Cricket spread betting
This sport is considered ideal for spread
betting. It creates excitement for even non-fans, particularly
when a spread bet is placed on total runs for a single
innings. Because cricket has breaks between overs, it
allows the bettor to plan ahead, calculate run rates
and compare competing spread quotes.
Total innings performance
Although small subsidiary bets exist within the cricketing
market, the fundamental and by far the most popular
type of bet is the total innings runs for the whole
team.
The quote on total innings runs is generally offered
around 10 minutes before play commences. This short
period of time may see a large volume of trading and
different company quotes may well vary. In this situation
it is possible for one to make a profit before a ball
is even bowled.
Being perhaps one of the most weather sensitive sports
i.e. rain can mean suspension of play whereas dry hot
conditions may favour the first team to bat, many spread
bettors wait until they hear the pitch report before
they place any money. A bad pitch report means an unreliable
spread bet and in this scenario, you would be advised
to take your money elsewhere.
As play progresses the spread will change to reflect
the state of the game. If batsmen do will the spread
will climb as opposed to it collapsing if a wicket is
lost. The extent of this collapse will be determined
by the quality of the batsman lost.
Individual player performance
Test match series also have a variety of markets based
on individual batting and bowling performances. For
instance, Michael Vaughan may be quoted between 370-390
during an entire test series. In a total of 12 innings
he would need an average of 32.5 to achieve this.
The quotes on these individual batsmen are taken from
previous test performances and other relevant factors
i.e. state of pitch and strength of opposition.
Betting on the performance of individual batsmen or
bowlers, is for many, an adrenaline sport in itself.
As a buyer, every ball bowled previous to the reaching
of the target number represents a potential wipe out.
As a seller, the spread can continue to rise, doing
little for morale.
Betting on the result
The other major cricketing spread bet is on the result.
This is usually based on a simple 25:10:0 index where
25 is awarded for the win and ten for the draw. On the
last day of the test match, you may therefore expect
to see the following quotes:
England 21 – 23 Sri Lanka 2 – 4
With 8 wickets remaining and needing perhaps another
70 runs to secure victory, England are clearly on top
here and only a dramatic collapse would see Sri Lanka
win.
Remember that there are two points between England’s
buy point and 25 points awarded for winning. Similarly,
there are two points between Sri Lanka’s sell
point and the zero they receive for losing. If you are
sure that England will get the required runs it matters
not whether you sell Sri Lanka or buy England.
Top tips
- Wait until after the first couple of overs before
buying or selling the total innings runs – this
allows you to assess how much the ball is moving and
what the conditions are like in relation to what was
expected.
- Look out for situations where a side makes a fairly
solid start but loses a couple of wickets. Spreads
tend to be on the high side, as more money is placed
by buyers in this situation. This means that the value
bets can often be found in selling bets.
- Value can often be found in reacting against what
is currently happening on the pitch rather than going
with it. If most of the market is moving in favour
of the batting side being dismissed quickly, then
the value may be found in going on the high side and
hoping for a recovery.
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