ENG vs PAK 3rd Test Cricket Predictions & Betting Tips
With the series tied at 1-1 it is all to play for in the third…
With days 1 and 2 past, here are our Sri Lanka v England 3rd ODI betting tips and predictions. Sri Lanka and England renew rivalries on Wednesday in what will be the third one-day international match of the series. Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy provides the setting. There will certainly be much interest in the outcome of this tie, both from cricket lovers in attendance and those back home watching live on Sky Sports.
Television coverage starts at 9.30am. As well as a fascinating fixture for armchair fans to enjoy, punters are also well looked after, bookmakers offering an array of betting opportunities. This will be a gripping day of action but one surefire way to add a bit more excitement is with a winning bet.
There’s plenty of lively markets to choose from, each offering competitive odds. Have your say on the match-winner; the highest first 15 overs; highest first 10 overs; the highest opening partnership; first ball; handicaps; most run-outs; total sixes; the team of top batsman and time of the first wicket. It’s even possible to land a profit before the match has begun with betting on the winner of the toss.
Let’s take a closer look at the day and what fans can expect.
We were robbed of a result in the opening ODI between these rivals due to the weather being a complete washout. Play was abandoned after heavy rainfall made conditions impossible. However, a few pointers could be taken from the short time the teams were on the pitch. Sri Lanka got rid of England’s openers without too much fuss and seemed to have the wind in their sails.
Only 15 overs were possible before the match was called to a premature end at Dambulla; here, England notched up a fairly uninspiring 92-2. Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy slipped for no more than 25 and 24 respectively in just five balls and the tourists would’ve been happy to see conditions deteriorate.
England was far more impressive when things were a little clearer on the second ODI. However, the match was played under heavy skies and it was far from ideal. The players seemed to deal with it much better this time out, battling to a 31-run victory over their hosts, 278-9 eclipsing 140-5.
Standouts of the show were Eoin Morgan, Joe Root and Chris Woakes; they were all instrumental in getting their side over the line. That result put England in a commanding position and they go into Wednesday’s match with a one-game lead in what will be a five-game series.
There’s still all to play for. However, they’ll be much happier with a slight cushion behind them, rather than having to chase down their opponents on a week where the weather will continue to make headlines.
What can England expect from the 3rd ODI at Kandy? Well, the weather will be much more suited to free-flowing cricket; that will be music to the ears of both teams who will be crying out to get stuck into this one and show what they are made of.
With a lead behind them, England can now look forward; they will take plenty of heart from both their own performance last time and just how sketchy Sri Lanka was in certain areas. Akila Dananjaya and Lakshan Sandakan just didn’t turn up for the beaten side on day two; they failed to put England under any kind of serious pressure. On the opposite side, Morgan and Root continued to do what they do best, and the visitors will need another big showing if they are to double their tally.
Starting with the match betting: punters will find England have been priced up as red hot favourites. Bookmakers saw more than enough in the 2nd ODI to convince they need to keep the tourists as close as possible, while still keeping the market competitive.
England for the win has been marked up on the betting board at 4/7 with William Hill. That’s plenty tight but, in actual fact, at the time of writing, there’s no better out there. Many firms are stuck around the 8/15 mark. Perhaps the draw wouldn’t be the worst strategy here – for small stakes. However, if you are feeling brave you’ll be encouraged to find a whopping 70/1 available to those who can’t part the rivals.
Sri Lanka would’ve gone back to the drawing board and mulled over the mistakes they made last time. It was rather surprising to see them beaten in front of their own fans as they showed a glimmer of hope in the early stages of that abandoned 1 ODI. Too many big-game players failed to turn up on the day. Against a side of England’s quality, that will never go unpunished.
Keeping that opener in mind, and with the lessons learned from defeat in their next start, it would be foolish to simply stick a line through Sri Lanka and say they couldn’t win at home. A change of venue and conditions will be seen as a fresh start for the underdogs; they will certainly attract the attention of neutrals who see the value in their price.
William Hill offers up 5/4 on Sri Lanka and that deserves our respect. The bookie has put together a competitive market that says to punters – make your decision and stick with it. England may be odds-on favourites, but Hill deals out a better price than its competitors. It has gone and made Sri Lanka a handy quote too, meaning there’s every reason to get involved and support your team of choice.
Of course, punters aren’t restricted to betting simply on the match-winner here. Times have changed and there are now hundreds of options, both pre-match and in-play. The coin-toss winner is a good place to start and you’ll get a straight choice between England at 10/11 with Coral or Sri Lanka at 10/11 with the same firm.
Call that one correctly and you’ll be off to a flyer. No skill involved, but it should serve as a good indicator if luck is shining on you that day. A win could pay for your bests for the rest of the match.
We’ve already spoken about how good Joe Root was last time and there’s every reason to believe he’ll continue in that form for day three. You can back him to be England’s top batsman at best price 3/1 with Bet365 and we wouldn’t be in a rush to put you off a play on that one. He’s favourite, but Bet365’s quote is a good bit better than you’ll find elsewhere.
Others on that list include Hales at 4/1, Bairstow 4/1, Roy 4/1 or Morgan at 9/2. The latter is sure to pop up on a few midweek betting slips and that’s the man we’d be keen to support as we think his price is a little bigger than it should be. There’s no reason he shouldn’t be grouped with the others at 4/1, so grab the extra half-point and enjoy the match knowing you’ve secured the value whatever happens.