
It’s hard to go more than two days without live cricket being streamed or broadcast. For that reason, I’m here with this expert guide to cricket live betting so you can get the most out of the experience.
With so much to choose from, I’ll break down which competitions and tournaments you’ll be able to wager on live, and the markets you’ll expect to see. While still a quick read, this guide also covers what to look for in the right app, as well as some easy steps for you to find the best cricket live betting odds.
You might be a cricket enthusiast who has decided to take the experience one step further by placing a wager. Alternatively, you might be a seasoned sports bettor who has had your head turned by the large range of markets and great coverage of the different formats in cricket. Either way there are pros and cons to cricket live betting.
In this guide, I’ll go into pros listed above – and a few more besides so you have all the facts you need to make informed decisions. If you are concerned about the short timescales involved, there’s also some important tips on how to get the most out of the resources at hand to make that less of a problem.
The biggest point of confusion for anyone looking at cricket betting live is the different formats involved. That’s not surprising, because while the rules are basically the same for each one, the different timescales of each format can mean they are played entirely differently by the players on the pitch. In turn, this means that different approach is required by the bettor
This is the most common format played around the world, and the one you are most likely to to be wagering live on.Even within the one-day sphere, there are different durations of game, and I’ll take you through these one by one, so you can see who that affects the types of live betting involved.
These games are for 50 overs per side, and the team with the highest score wins. Draws or N/R games are rare, and usually only because they have been rained off. The action here is mid-paced, but the time to find the markets and the bets you want will still be quite short. Because of the length of the game, a wicket or a high scoring over will not shift the odds too dramatically, unless it is a star player.
This is a slightly shorter format, played only in a few leagues, most notably in England. The same principles apply here as to the 50 over format, with one exception. Because the 40 over game is less well known and supported, you might not see the same number of markets or cricket live betting rates as you would for 50 overs.
This is the ‘go-to’ format for the many franchise competitions so you’ll see a lot of this, especially if you are one of the billion or so people who are fans of the IPL. Here the action moves very quickly, and you need to be fast as the tide of a game can change in just a few balls. The 2024 WPL final between DC and RCB is a perfect example of this. DC are flying high at 64-1 and are favorites by any measure. 5 minutes later by the end of the next over they were 4 down and the momentum and odds had shifted entirely the other way. This makes streaming and on screen stats vitally important, as well as a fast betting process.
This is even more important when there are just 100 or 60 balls per innings. Many of the same principles apply, but you might find fewer markets, or in the case of The Hundred (which doesn’t have overs) different markets entirely you need to get to grips with before wagering.
Before the one day game evolved, there was the 3, 4 and 5 format played under the banner of ‘first class’ games in the various cricket playing countries. This took the form of the Sheffield Shield in Australia, and the County Championship in England and Wales, and was contested by regional teams. This format is often overlooked by many people, and as a result you might find fewer markets to bet on, or stats updated less regularly. However, as the pace of the game is entirely different, you will have more time to make your decision, as a wicket won’t move the odds a huge amount.
This is the 5 day format (currently 4 days for most womens tests) and while not as high profile as it used to be in the days before the IPL, and other franchise competitions, is still seen by many as the purest form of the game. The amount of coverage for live betting will depend on who is playing with a much greater focus placed on games involving England, India and Australia, and less for other teams for both men and women. This will mean a variable experience for you if you are live cricket betting, so you’ll need to be aware of what to expect before you start wagering. Like the first class game, though, don’t expect odds to move massively unless the event is significant like a Virat Kohli 100 or a devastating Jimmy Anderson spell. Unlike one day matches, draws are much more common in first class games and Test Matches, so are an additional live betting market to consider.
Now you know the formats, it’s time to look at the markets you’ll see most often while live betting. Some of these will be available as pre-match wagers as well, and I’ve indicated that below too, so you know what to expect. For most high profile games, like an Ashes Test Match, and IPL game or one in the ICC World Cup, the markets will go much deeper, but the vast majority of the games you’ll see overall will allow you to wager on:
Market | Available as pre-match as well | Most used in format | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Match winner | Yes | All | This is a simple wager on who will win the match (or if it will be a draw for longer format games) Form and team quality are the main governors of the odds you see. |
Number of runs scored | Yes | ODis and T20s | This will cover the number of runs scored in a single innings, sometimes in the entire match. Mostly used for one day matches as an over/under, so looking at line ups and pitch conditions will help. |
Next batter out | No | All | A market dedicated to who the next batter to be out will be. There is only a choice of two, so don’t expect huge odds differences, unless one is a lower or player and the other is a tailender. |
Next wicket method | No | All | Will it be caught, bowled or LBW? This market is for how the next wicket will fall, and looking at previous stats can give you some pointers here, noting how batters often get out, or the situation in the game calls for reckless big hitting |
Runs scored by X over | No | ODis and T20s | Here you’ll be wagering on how many runs are scored by the 5th, 10th etc over. This is usually presented as an over/under, and looking at line-ups and conditions will help, and if you are betting on the team batting second, look at the first innings score. |
Runs in the next over | No | ODis and T20s | Another over/under market typically, and you are predicting how many runs will be scored in the following over. As an over takes 3-5 minutes to bowl, it’s a quick decision, and looking at the momentum of the game and the stage in the innings will help. |
Most 4’s /6’s | Occasionally | ODis and T20s | Here you will be predicting which team or player will score the most 4s, 6s, or both. Big hitting players like Stokes, Maxwell or Sharma will likely top the list, but watch for late innings cameos from the likes of Jasprit Bumrah or Jimmy Neesham. |
Best batter/bowler | Yes | All | As the name suggests, you are looking for the highest scoring batter or bowler who takes the most wickets. While this is a popular pre-match market too, the fluctuations in agame can make it an effective live market for savvy bettors. |
Armed with this information, you can then think about where you want to do your live betting. There are no shortage of sportsbooks around that offer cricket live score betting, so finding the right one might be difficult. You could be looking at the various sites you come across, but to be honest you are more likely to be doing your live betting on your phone, so I’ll take you through what you need to know about finding the right cricket betting app.
The first thing you need to check out is that the app is right for your device, whether you are searching for a cricket betting app for android, or one for iOS. Most of the sportsbooks worth bothering about will cover both, but just check before you go off on a wild goose chase. Also do your best to only download from the regular app stores, or maybe the sportsbook itself. Try to avoid getting them from any other third parties or doing any strange workarounds that make you wonder if it’s safe.
While you are checking compatibility, you also need to look at whether or not you are in the right area to use the app. Different countries and states have different laws, so make sure you are not falling foul of any of these before you sign-up.
As I just showed you, pretty much all the pre-match markets will morph into in play markets once the game starts, but you won’t find the same markets at every sportsbook, or for every event. You need to find an app that covers the games you want to bet on, whether that is just the IPL or the Ashes, which will be easy – or first class games and associate nation ODIs, which are not as well supported.
The best way to make decisions about live wagers is to watch the game itself, so live streaming is important. Not all sportsbooks have live streaming, and not all matches are televised. So, you’ll need to find an app that has plenty of streaming options, especially for the games that you won’t find on subscription TV.
If you can’t see the match on screen, comprehensive stats will also help (obviously a combination of both is the ideal). This might include the graphical representation of the action you’d see at 1xbet cricket, as well as shots played and head to head stats for batter vs bowler. You may also find that you get some indication of how in control a batter is, which is an indicator of how likely they might be to get out.
If you want to put a wager on in a hurry, as you want to make the most of the current odds, then you need a smooth betting process that lets you do this. So, you’ll be looking for easy navigation, as well being able to place a bet in a s few touches as possible.
Whatever type of bet you are going to place, you’ll want the best price possible. With faster moving formats like T20, you might not have time to check every sportsbook to find the best live cricket betting rate. One alternative strategy here would be to find a sportsbook that consistently has competitive cricket live betting odds, and use this one predominantly.
What could be better to start your cricket live betting experience than some bonus bets? If you’re looking for a new betting app for your live wagers, then most you see will have a bonus to welcome you. These vary from sportsbook to sportsbook, and having reviewed plenty of them, I can tell you they are not all created equal. You’ll need to take a look at what’s involved, and see if they are a good fit for you, as well as if they can be used on live bets for cricket.
I’ve also found that some of the best sportsbooks don’t have a dedicated app, but instead have optimized their site to work with mobile devices as well as laptops. The golden rule here is don’t overlook these as you might be missing out. Either way, this is a lot of sportsbooks to trawl through, and this may well take you more time than you’d like. After all, who wants to spend hours looking at aps instead of actually placing the best for the game in front of them?
Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered there too. On this page, and elsewhere on this site, you’ll see banners for the sportsbook I and the rest of the team here rate most highly. They are the same ones you’d look at yourself, but we’ve vetted them and provide in-depth reviews so you can be sure of all the details first.
Cricket live betting can be a tough nut to crack, not just because of the many intricacies of the game, but also because of the different formats involved. It is not something to go into without all the facts at your disposal, but once you have read this guide, you will know what to expect so you can make informed decisions. This won’t just be about the markets and formats, but also what to look for in the best live cricket betting append website. I’ve even put banners on this page for the top rated sportsbooks, so you can get started easily if you want.
You are likely to see some live cricket betting at pretty much every sportsbook, but the markets and competitions will vary greatly depending on where you go. Expect to see the IPL or the Ashes covered in great detail, but less high profile games will have more patchy coverage.
A good cricket betting app will have the same features as a good live cricket betting site. A wide range of markets, competitive odds, great availability of streaming and stats as well as a quick betting process so you can get wagers on quickly if you need to.
Betting on cricket requires at least a passing knowledge of the game, and the different formats involved. You are more likely to have a greater choice of markets for an IPL game than most others, but at the same time the action moves quickly and so will the odds so you need to be fast to make the most of this.
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.