Betting on the Top Batsman Market: Tips & Advice (2021)

Top Batsman Betting Tips

When looking to utilise the Top Batsman betting market, there are a number of factors that are vital to know before wagering. These include:

• Don’t always count on big names. In cricket, the best players tend to excel fairly often. Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Steve Smith and Kate Williamson have been among the best batsmen in world cricket for years and do score runs. However, just because Root is playing in an ODI for England does not mean he is the only player you should back. A team like England, for example, offers a glut of players that could top score, and it is often important to look at what bowling options they will be going up against before you bet.
• Look at the pitch. There are often pitch reports released prior to matches, giving you crucial insight into how much help bowlers will get. As a general rule of thumb, pitches in England and New Zealand tend to be conducive to swing, whilst also giving help to spinners and fast bowlers. Meanwhile, Australian pitches are flat and dry, so fast and aggressive bowlers are key. Moreover, the sun and stress on the pitch may also cause the ground to crack and help spinners out later in a Test match. On pitches in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, spinners are vital as the tops will be dry and dusty, with cracks and foot-holes appearing quickly. This means that bowlers that can get high revs on the ball will get a lot of help.
• What is the format? The format of the game is so important when it comes to Top Batsman betting. Let's take England’s former-batsman Jonathan Trott as an example. In Test cricket, Trott could bat for as long as he wanted, as he was a player that just enjoyed being out in the middle regardless of whether he was scoring runs or not. However, in a T20 game, Trott would likely get outscored easily if he were to play alongside Jos Buttler, who scores at an unbelievable rate. Therefore, just because a player excels in Test cricket does not mean he will top score in ODI or T20 cricket, and vice-versa.
• Look for value. Unlike the Match Winner market, the Top Batsman market will usually offer good value as there are so many possible outcomes. This means that backing the favourite will usually give you odds well above evens. However, if you really want to increase your potential winnings, be sure to research all of the options available, as the players that appear lower down the list with bigger odds may be a shrewd choice.
• The venue. This works on two levels. First, a player may struggle to bat against spin, for example, so they will have a tough time if they were to tour India. Similarly, if a player visited England and could not confidently play against swing, then they would face a considerable challenge if England fielded players who could make the ball swing in and out. Therefore, it is not the greatest idea to back a player with obvious flaws in their technique. The second facet of this is how a team and batsman fares on a particular ground. Just like in any other sport, there are often bogey teams and grounds where a side struggles. For example, England tend to struggle when they travel to battle for the Ashes in Australia, so it often makes more sense to back an Aussie batsman in a Test Down Under.
• Fatigue. While you may be looking to back a batsman that is coming into the game on the back of seven big scores in a row, you need to look at whether your potential choice has had any time off recently. Mental and physical fatigue will play a big role in how well a batsman has played, and if they go into a big Test series at the end of the year on the back of a monster season, you may see the effects of this in their batting.
• Odds-on doesn’t mean a definite win. This is true of any betting market. While there will usually be a favourite in the Top Batsman odds, this does not mean they are nailed on to win. Instead, look at the players listed and, taking into account the above factors, try to select a player that offers value and constitutes an astute bet.