Five Reasons To Start Betting On Cricket

Cricket is one of the most popular sports in the world, coming second only after soccer. It has a massive fandom in European countries like Great Britain, and no other sport can beat its popularity in India. Indeed, few other competitive sports have cricket’s capacity to connect and engage with fans worldwide. 

In 2019, the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup set a viewership record and became the most-watched televised sporting event ever, attracting a global audience of 1.6 billion people. This begs the question is cricket as popular among sports bettors as it is among viewers? As it turns out, it is. 

Millions of bettors flood the online sports sites each year to read the latest news on cricket or punt on this sport, especially at the time of major competitions like the Ashes, the ICC Cricket World Cup, and the Indian Premier League (IPL). If you enjoy an occasional punt, here are five cogent arguments in favor of choosing cricket for your next bet. 

Cricket Odds Are Simple to Comprehend

Cricket odds are simple to comprehend even if one is an online betting rookie. Similar to other sports, online bookmakers typically quote cricket odds either in decimal or fractional format, although some websites also support the US Moneyline. 

Punters normally have the option to choose their preferred format of odds expression in their accounts’ settings. Sport-oriented websites like Sporting Pedia offer detailed explanations about how the different forms of odds expression work. 

Oddsmakers usually adjust their profit margin for cricket at around 7% over or below the potential outcomes. Cricket fans can boost the value of their bets by comparing the odds of different online bookies’ quotes for the same cricket market and event. This way you can reduce the bookies’ margin and extract higher profits from your winning cricket bets. 

There Is No Shortage of Markets to Bet On

Another great thing about cricket betting is that this sport offers no shortage of markets to punt on. Punters can get a great run for their money by betting on the Match Winner market, which is usually the most popular option for cricket fans at online sportsbooks. A Match Winner market for a clash between the Rajasthan Royals and the Delhi Capitals would look like this:

Rajasthan Royals to Win 2.20 (6/5)

Delhi Royals to Win 1.67 (4/6)

Bookmakers normally quote odds for a draw as well. However, if you want to eliminate the draw from the equation, you can make a wager on the Draw No Bet market, although the odds here will obviously be lower in line with the win options. The bottom line is the best online bookies offer plenty of action market-wise, including options like To Win the Toss, Total Runs in a Match, Most Match Sixes, Player of the Match, Match Handicap, First/Second Innings Total, and Leading Runscorer. 

The Diversity of Cricket Events Is Just as Great

Cricket fans also have plenty of choices when it comes to event coverage. From domestic competitions to the biggest international tourneys, there is a game for every avid cricket enthusiast. The Ashes is one of the most popular events in the cricket world and takes place once every two years between Australia and England. 

The Cricket World Cup is equally prestigious and offers good value to cricket fans, especially in some online sportsbooks. To make things more exciting for punters, many online bookies accept outright wagers where you can try to predict who will win the finals. 

Bets are also accepted for the Champions League Twenty20, which brings together the best-performing cricketing nations each year. And let’s not forget the Indian Premier League. It takes place annually between March and May and beats all other cricket leagues in terms of attendance.

Online Bookies Offer Tons of Live Betting Markets for Cricket

Cricket fans who fancy punting on a game while the action unfolds can conveniently do so from any device they choose. All good online sportsbooks offer in-play markets for cricket, allowing punters to boost both their excitement and winning opportunities. The main benefit here is that cricket bettors can make more accurate predictions because in-play betting gives them more information they can use to their advantage. 

Many online bookies also provide live streaming services, enabling sports enthusiasts to watch cricket matches straight on their smartphones. Some even support the early cash-out feature that allows in-play bettors to lock in their profits or cut their losses before a cricket match is over. 

Cricket Is Available at Betting Exchanges

One great way for cricket fans to diversify their betting experience is to join a betting exchange like the one gambling operator Betfair offers. Unlike traditional sportsbooks, betting exchanges enable punters to wager against each other rather than against the bookies. They can provide odds or request them from fellow sports fans. 

Cricket fans can lay bets, which means they can back an outcome to lose rather than win. Each wager made at an exchange consists of two bets- one backs a selection to lose while the second backs it to win. For example, if a cricket enthusiast wants to punt $10 on the Punjab Kings to win at odds of 10/1 for $100 in net profits, this means another punter must risk $100 at odds of 1/10 to win $10.

The exchange operators normally charge a nominal commission on the profits from winning bets. The main advantage of betting on cricket games at a betting exchange is that you will usually enjoy much sharper odds and greater transparency.