Big Bash League Predictions

Sydney Thunder Preview & Odds

Team News

Led by Shane Watson, Sydney Thunder have signed international stars Jos Buttler, Joe Root, Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja for this year's Big Bash League. However, all four of them will not be available for the entire season due to international commitments. The team have announced Anton Devcich and Chris Jordan as the overseas replacements for Jos Buttler and Joe Root who won't be available for the latter part of the season.

Past Performances

Sydney Thunder are champions of the 2015-16 edition. They defeated Melbourne Stars at the MCG in the final to claim their first ever BBL title. However, their overall performance in the tournament has not been very good as they have finished at the bottom on four occasions. They ended up sixth in the standings last year having won four out of their ten league matches.

Key Players

Shane Watson was among the top five batsmen last season with 331 runs and the skipper will once again be a key figure for Sydney Thunder. Jos Buttler, Joe Root and Usman Khawaja are the others to watch out for in this batting line-up. The team's bowling will rely mainly on Pat Cummins, Fawad Ahmed and Gurinder Sandhu. Fawad was the pick of the lot last time with 12 wickets and the leg-spinner will be expected to bowl well again.

Sydney Thunder Betting Odds

Sydney Thunder are the underdogs for the Big Bash League 2018/19 at odds of 9.60 on Betfair and 11 on both Betway and Bet365.

Sydney Thunder Squad

Shane Watson (c), Pat Cummins, Usman Khawaja, Kurtis Patterson, Gurinder Sandhu, Fawad Ahmed, Ryan Gibson, Chris Green, Arjun Nair, Joe Root, Jos Buttler, Daniel Sams, Callum Ferguson, Jay Lenton, Liam Hatcher, Jason Sangha

Perth Scorchers Preview & Odds

Team News

Mitchell Marsh is set to take over the captaincy from Adam Voges who has now been appointed as the team's coach. Mitchell Johnson has announced his retirement from the Big Bash League and so he won't be a part of the squad. England all-rounder David Willey has returned to Perth Scorchers while Usman Qadir has been added to the squad to further bolster the spin department that already has Ashton Turner and Ashton Agar. The Scorchers will now play their home games at the Optus Stadium instead of the WACA.

Past Performance

Perth Scorchers are the most successful team in the history of the Big Bash League with three title wins in the bag. They are the only team in the tournament to have won two consecutive seasons - they beat Hobart Hurricanes at the WACA in the 2013-14 final and Sydney Sixers in the following year's final at the Manuka Oval. They came runners-up in the first two seasons and have never failed to reach the knockouts. Last year, the Scorchers topped the league standings with eight wins from ten matches before being knocked out by Hobart Hurricanes in the semi-final.

Key Players

The Scorchers will bank on the likes of Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Ashton Turner and Michael Klinger to score runs for them this BBL. Turner scored the most runs for the team in the previous season and he is going to be a vital cog in the middle order once again. Nathan Coulter-Nile, Andrew Tye, Ashton Agar and David Willey will be the main threats among the bowlers. Tye was brilliant last term with 16 wickets in 6 matches and he will look to replicate that performance.

Perth Scorchers Betting Odds

Perth Scorchers are favorites to win the Big Bash League 2018/19 at odds of 5.30 on Betfair and 5 on both Betway and Bet365.

Perth Scorchers Squad

Mitchell Marsh (c), Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Jason Behrendorff, Hilton Cartwright, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Michael Klinger, Shaun Marsh, Joel Paris, Jhye Richardson, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, Sam Whiteman, David Willey

Sydney Sixers Preview & Odds

Team News

Sydney Sixers will be captained by Moises Henriques in this eighth edition of the BBL. John Hastings, who was initially named in the squad, has made himself unavailable for the entire tournament citing health issues. Three other players who won't be playing for the Sixers this season are South African spinner Johan Botha who has moved to Hobart Hurricanes, Nic Maddinson who has been signed by Melbourne Stars and Doug Bollinger who has hung up his boots.

Past Performance

Sydney Sixers won the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2011-12, beating Perth Scorchers in the final at the WACA. They also have happy memories from the 2014-15 and 2016-17 seasons in which they finished runners-up. Overall, the Sixers have a pretty good record in the BBL, having made it past the league stage four times out of seven. In the previous season, they missed out on a semi-final spot as they finished fifth in the standings with four wins and six defeats.

Key Players

In the absence of Nic Maddinson who was their best batsman last season, the Sixers will rely heavily on Joe Denly and Daniel Hughes at the top of the order. Moises Henriques, who had an impressive JLT Cup, along with Peter Nevill will be the team's biggest hopes in the middle order. With the ball, it will be up to Sean Abbott, Nathan Lyon and Stephen O’Keefe to do the job. Abbott, with 13 wickets, was the standout performer with the ball for the Sixers last time.

Sydney Sixers Betting Odds

Sydney Sixers are being offered at odds of 9.2 on Betfair and 9 on both Betway and Bet365 to win the Big Bash League 2018/19.

Sydney Sixers Squad

Moises Henriques (c), Sean Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis, Daniel Hughes, Nathan Lyon, Stephen O’Keefe, Jordan Silk, Henry Thornton, Peter Nevill, Mickey Edwards

Melbourne Stars Preview & Odds

Team News

Melbourne Stars are yet to announce their captain for BBL|08. The team will miss the services of Kevin Pietersen and local man Rob Quiney, both of whom have opted to retire. Luke Wright has refused to return to the team while James Faulkner has moved to Hobart Hurricanes. The Stars have roped in some fresh faces for this season - Travis Dean has moved in from Melbourne Renegades while Nic Maddinson has left Sydney Sixers to sign a three-year contract with the Stars. Sandeep Lamichhane and Matt Parkinson are also new additions in the squad.

Past Performance

Melbourne Stars have made it to the knockout round on six occasions but they have not been able to lay their hands on the trophy yet. 2015-16 has been the team's most successful season when they came runners-up, losing to Sydney Thunder at the MCG in the final. However, they had a forgetful campaign last time out as they finished at the bottom of the league standings with just two wins from ten matches.

Key Players

Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Nic Maddinson and Peter Handscomb are the big guns in the Stars' batting group. Maxwell finished as one of the top ten batsmen last season with 299 runs which included three half-centuries and it will be crucial that the big-hitter finds form early on in the tournament. With John Hastings not available, the Stars will be counting on Dwayne Bravo, Adam Zampa and Sandeep Lamichhane to deliver the goods with the ball. Stoinis had an impressive white-ball series against South Africa and he too will be a big threat for the oppositions.

Melbourne Stars Betting Odds

Melbourne Stars are being offered at odds of 7 on Betway, 6.50 on Bet365 and 6.80 on Betfair to win the Big Bash League 2018/19.

Melbourne Stars Squad

Michael Beer, Scott Boland, Jackson Coleman, Travis Dean, Ben Dunk, Seb Gotch, Evan Gulbis, Peter Handscomb, Nic Maddinson, Glenn Maxwell, Daniel Worrall, Adam Zampa, Marcus Stoinis, Dwayne Bravo, Sandeep Lamichhane, Jackson Bird, Liam Bowe, Jonathan Merlo, Liam Plunkett

Brisbane Heat Preview & Odds

Team News

Brendon McCullum will be leading the Brisbane Heat who have retained most of their squad from the previous season. Pakistan spinner Shadab Khan is a notable exclusion from the squad and he has been replaced by his Afghan counterpart Mujeeb Ur Rahman. The arrival of James Pattinson from Melbourne Renegades is set to bolster the Heat's pace bowling stocks.

Past Performance

Brisbane Heat are champions of the second edition of the Big Bash League held in 2012-13. They secured a comfortable 34-run victory over Perth Scorchers in the final of that season at the WACA. But since then, they have had only one semi-final appearance in the next five seasons. The Heat got off to a good start last year with two wins in their first three matches but things went downhill for them after that as they ended up seventh on the points table.

Key Players

Brendon McCullum (248 runs) and Alex Ross (210 runs) made strong contributions with the bat last year and they will be two of the key batsmen for Brisbane Heat this time as well. Joe Burns had an impressive average of 142.55 while big-hitter Chris Lynn is another danger man at the top. Brendan Doggett, Mark Steketee and Josh Lalor were all impressive in the previous season and the Heat's bowling will depend heavily on them. New addition Mujeeb Ur Rahman will also pose a serious threat to the oppositions.

Brisbane Heat Betting Odds

The odds for Brisbane Heat to win the BBL 08 stand at 6.50 on Betway, 6 on Bet365 and 6.80 on Betfair.

Brisbane Heat Squad

Chris Lynn (c), Brendon McCullum, Max Bryant, Joe Burns, Ben Cutting, Brendan Doggett, Sam Heazlett, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Lalor, James Pattinson, Jimmy Peirson, Jack Prestwidge, Matthew Renshaw, Alex Ross, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, Matt Kuhnemann, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Hobart Hurricanes Preview & Odds

Team News

Adam Griffith has replaced Gary Kirsten as the team's new coach. The George Bailey-led Hobart Hurricanes have retained majority of their players from last time. James Faulkner has been signed by the team. The Australian all-rounder has fully recovered from his injury and he will be an automatic pick for the starting eleven. The Hurricanes have also drafted Jake Doran and Caleb Jewell into their squad while releasing Dan Christian and Cameron Boyce to Melbourne Renegades.

Past Performance

Hobart Hurricanes have made three semi-final appearances in the BBL and have finished runners-up on two of those occasions, including the previous season. Last year, they finished fourth in the league standings with five wins and as many losses and managed to sneak into the semi-finals even after losing their final three league-stage encounters. The Hurricanes then thrashed Perth Scorchers by 71 runs in the semi-final before going down to Adelaide Strikers by 25 runs in the final.

Key Players

The Hurricanes will bank on the likes of D'Arcy Short, Ben McDermott, George Bailey and Matthew Wade to score runs for them in the BBL|08. Short was the tournament's best batsman last year with 572 runs which included a century and four half-centuries. McDermott, who was also amongst the runs, is another promising batsman. Jofra Archer shone with the ball last term with 16 wickets and the West Indian paceman will be the biggest threat in this attack. Hobart Hurricanes will also expect good bowling performances from Tymal Mills and James Faulkner.

Hobart Hurricanes Betting Odds

Hobart Hurricanes are being offered at odds of 7.50 on Betway, 8 on Bet365 and 7.80 on Betfair to win the Big Bash League 2018/19.

Hobart Hurricanes Squad

George Bailey (c), Ben McDermott, Simon Milenko, Tymal Mills, Tom Rogers, Clive Rose, D’Arcy Short, Aaron Summers, Matthew Wade, Jofra Archer, James Faulkner, Johan Botha

Adelaide Strikers Preview & Odds

Team News

Adelaide Strikers have not made much changes to their squad that won them their maiden BBL title last time. Skippered by Travis Head, the team has signed Matt Short who will be making a switch from Melbourne Renegades, and this has been the only inclusion in the side so far. Daniel Drew and Jono Dean are the only ones to have been released from the squad. Rashid Khan, Ben Laughlin, Jake Weatherald and Peter Siddle are among the ones to have been retained by the Strikers.

Past Performance

Adelaide Strikers went all the way last time to clinch their first ever BBL title. The reigning champions won seven and lost three out of their ten league fixtures to finish second in the standings. They met Melbourne Renegades in the semi-final and secured a thrilling one-run victory before triumphing over the Hobart Hurricanes in the final at the Adelaide Oval. The Strikers have now made it to the semis three times in the last four seasons.

Key Players

Alex Carey, Jake Weatherald and skipper Travis Head were all among the top five batsmen in the BBL 2017-18 and the Strikers will expect them to come good with the bat once again. Carey finished as the second-highest run-getter in the tournament with 443 runs. Matthew Short and Colin Ingram also have the potential to score the big runs. Rashid Khan topped the wickets charts last season with 18 wickets and the Afghan leg-spinner will be the trump card for Adelaide Strikers this year as well. Ben Laughlin, Billy Stanlake and Michael Neser are the others to watch out for with the ball.

Adelaide Strikers Betting Odds

The odds for Adelaide Strikers to win the Big Bash League 2018/19 stand at 5.50 on Betway, 6 on Bet365 and 6.80 on Betfair.

Adelaide Strikers Squad

Travis Head (c), Wes Agar, Alex Carey, Michael Cormack, David Grant, Colin Ingram, Rashid Khan, Ben Laughlin, Jake Lehmann, Michael Neser, Liam O’Connor, Matt Short, Billy Stanlake, Jake Weatherald, Jonathan Wells, Nick Winter, Peter Siddle, Cameron Valente

Melbourne Renegades Preview & Odds

Team News

Melbourne Renegades will be captained by Aaron Finch this season. The team has signed Australian internationals Cameron Boyce and Dan Christian who will be making a transition from Hobart Hurricanes. Will Sutherland, Zak Evans and Mackenzie Harvey are the fresh faces in the side. While Brad Hodge has retired, the Renegades have released Matt Short to Adelaide Strikers and James Pattinson to Brisbane Heat. The team is currently uncertain whether the West Indian duo of Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard would return for this year's BBL.

Past Performance

Barring the 2012-13 and the previous season where they finished semi-finalists both times, Melbourne Renegades have not been too impressive in the Big Bash League. In the first four editions of the tournament, they found themselves lying in the bottom three on three occasions. Last term, the Renegades finished third on the leaderboard at the end of the league stage with six wins and four defeats. They entered the knockout round with back-to-back wins over Sydney Thunder and Brisbane Heat but faced a heart-breaking loss against Adelaide Strikers in the semis.

Key Players

Melbourne Renegades will be counting on the likes of Aaron Finch, Marcus Harris and Cameron White to deliver the goods with the bat in this year's Big Bash League. White finished with an average 76 which was the highest in the tournament while Harris contributed heavily - 324 runs in 11 matches. When it comes to bowling, the Renegades will turn to Dan Christian, Mohammed Nabi, Kane Richardson and Jack Wildermuth to do the job. Richardson took 12 wickets in 10 matches last time and he will be expected to put up a good show with the ball this season.

Melbourne Renegades Betting Odds

Melbourne Renegades are being offered at odds of 7 on Betway, 7.50 on Bet365 and 7.60 on Betfair to win the BBL 08.

Melbourne Renegades Squad

Aaron Finch (c), Cameron Boyce, Dan Christian, Tom Cooper, Zak Evans, Marcus Harris, Mackenzie Harvey, Jon Holland, Tim Ludeman, Joe Mennie, Mohammed Nabi, Kane Richardson, Will Sutherland, Chris Tremain, Beau Webster, Cameron White, Jack Wildermuth

Our Prediction: Who Will Win Big Bash League 2018/19?

Brisbane Heat, barring the 2012-13 season when they were crowned champions and the 2016-17 season where they finished as semi-finalists, do not have an impressive record overall. They had a pretty bad tournament last term and they might struggle in the bowling department this year as they are going in with a batting-heavy squad. Melbourne Renegades have ended in the bottom half of the standings five times in the previous seven seasons while Sydney Sixers have been inconsistent performers in the tournament. Sydney Thunder arguably have the worst record in the BBL history, finishing at the bottom on four occasions.

Adelaide Strikers, after failing to impress in the first three editions of the BBL, have made rapid strides and shown tremendous improvement. The reigning champions are one of the strongest contenders for the title and they will look to repeat their last year's success. Perth Scorchers are the most successful team in the competition with three title triumphs and finishing runners-up two times. Hobart Hurricanes may not have won the tournament even once, but the runners-up of the previous season will pose a serious threat to the rest of the teams. Melbourne Stars had a disastrous season last year but the six-time semi-finalists are coming with a squad that could help them go all the way this time.

We feel Perth Scorchers, Adelaide Strikers, Hobart Hurricanes and Melbourne Stars stand a good chance of reaching the semi-finals of the Big Bash League 2018/19 and expect the Scorchers to win their fourth title.

Final Verdict: Back Perth Scorchers to win the Big Bash League 2018/19 at 5.30 on Betfair and 5 on both Betway and Bet365.