against the Renegades, he piled up 125 runs at an average of 25 per innings and scored 35 or more on just one occasion. Even his overall average this season is 34. Looking at these stats, you should be more than convinced to place your money on this bet.
Sydney Sixers have hit more fours than their opponents in three of the last five matches
The Sixers have been one of the best teams in the BBL so far and are well on their way to book a knock-out berth. They have good strikers of the ball and subsequently scored more boundaries compared to others, which is why we should not ignore this bet.
In the last five matches, Sydney Sixers have been the better team in terms of hitting boundaries thrice, having struck 53 fours (10.6 per game) and conceded one less simultaneously. On the other hand, the Renegades have been outnumbered in terms of number of boundaries hit on three occasions. But that’s not all.
In the last four home matches, Sixers have been the second best side just once, having hit 42 fours (8.4 per match) and let in 35 (7 per match). In the last five H2H matches, the Sixers have hit a whopping 44 boundaries (8.8 per match) but have conceded 7 more, which is the one area working against our favour. But, the fact that Steve Smith will be playing for the hosts gives them a head start to clear the ropes the maximum time in Saturday’s game. With odds of 1.95, I would advise you to go for this bet straightaway.
