Cricket Betting – All You Need to Know

Cricket is one of the most popular sports in the world. The fact that it dates back to the 13th century speaks volumes about how highly regarded it is.

Due to its popularity, there are a lot of reputable sports betting sites like sportsbet.io that offer a wide range of betting options and great odds for cricket games.

So, with all that in mind, in this article, we will cover all the details on how you can bet on cricket, along with some tips and strategies that will help you enhance your potential winnings. If you are completely new to cricket betting, then keep reading to learn all its details.

Cricket Formats

First things first, we need to take a closer look at what cricket formats currently exist. Before you think about placing a wager, you need to understand different cricket disciplines and formats. Once again, if you are completely new to cricket, this is something you need to pay close attention to.

First-Class Cricket

The first cricket format is called first-class cricket. It involves top-class domestic or international teams, with matches lasting up to 4–5 days. Both teams have two innings, and they can include championships or test matches.

Just like any other cricket game, first-class cricket has teams of 11 players. An example of an international test cricket match would be Wales vs. Australia. As for a first-class league, we can mention the county championship in England.

Limited Overs Cricket

We are moving on to another popular cricket market called limited-overs matches. This is a single innings match where teams will bowl a certain number of overs, which can be between 20 and 50.

  • One day International: A limited overs cricket played by two teams. Usually, a cricket game will have a certain number of overs, which is 50. It can last up to nine hours, so these events are very competitive.
  • Twenty20: Introduced in 2003, Twenty20 is one of the most popular cricket formats. Two teams are up against each other, with both having a single innings with no more than 20 overs.
  • The Hundred: This is a 100-ball professional cricket league that has eight men’s and eight women’s teams. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) runs the franchise.

Starting Your Cricket Betting Adventure

Well, now that you know the different cricket formats, you might feel like it is time to start your betting journey.

However, you might ask yourself, “How exactly do you get started?” “Is it a complicated procedure to start placing bets on cricket?” Thankfully, for all the newbies out there, we have made a short list of must-dos if you want to start wagering on cricket.

Follow all the below steps, and you will have no problem starting a safe and exciting cricket wagering journey.

Find a Reputable Bookie

The first and most obvious step would be to find a bookmaker who is trustworthy. Today’s sports betting world is very saturated with quality operators, but there are some fraudulent ones.

You need to avoid the latter, and thankfully, it is quite easy to do so. Once you open any bookmaker, check whether it holds a licence from trusted regulators, such as the UKGC, MGA, etc. This information is usually found on the footer of the website.

These regulators will make sure that bookies have safe platforms with the most up-to-date encryption software to keep all of your personal information safe.

An example of a world-class operator that has all the security features in place is sportsbet.io, so it is one that we strongly recommend to all readers.

Sign Up and Verify Your Account

Now, once you make sure that the bookie is a reliable one, it is time for you to sign up. There will usually be a “Sign Up” button on the top right-hand corner of your screen, which you need to click on.

Once you do, you will be redirected to another page where you will need to insert personal information such as your name, email, address, new username, password, currency, etc.

This is a process that usually lasts no more than a couple of minutes.

However, keep in mind that the process may not be all done now. All licenced and trustworthy operators will ask you to verify your account. Some operators ask for this at the beginning of the registration process, while others may ask before you make your first withdrawal.

Whatever the case may be, you need to provide photo proof of your ID. Once the bookmaker reviews and accepts the documents you send over, your cricket betting journey can begin.

Deposit and Claim the Welcome Bonus

Moving on, all online bookmakers have a minimum deposit rate that you need to fulfil if you are to start wagering on cricket.

Usually, the minimum deposit is tied to a welcome bonus. The type of welcome bonus is different from one bookie to another, but you can often expect a deposit match bonus for your first deposit up to a certain sum.

Once you make your first deposit, see whether the welcome bonus is the right one for you. Read its terms and conditions and claim it.

Start Betting

Now, you are all done and ready to start your cricket betting journey. Examine the bookmaker’s cricket betting offer and place your wager.

We will cover the most popular betting markets below, but one thing is sure: reputable online bookmakers will have more than enough betting options for all types of bettors.

Hopefully, not long after you start wagering on cricket, you will secure your first win and you can withdraw your winnings.

Reading Cricket Betting Odds

Just like any other sport in the world, cricket has odds that will determine your potential payouts. It is very important that you learn how to read the odds if you want to be successful when betting.

As for how betting sites calculate your payouts, the formula is quite simple—they multiply your wager with the odds of the cricket game. However, you need to know that not all markets offer the same cricket odds. There are three main types of odds you need to know:

  • Decimal odds (example: 1.9) – you multiply the odds for the potential return.
  • Fractional odds (example: 3/2) – a ratio of the amount you can win compared to the amount you have to wager.
  • American odds (example -200) – the favourite is denoted by a (-) sign, while the underdog is denoted by a (+). 

Popular Cricket Bets

Now, let’s dive into the details of cricket betting. If you want to be efficient when wagering on the sport, you have to know all the markets available. Therefore, let’s take a closer look at some of the most popular betting types for cricket.

Winner or Outright Bets

We begin with the most basic type of bet in cricket. With these bets, you get to try your luck at predicting the winner of a match, tournament, or series. Some refer to the outright winner bet as a match bet. Of course, you need to do your research before you place this type of bet and know who is more likely to win the game or tournament.

Handicaps

Moving on, we have handicap bets that are very common in the sport. More and more bettors decide to try handicap bets, and when you look at the potential payouts, it is easy to see why.

In this betting option, the operator creates an advantage for the underdog in any cricket game. This way, the odds for the favourite to win increase.

With a straight match bet, you won’t see such good odds, so this is always a good way to enhance your potential winnings should you favour the favourites to win by a big margin.

Of course, with a handicap bet, the risk increases significantly as well. It doesn’t always mean that the favourites in a given cricket game will come out victorious.

Over/Under Bets

Up next, we have over/under bets that are very common among all sports, not just cricket. This type of bet is one that is very commonly used among cricket bettors.

You can apply this bet to any cricket game, and it will see you try to predict the total number of wickets or runs in a given match. Of course, the bookmaker will have a specific number in its offer, and you need to predict whether the outcome will be over or under that number.

First Ball/First Over

Let’s take a look at a betting market for all punters who enjoy betting on any immediate outcome. Here, you will need to predict whether the first ball in any cricket game is a wicket or a four. Some bookies are less specific, and you will see possibilities to bet on the first over or under in a given game.

Innings Run

In innings run betting, you predict how many runs a team will score during the first batting period.

Unlike other bets mentioned in this list, the innings run bet does not stipulate that you need to predict the exact score. Instead, you need to guess whether your chosen amount of runs is above or below a given number.

Finally, we can say that the innings run bet type is one of the most common and popular ones among cricket bettors at any bookmaker.

Betting on a Player

Player bets are also very popular among punters betting on cricket. As the name suggests, they allow you to place wagers on a particular player. As an example, you can bet on whether any player will be the top bowler in a certain game.

Of course, you must conduct thorough research before placing any player bet. The good thing here is that you don’t need to focus on researching the entire cricket team. Instead, you can focus on one player. Let’s see a couple of player bets in more detail.

Top Bowler

We already briefly mentioned this type of bet, which is very common among cricket betting fans. With a top bowler bet, you need to choose which player you think will get the highest number of wickets during any match or any series. Bookies will offer you a list of all players from all teams from which you can choose.

Top Batsman

This is a very specific wager in which you select a cricket player you believe will be the leading scorer in any game or series. Every player in any team is available for selection here, and this is one of the most complicated bets you can make in cricket. You need good knowledge if you are to predict the top batsman correctly.

Team Bets

On the opposite side of player bets, we have team bets that require you to focus on the whole team instead of just one player.

There are various team bets that you can make at any reputable cricket bookmaker, including the likes of:

  • Series score
  • Outright winner
  • Win toss

Team of Top Batsman

An interesting betting type under the team bets category is which team the top batsman plays for in the game. It deserves special mention among our cricket betting types, as it is a good option for you to get a nice payout.

It is much easier to choose the batsman’s team than the batsman himself. Of course, you only have two teams to choose from here, so you don’t need as much research as for the above-mentioned bets.

Bet Builders

Bet builders are growing in popularity among sports betting fans for all sports, not just cricket. These bets are relatively new among bookies, and they require you to get several events from a certain cricket game correctly.

As an example, you can place a wager on the home team to win, with one of their players as the man of the match and the other as the top bowler. Remember that you need to guess all of your selections correctly if you are to secure a win with your bet builder.

With proper research, bet builders can secure you nice returns, so over time, we believe all punters will grow accustomed to placing bets on bet builders for all important cricket games.

Futures Bets

Apart from all of the above-mentioned bets on cricket, there are long-term bets that you can try. We especially recommend these types of bets if there are any big tournaments taking place at the moment.

You can often find good odds for the league winner, top bowler, or top batsman in any championship or tournament. You can place these bets at the beginning of the competition and wait for them to unravel.

Specials

Because cricket is so popular, you have a lot of different betting options to choose from. Punters are not just happy with standard bets, so reliable bookies have to offer something more.

So, at world-class cricket betting sites, you will see special betting options such as most sixes, coin toss, how the player will get dismissed, and so on. At the end of the day, different bookies offer different special bets, so it is something you need to check in detail before you sign up.

How a Player is Dismissed

If you are a big cricket fan, then we would recommend that you try out this wager. With this bet, you get to try to guess the method by which a batsman will be dismissed. You have a few options here:

  • Caught
  • Bowled
  • Run-out

Win Toss

A cricket wager that isn’t so much linked with the performance of a team or a player is the win-toss betting type. Here, you need to choose which team will win the coin toss before the match begins.

Toss Combination

If you are interested in placing a bet on the coin toss, then the toss combination is also a nice option to consider. Here, you need to pick which team will win the coin toss, but you also need to choose whether that team will opt to bowl or bat first. So, you need to guess both events correctly to secure a payout.

Live Betting on Cricket

Finally, we can take a closer look at in-play cricket bets, which seem to always be popular among punters. Of course, all reliable betting sites offer various in-play bet types, so you are well covered here.

As you would imagine, live bets mean that you will need to wager on a certain game as it occurs. Plenty of punters try their luck with live bets on cricket, but over time and with more knowledge, nothing stops you from wagering on any game as it happens.

You need to know that the odds in live cricket games change all the time as the game progresses, and certain markets are not available for the entire match. These are just a couple of the factors you need to consider when deciding to place a live cricket bet.

Tips & Tricks When Betting on Cricket

Betting on cricket is one thing, but you cannot head into placing real-money wagers without learning some interesting tips and tricks.

However, keep in mind that there is no winning strategy that will guarantee you win whenever you place real-money wagers on cricket, no matter the site you bet on. With all that in mind, let’s take a closer look at what tricks you can use to enhance your chances of landing a winning cricket bet.

Compare Odds

Different bookies may have different odds for various cricket events. So, a good strategy would be not to rush when thinking about placing a wager on your preferred cricket event.

Before you settle for any bookie, make sure to do a bit of digging. See which bookmaker has the most competitive odds. It is important you do so, as the odds will determine how much your potential winnings will be.

Make Future Bets

Your goal when wagering on cricket will always be to enhance your potential winnings. Therefore, you need to look at the best possible betting markets and see what you can use better.

In this respect, bookies often offer very good odds for various cricket events before they begin. You don’t need to rely on the favourites to place your bets, as surprises often happen in cricket.

For that reason, you are sure to find competitive odds on a tournament winner or any other player bet. Do your research and see what you can use. Timing is very important here, as once the tournament starts, the odds will fluctuate, so make sure to place your wager before it all begins.

Do Your Research and Follow Tipsters

There is never enough research when thinking about wagering on cricket. Sure, you have to do your homework on the teams, players, tournament history, etc., but it doesn’t hurt if you decide to follow a few cricket tipsters.

Very often, these people can be a very good source of information as they seek to increase their profits and popularity by making good predictions.

Therefore, they put so much work into all their tips for various games and tournaments that it is always wise to check them out. After all, these are all people with many years of experience in the online cricket wagering market, and tons of professional cricket bettors follow them.

You can combine what you know and what they know to make even smarter bets and maximise your chances of winning.

Take The Small Wins

This tip goes especially for all newbies in the online cricket betting world. Sometimes, beginners will think that they know it all and can instantly win big money when wagering on cricket.

That is possible, sure, but very often the reality is far from it. The bookie always has the edge, so you need to be happy with small wins and profits, especially at the beginning of your betting journey.

Don’t assume that small wins are worth nothing. In reality, the opposite is true. You may be surprised to learn that the chances of winning tons of small bets are much higher than achieving a big win early on.

Later on in your cricket betting journey, nothing stops you from placing big bets—if your wallet allows you to. However, in the beginning, stick to your budget and the small wins, and take them as they come.

Always Check the Weather Before the Games

All experienced cricket bettors will tell you that the weather is one of the key elements that determine the outcome of a certain game. So, knowing what the weather will be like during the game is vital. Humidity can affect the movement of the ball, and teams may change their setup based on this.

So, all this will help you determine the expected score, and your chances of securing a nice win will increase a lot.

This tip is very helpful, especially when you place player bets, and it is one of the most important steps you need to make before placing a cricket bet online.

Check the State of the Pitch

Moving on, you need to take note of the pitch inspection, as this is also something that will have a great effect on the game.

You need to check whether the pitch is flat, therefore a good one for batters, or whether it will deteriorate to suit spin bowlers. These are all questions that you need to ask yourself before placing a wager. As you can see, details matter in cricket, so you need to keep your eyes open for everything.

Learn all Rules of the Sport

Many players make the mistake of just learning the basics of cricket, thinking that it will be enough to get them nice payouts. This is not a recommended strategy, as you need sharp cricket knowledge.

Before you place a cricket bet online, you need to make sure you are 100% familiar with the sport. Don’t make a rookie mistake by thinking that beginners always have luck and expect a big win in a return. By understanding how cricket works, you will have a much easier time doing your research before placing a bet.

Moreover, you will know what types of bets you can place on various tournaments and games, so the benefits are there for you to reap.

Always Check the Team’s Form and the Injuries of the Players

No matter how good you think a team is or what their history is in any competition, form always plays a key role in cricket. Don’t be ignorant, and don’t make the mistake of not checking what the form of a team is or whether they have any injured players.

Of course, if the team is missing some key players, it can have a very big impact on how the game will pan out. So, once again, we go back to research. Check how the team fared in previous games and see their injury list. This way, you can make much more informed decisions about your bets, and you can increase your chances of landing a nice win.

Don’t Bet on Your Favourite Team

This is a tip that every professional cricket bettor will give you. If you have followed cricket for a long time, you may have a favourite team for which you will always be biased.

That is normal, but that is also the main reason why you should always avoid placing bets on that team. Betting on your favourite cricket team is known as “emotional betting.” There is no room for emotions when placing cricket bets, as that is one of the main reasons why punters lose a lot of money.

Do your research when placing a bet and don’t rely on your emotions. Sometimes, every piece of information will point to your team losing the game, but if you cannot make that bet, just stay out of it and skip the game. There are plenty of other games you can place your wager on.

Set a Budget and Stick to It

Finally, we have one of the most important rules when you bet on cricket. You always need to make sure that you have full control over your gambling funds.

Many cricket bettors make the costly mistake of mismanaging their bankroll, and they end up with a gambling addiction problem. That is something that you want to avoid at any cost, so you need to have a bankroll management strategy.

Thankfully, that strategy is a very simple one. We recommend making a monthly cricket betting budget for yourself and sticking to it. Even in months when you secure nice wins, don’t make the mistake of betting more than you can afford to.

If you spend all your betting money in the middle of the month, then stay out of cricket wagers until next month arrives; it is that simple.

Bonuses at Cricket Betting Sites

Your betting adventure at cricket betting sites will be much more entertaining when you know that you can claim some special bonuses and promotions.

Betting sites know how popular cricket is around the world, so they always make sure to offer special promotions for punters to use on the sport. Therefore, there are tons of bonuses that cricket betting sites offer their registered users, but let’s take a closer look at some of the most common ones.

Welcome Bonus

First off, we have welcome bonuses, which are a way for cricket betting sites to say thank you for registering. Once you complete the short registration process at the betting site, you will probably be eligible to claim a nice welcome bonus.

A welcome bonus can come in many shapes and sizes, depending on what the site offers. However, it is not uncommon that there are a few welcome bonuses for different types of players. Some are high-rollers, so they can expect big deposit match bonuses, while newbies in the online cricket sports betting world can sometimes look forward to free bets.

Of course, claiming the welcome bonus is not mandatory. Before you decide to use the sign-up package, make sure to read its terms and conditions. They always contain vital information about wagering requirements, bonus duration, and much more. Welcome bonuses tend to have the most extensive T&C, so pay close attention to them.

Free Bet

A free bet is one of the most common types of promotion you can use at cricket betting sites. You can usually use the free bet when making single bets, during live matches, pre-match bets, and so on.

Some cricket online betting sites offer three types of free bets:

  • No risk
  • All win
  • Only win

A no-risk-free bet is very simple to use. You need to choose an event, and you have three possible variants for the outcome:

  • You get a winning bet – you secure your win, and the bookie writes off the bonus.
  • You lose the bet – you get your bet amount back in return, with the bonus written off.
  • You win the bet partially – you get your winnings in any case.

The second type of free bet is called “all win.” You place your bet with the free bet, and if you win, you get your winnings in real money. You don’t lose anything if you lose the bet.

Finally, the third type of free bet is “only win.” Once again, you will need to place a wager with the free bet, but if you win, you will only receive the difference between the win and the bet sum. That difference is in real money.

Bet Insurance

Another very popular type of cricket bonus is bet insurance. This is a great option for you if you are unsure whether your selections will win. Some online betting sites will allow you to insure a bet for a small fee.

How big that cost is depends on the odds of the particular cricket game. You can choose to insure your bet in full or only partially. If you lose the sports bet, you get the insured part back into your balance.

Cashback

There are plenty of bonuses you can claim at cricket betting sites, but the cashback incentive is one of the most popular and profitable among punters.

The logic behind the cashback bonus is very simple: you get a partial repayment if you lose your bet. Of course, the percentage of payback varies from one operator to another. Usually, there will be specific games or days when the bookie will offer cashback incentives to its registered users.

You will usually get the cashback in the form of a free bet or a wager bonus. This mainly depends on the sports betting site you choose.

So, you can see why cashback is very popular among players, as it serves as an amortisation for their losses when wagering on cricket. However, you need to know that the cashback funds may sometimes be subject to strict wagering requirements. This means that you cannot withdraw them straight away, as the playthrough requirements need to be completed.

Reload Bonuses

Up next, we have reload bonuses, which are also very common among cricket betting sites. Reload bonuses are often offered to the most loyal players to boost their potential winnings.

The logic behind them is very simple: you will get a nice deposit match bonus up to a certain percentage and a sum for all your cricket bets.

As you can imagine, the percentage and the whole reload bonus will depend on the bookie in question. Different bookies have different bonus policies, so you need to be informed before you claim such a package.

Referral Bonuses

Next, we have referral bonuses that you can always use if you know someone who might be interested in joining a cricket betting site.

Usually, cricket bookies will create a special referral link that you can send to your friends for them to register. They will need to click on that link and complete the registration process with the bookie.

Usually, the site will also require them to make a real-money bet, after which you can get a nice bonus as a reward. What type of bonus you get depends on the bookmaker in question, but usually it is either a free bet or a deposit match bonus.

VIP Programmes

Finally, we have VIP or loyalty programmes, which are very common among all reputable betting sites. Attracting cricket bettors to register on the site is one thing, but retaining those players is always tricky for operators.

Therefore, a nice way to reward punters for their continuous real-money bets on cricket is to enrol them in a special VIP programme.

What type of VIP programme you can expect depends on the operator you choose, but usually it will be multi-layered.

This means that the more real-money cricket bets you place, the higher your VIP level will be. Once you register your account on the betting site, you will instantly be part of the first VIP programme, and you can progress over time.

There are various perks of a VIP programme at cricket betting sites, and some of the biggest benefits include:

  • Special birthday bonuses
  • Invitations to special events
  • Personal VIP Manager
  • Faster payouts
  • Better cashback percentage
  • Personalised bonus offers

Verdict

Overall, we can conclude that betting on cricket is one of the most exciting pastime activities for many punters all over the world.

As is the case with all sports that you can find at any bookmaker, you need to be familiar with cricket and all bet types before you even think about placing a wager on the sport.

Thankfully, in this article, we covered all the main aspects of cricket and how you can start your betting journey. This way, we can ensure that you don’t waste too much time researching before betting real money on your favourite cricket events.

All you need to do at the beginning is make sure that you choose a reputable bookie such as sportsbet.io and take it from there. With the help of this guide, we hope that all of your cricket betting will be profitable and fun!

FAQ

Is it safe to bet on cricket?

A licence and a security certificate are very important for any cricket bookmaker. As long as you choose a reputable operator such as sportsbet.io, you have nothing to worry about.

Which bet type is ideal for new cricket bettors?

We suggest you start off with more simple bets if you are completely new to cricket betting. Over/under and match winner bets are arguably the best types of bets for newbies.

Are there any strategies to help me win my cricket bets?

Unfortunately, there is no winning strategy that will guarantee you certain wins when you place a cricket bet. However, by following tips like managing your bankroll and learning all cricket betting rules, you can at least improve your chances of winning.

Do I get any cricket betting bonuses?

Yes, all reliable cricket bookies will offer you interesting bonus offers, such as welcome bonuses, cashback incentives, free bets, bet insurance, etc. The type of promotion you receive mainly depends on the cricket bookmaker you choose.