IPL Betting Strategies and Pointers

Be aware of differences between T20 and Test cricket

This sounds obvious, but you would be surprised how many tipsters and cricket fans talk about T20 cricket as if it is the same as T20 cricket.

In Test cricket, the overwhelming philosophy has been that if you win the toss, you bat first. But in the T20 format, there is an advantage in batting second. We have looked in-depth at the toss and what certain IPL team captains choose to do if they win the toss.

Similarly, in Test cricket and other popular sports like football, both fans and bookmakers can guess accurately what players will be chosen to play.

But in the IPL, there are big squads to choose from. We frequently see surprise choices and poor tactical line-ups from coaches. The fact that only a certain number of foreign-born players can start also often leads to puzzling decisions.

With the teams only announced 30 minutes before the game starts, having an extensive knowledge of all players in a squad and their abilities can be a major asset as bookmakers race to correct their pre-line-up prices, which often differ markedly from the starting odds.

It's often better to wait until the teams are announced before placing your bets as you will be in a much stronger position.

Familiarise yourself with the stadiums

Not every cricket ground is identical and having a good awareness of the differences that exist between stadia will improve your ability to make cricket match predictions.

For example, do you know Delhi's Feroz Shah Kotla Ground in Delhi has an extremely short boundary square of the wicket? This means higher scores and more sixes.

Refer to sites like ESPNcricinfo where you can see detailed stats of previous matches at all IPL stadiums. Study the results of chasing teams and find out whether the pitch favours spin or pace, plus the pace of the outfield.

Naturally, as trends appear, bookmakers and other bettors are quick to identify and use them to their benefits. Gain an edge by not accepting common knowledge. What this means is, do your own research. Just because there has been a bias for the last three years, for example, does not mean that it will continue indefinitely. If you can find new biases and trends before anyone else, you will gain a huge advantage.

Don't be afraid to have contradictory bets

It seems strange if we tell you that you should often consider backing both teams in a match, right? Or that you should place a bet on a team getting over x runs and then back them again to get under x runs?

Well, it would be odd if you were doing this pre-match, but in-play betting offers incredible opportunities to make money no matter how the result pans out.

Let's have a look at two examples. You back Team A at 2.50 pre-match because you believe they are over-priced.

Team A starts off fantastically and finishes with a solid total of 170 runs. They now move into clear favouritism as Team B struggle in their first few overs.

Now, this is the time to check the in-play odds. You are in a good position with Team A now just 1.15 to win, and Team B as big as 7.00.

You may be super confident in your bet - but consider having a small saver on Team B at a big price. You can now back both teams and secure a profit no matter who wins!

In-play betting is known for fluctuating widely, so there are many openings a shrewd bettor can take advantage of.

Here's another market. The bookmaker will set a total before each team's innings. You can either back the team to go over that total or under it.

For our example, let's say the total is set at 152.5. You back the overs knowing that during the first six overs, batters tend to go hard to try and amass decent scores early.

But once the six-over powerplay is up, scores tend to go down. Fielders drop further back, and runs are harder to amass.

Now is the time consider backing the in-play unders line as insurance, especially with bigger odds on the unders usually immediately available after the powerplay. If you do the maths right, then again, you can eke out a profit by covering both options.

Analyse batsman vs bowler

Part of why we love the IPL is the fascinating match-ups that happen on the pitch as batsmen go up against bowlers.

It's easy enough to find out what batsman do well against which bowlers and use that to help your analysis of a game.

Chris Gayle has bashed his way to nearly 4,500 runs in his IPL career, including a record 326 sixes, and has a reputation for killing leg-spinners.

When a batsman hits a big total, make a note of the style of bowler he faced the most. You will start to see patterns about who the likes of Gayle, KL Rahul, and David Warner etc enjoying facing at the wicket.

This can then be used to help inform your bets when you see the line-ups announced. If you see a bowling attack full of spin bowlers against big-name batsman that struggle against those type of deliveries, then you have good reasons to oppose one team and bet against their batting total.