BBL08 Round 3-4
BlueBet previews the BBL08 Round 3-4 action below. Read on for our best betting tips per game and an overview of the feature games this week.
Hobart Hurricanes vs Sydney Thunder
28 Dec 2018, 7:15pm (AEDT) - Blundstone Arena, Hobart
Odds: Hurricanes $2.00, Thunder $1.82
Friday's Big Bash action will see a battle between two undefeated teams so far in the tournament. The 2-0 Hurricanes have continued their form of last season and they will host the 2-0 Thunder. Hobart has recorded 2 comfortable victories over the Stars and Heat. But despite playing at home, they're interestingly the underdog for this matchup. This is mainly due to the Thunder's record in Tasmania recently as they've won the last 2 meetings. In their latest, they smashed the Sixers in the Derby and easily beat the Stars previously. So this looks like a close call with both teams in good form. The Thunder have a great batting lineup on paper and their bowling unit has surprised a few teams already. But with the Hurricanes playing at home and the underdog in the betting, I like their value. They've won 4 of their last 6 at home (including 4 straight wins) and also hold an overall 6-2 record against the Thunder. Since last season, the Thunder are just 2-3 on the road and have a 2-6 record when they play after 3 days rest.
Top Hurricanes Batsman
D'Arcy Short loves batting at this venue at night as he's top scored in each of the last 4 games here. He's already averaging 50 with the bat in 2 games this season and is always a safe bet as top runscorer.
Best Bet
Top Thunder Batsman
Jos Buttler has top scored in the Thunder's last 2 games against the Hurricanes. He looked in excellent touch last game as he smashed 63 off 37 balls against the Sixers in Sydney. He'll enjoy the short boundaries at Blundstone Arena as well.
Best Bet
Stadium Record
The Thunder have won the last 2 in Tasmania and bowled the Hurricanes out for 109 in the last clash. Hobart has won 4 straight home games.
Head to Head Record
On New Years Day in 2018, the Hurricanes defended 189 in a high scoring affair. They hold a 6-2 Big Bash record against the Thunder.
Best Bet
Melbourne Renegades vs Sydney Sixes
29 Dec 2018, 7:15pm (AEDT) - Marvel Stadium, Melbourne
Odds: Renegades $1.68, Sixes $2.20
Surprisingly, the Renegades are 2-0 on the season despite missing Finch and Harris. So they'll look for a 3-0 start as they face the struggling Sixers at home on Saturday night. The key for Melbourne has been mainly their experienced all-rounders in Nabi and Christian. The pair led the Renegades to victory at Adelaide Oval as they succesfully chased down around 170. After winning their first game agianst the Scorchers, the Sixers batting woes of last season have returned in 2 straight losses. They've lost early wickets against the Thunder and Stars, which has seen them score under 150 in both games. It won't get easier against the Renegades in Melbourne and I like the odds for the home side to win their 3rd straight game of the season. They thrashed the Sixers in the corresponding fixture last season by 8 wickets. Meanwhile, the Sixers are a poor travelling team as they've won just 1 of their last 6 road games.
Top Renegades Batsman
Cameron White found the form last game with 32 off 22 balls and I think he'll enjoy facing a Sixers attack that was punished by Peter Handscomb last game.
Best Bet
Top Sixes Batsman
With the Sixers top order struggling, it's fairly safe to steer clear and opt for value odds in Jordan Silk. He's become the Sixers finisher as he tends to build an innings on the ground before launching at the end. He's currently the top runscorer in the Big Bash with 108 runs from 2 games.
Best Bet
Stadium Record
The two sides have played in Melbourne on 4 occasions and each side has won 2 games.
Head to Head Record
The Sixers lead the head to head 4-3 but lost by 8 wickets in the last meeting.
Best Bet
Hobart Hurricanes vs Perth Scorchers
30 Dec 2018, 7:15pm (AEDT) - Blundstone Arena, Hobart
Odds: Hurricanes $2.02, Scorchers $1.80
Hobart is back at home on Sunday night as they face the Perth Scorchers. The Hurricanes play the Thunder on Friday and they could well be 3-0 coming into this home game. Perth's bowling lineup was always going to be a factor in BBL08 and they didn't disappoint in a thrashing of the Strikers last time out. They ended up bowling last year's champions out for just 88 as they ran riot on the Optus Stadium wicket. Richardson picked up man of the match with 3 for 7 off 3 overs. The return of Behrendorff is a blessing for the Scorchers and he took 2 wickets. The batting lineup cruised past the total with 7 wickets in hand as Bosisto top scored with 36. These two sides met in the finals last season and the Hurricanes shocked the Scorchers at Optus Stadium. The Hurricanes batting lineup tore apart the Scorchers as they scored 210 and Perth were no match. However, in the regular season, Perth has dominated the Hurricanes with 6 straight wins and they've won 3 in a row at this venue. Confidence will be high after smashing the Strikers and their bowling lineup should be able to stop the likes of Short and Wade.
Stadium Record
The Scorchers have won 3 straight BBL games in Tasmania.
Head to Head Record
Perth holds a 6-3 head to head record against the Hurricanes.
Best Bet
Adelaide Strikers vs Sydney Thunder
31 Dec 2018, 7:15pm (AEDT) - Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
Odds: Strikers $1.82, Thunder $2.00
After a dismal display in Perth, the Adelaide Strikers will look for better fortunes at Adelaide Oval. They were knocked over for just 88 at Optus Stadium previously. But the positive is - they probably can't play much worse and I like their chances of turning things around against the Thunder. At 1-2, the Strikers need to get going and their record over the Thunder is quite good. They've won 3 straight games over the Thunder and smashed them in the last fixture at this venue. The Sydney Thunder will be travelling for their second straight game and they don't have a great away record since last season (2-3). The difference for the Strikers in this matchup is the Thunder bowling lineup is not in the same class as the Scorchers. So their batting lineup should enjoy better results at their home venue. Rashid Khan is looking unplayable again this season and he should be the key against the likes of Buttler and Watson.
Stadium Record
In the last clash at this venue, the Strikers bowled the Thunder out for 110 and won by 53 runs.
Head to Head Record
The Strikers hold a 5-3 record against the Thunder and have won the last 3 meetings.
Best Bet
