Cricket is, without question, the most popular sport to bet on in India.

The number of leagues, tournaments and events means there are many markets to bet on.

For many people, having a bet on a cricket match makes it even more enjoyable to watch too.

The most important factor in cricket betting is to get familiar with the different rules of each event as they can differ greatly.

Those differences can have a major impact on the bets you should place.

The style of play, strategy and attitude of the players are different in a one-day event to that of a Test Series or the IPL.

It is important, therefore, that you do some research if you want to place informed bets.

However, if you enjoy just punting a few bets instead, then that can be just as much fun too.

Here, we will take you through the key betting lines and various tested strategies in cricket and give a brief overview of each.

Match Winner

The simplest bet you can place in cricket – just choose which team you think will win a match.

The team with the lowest odds has the higher chance of winning, the team with the higher odds are the outsiders to win.

The downside to this bet is that if the result is a draw, then your bet will be void.

Alternatively, you can place a Match Result bet instead which includes the option of a draw.

Outright Winner

This is where you bet on the team you think will be the overall series winner of a league or tournament.

This is a longer-term bet over a season or event rather than match-by-match.

The best odds in the outright winner market can be found when you place it on a non-favourite before the tournament begins.

Player Markets

There are several player markets you can choose from if you prefer this type of betting.

Top Batsman bet, Top Wicket Taker or Man of the Match are all very popular examples.

These allow you to choose one player who you think will perform well in a single match or tournament.

As with most bets, the favourites don’t always have the best odds, but those with longer odds can give a nice return.

Overs Markets

Bets can include how many maiden overs will be in a match, how many ducks, or how many wickets will be taken.

This is extremely difficult to predict but these bets usually come in the form of the over/under market.

This is where the betting site sets a specific number and you bet on whether you think the number of maidens or ducks, or anything else that tickles your fancy, will be over or under that figure.

Run Markets

There are several markets to choose from here including First Over Total Runs, Total Fours/Sixes in a match or how many runs will be scored by both teams in a match.

Again, these betting markets usually take the form of over/under betting with parameters already set by the bookies.

Method Of 1st Dismissal

This is a fan-favourite in cricket betting as it can be so varied and there are only a certain number of outcomes it can be.

The options you can bet on are bowled, stumped, caught, run out, hit wicket and LBW (leg before wicket).

You can help your chances with this bet by studying the style and stats of the first bowler and batsmen but, of course, this doesn’t guarantee a winner.

A Fifty Or Hundred To Be Scored In The Match

This market can vary based on the type of cricket tournament you are betting on.

It goes without saying that the chances of a fifty or hundred being scored by a batsman in a Test Match are much higher than in a Twenty20 match or ODI.

You need to take this into account when deciding whether to bet on this market or not.

Another variation on this is often offered for Test matches only – a fifty or hundred to be scored in the first innings – which can offer some good odds.

Coin Toss

This requires no research or knowledge whatsoever as it is a 50/50 chance.

You are betting on which team will win the pre-match coin toss. It’s just the same as betting on red or black in roulette.

It’s quite a good low-risk bet though if that’s what you enjoy.

Handicap Betting

You may already be familiar with handicap betting in other sports, however, handicap betting in cricket is different because of the way it is scored.

With cricket, there are two ways to win: either by runs scored or wickets left in hand.

This is dependent on which team bats or bowls first, so the handicap rules are different.

As a brief summary, handicap betting is where one selection of a betting market is given a ‘handicap’ to overcome in order to level out an advantage.

It’s a way for betting sites to even out the market and make it more attractive to bettors.

It works most effectively when there is one big favourite in an event or match.

In cricket, prior to a match taking place, the data analysts review the probabilities of the game and then decide on a handicap to virtually reduce the dominant side’s final score or number of wickets.

This is to make the match more even and ensure more appealing betting odds.

Which team bats/bowls first will determine if the wickets or runs handicap is applied to either team.

For example:

A batting or bowling handicap can be given and will typically look like this:

For the proposed dominant team – “-6.5 wkts / -40.5 runs”

Or

For the proposed weaker team – “+6.5 wkts / +40.5 runs”

If you choose the handicap betting for the dominant team, it means you are betting on the team to win the match by more than 40.5 (i.e., 41 runs) runs if they batted first, or by 6.5 (i.e., 6 wickets) wickets or less if they batted second.

If you choose to bet on the weaker team, it means that you believe the weaker team would win the match if 40.5 (i.e., 40 runs) runs were added to their score if they batted second, or you believe the predicted stronger team will not win the match by fewer than 6.5 wickets (i.e., 6 wickets) if they batted second.

In-play Cricket Handicap Betting

If a cricket match has already started and the first team have completed their innings, the handicap odds can be recalculated based on the first-inning stats.

Obviously, if the performance of the first team’s innings contradicts the sportsbooks predictions, then they will alter their odds accordingly.

This is to ensure the handicap on offer is still reflective of the match and attractive to sports bettors.

Series Handicap Betting

This follows the same principles explained above but applies to cricket series betting instead of individual matches.

This is where you bet on which team you believe will win a series, even after a handicap is applied, and has the benefit that it evens out the field and keeps things very interesting for those betting on it.

Series handicap betting is most often used in an international series which could be a T20, One-Day International or Test series, and we can use the following example of how it would work.

Let’s say India win a 5-match Test series against England 2-1.

If a handicap was applied to England prior to the series of +1.5 (or -1.5 to India), then despite actually losing the Test 2-1, England would be declared 2.5-2 winners with regard to the handicap bet.

Therefore, if you placed a bet on England to win with the handicap, then your bet would be successful.

Accumulator Bets

So far, we have concentrated mostly on the range and diversity of single bets you can place in cricket.

However, it is also possible to combine these to place accumulator bets, sometimes known as parlay bets.

Cricket accumulator bets involve choosing a number of selections and combining them in the same bet.

This is obviously much more difficult to predict but consequently leads to bigger odds and greater profits if they win.

Accumulator bets are when you combine two or more bets together in order to multiply the odds.

The more selections you choose, the higher the odds, but the rarer they are to win.

They can be placed by combining several factors in a single match, or a combination of factors over a series of matches.

For example, you may place a bet on the IPL that the Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals will all win their next games.

You may also put an accumulator bet on an international event such as a Test Series – for example, India to win and Virat Kohli to score the most runs.

The key benefit of placing this type of bet is that you can get a very impressive return on a small stake.

Often, if one team is the favourite to win a match or league then you won’t get great odds, but if you combine them with a few other predictions, this can work in your favour.

Placing accumulators is easier than you might think. Simply go through the cricket pages of the sports betting site and make your selections as you go.

They will automatically be added to your betting slip and you can then select the accumulator bet from the list of options.

It’s then just a case of choosing your stake and waiting to see if your selections come in.

The downside of this bet is that sometimes just one of your selections lets you down. All your selections must land for the bet to win.

However, often betting sites have accumulator specials, bonus offers or Acca insurance which you can use to negate that risk.

Live Accumulator Of The Day

Betting sites will regularly suggest accumulator bets by providing a range of already set selections for you to bet on.

Often these are high-odds predictions and can cover a range of sports i.e. one cricket result, one football result, and one basketball result.

If you enjoy the idea of accumulators but are unsure of making your own selections, these are an option to try out.

Test Cricket Bets

Long-form cricket opens a wide range of markets, not only pre-match but also live in-play betting markets too.

Check our recommended cricket betting apps at trusted online bookmakers.

The slow pace and strategy involved mean you have time to study the pitch and form of the players during the first innings and then make more informed second-inning predictions.

Some bets are more suited to certain events.

For Test Cricket, the following markets are popular:

• Highest Opening Partnership – which team will have the highest partnership for the opening wicket

• First Innings Lead – who will be leading at the end of the two teams’ first innings

• To Score A Century – which batsman will score 100?

ODI Bets

For One-Day Internationals, where the tempo and style are both much quicker and the teams play more aggressively, the following bets are a good option:

• First Dismissal Method – how will the first wicket fall – caught, bowled, run-out, LBW etc

• Over/Under ‘X’ Runs – will the total number of runs scored by both teams be under or over a specific number set by the betting site

• Team To Score Most 4s/6s – which team will score the most boundaries in the match

IPL/T20 Bets

Some popular bets for the Indian Premier League or other T20 format matches are as follows:

• A Fifty To Be Scored – will a half-century be scored in the match?

• ‘Team’ Total 4s/6s – an under/over market for whether one team will score more or fewer boundaries than a number set by the betting site