Hampshire vs Somerset match prediction 6 May 2021

HAM vs SOM Match 41 Predictions & Betting Tips

The 41st match of the ongoing County Championship 2021 season is being played between Hampshire and Somerset. This high-voltage fixture will be hosted at The Rose Bowl in Southampton from May 6, Thursday. I have taken the chance to gather the best betting tips from the first day of HAM vs SOM match predictions.

A tale of two really strong teams from Group 2 of the ongoing season of the County Championship - Hampshire and Somerset. Despite being two brilliant sides, neither of them are at the top of the points table and it is solely because Gloucestershire have won three and drawn one (of course have not lost any!!). Somerset are in second place with 60 points and Hampshire are just one point adrift of their next opponent.

Somerset are coming into this fixture on the back of two back-to-back victories against Leicestershire and Middlesex. Hampshire, on the other hand, were handed a drubbing by Surrey by a massive margin of an innings and 289 runs. This loss would have made a severe dent to their confidences and now they will be up against an upbeat Somerset side. For now, I am gonna leave the rest of the story here and present to you the betting tips I have accumulated from the first day of HAM vs SOM.

HAM vs SOM Team Bets:

The bookmakers as always have been reluctant to release odds for player bets for Round 5 of the County Championship 2021. However, the odds for the team bets for this particular fixture are no less. Therefore I have picked up three lucrative team bets from the HAM vs SOM match prediction.

Somerset to win

If you look at the odds, you will find it slightly strange so as to why I feel this bet is a tricky one so to say. Somerset and Hampshire are separated by a point on the County Championship points table with the former holding the higher spot. Ever since Gloucestershire hammered Somerset, the Tom Abell-led side seemed to have pulled up their socks. Somerset have won two on the bounce against Leicestershire and Middlesex before coming into this fixture.

On the other hand, Hampshire were thrashed by Surrey and the margin was huge - an innings and 289 runs! However, they did manage to overcome the Gloucestershire challenge with a draw. But that loss was a blow to their morale having won two in a row before that draw against Gloucestershire. Somerset even finished higher (in terms of points) in the Bob Willis Trophy 2020 edition as well as in the previous season of the County Championship. Somerset will be riding high on confidence coming into this fixture. Sportsbet.io is offering odds of 1.78 for a Somerset win in the HAM vs SOM match prediction.

Team with top batter Hampshire

I will be honest with you here - the odds for Somerset were lower than what Hampshire has for this particular bet. But if you see on paper (I mean the statistics), this battle has a different storyline. Hampshire have three batsmen with an average of over 50.0 in this ongoing season of the County Championship. Ian Holland (75.00), Liam Dawson (70.25), James Vince (50.33) and Tom Aslop (49.66) are Hampshire’s leading run getters in descending order.

Whereas Somerset only has one player averaging above 50.0 and that is Lewis Goldsworthy, who has only played one match so far. Otherwise, Abell (47.57), Steven Davies (37.83) and George Bartlett (35.50) are the only three players with batting averages of above 35.0 in the current season. Hampshire have at least one player in the top 12 run getter in this season of the County Championship so far. On the other hand, Somerset have none and that needs to change in order to win the Championship this season. Sportsbet.io has offered odds of 1.98 for Hampshire to be the team with top batters in the HAM vs SOM match prediction.

Somerset total at 1st dismissal - under 20.5 runs

Last but not the least, Tom Abell’s side is here once again to make us some more cash on Thursday. I know I have placed my bets on Somerset as the winner of this encounter against Hampshire. You need to realise Somerset does have a brilliant bowling attack as well. But their opening partnerships have not been upto the mark. Somerset have managed to score more than 20 runs from their first wicket only once in 8 innings! Can you believe that?

Two of Somerset’s openers Tom Lammonby and Tom Bantan have batting averages of 15.00 and 14.50 respectively in this current season of the County Championship. Somerset have even conceded more than 20 runs from the opening partnership three out of eight innings as well. The last couple of times Somerset went head-to-head against Hampshire in the County Championship, they scored above 20 runs twice in four innings. So that’s a 50% success rate and I am willing to bet against it. Sportsbet.io is offering odds of 1.85 for Somerset total after 1st dismissal to be under 20.5 runs in the HAM vs SOM match prediction.