CPL 2020 Betting Tips & Predictions

Beaten in last year’s final, Guyana Amazon Warriors are among the favourites to go one better and win the Caribbean Premier League this time around.

With breakthrough stars Brandon King and Chandrapaul Hemraj especially impressive, Guyana Amazon Warriors were in excellent form last season.

They fell at the final hurdle for the fifth time, however – meaning they have lost all five finals they have played in at the Caribbean Premier League.

Once again, however, they are among the favourites to reach the CPL final – and maybe, with little disruption to their squad pre-tournament, this could finally be their year.

Captain Shoaib Malik is the biggest loss, with both he and Shadab Khan unavailable due to Pakistan’s tour of England. Qais Ahmad is the only other player to have withdrawn, however, with the latter suffering visa issues.

As a result, the core of last season’s team remains – Brandon King, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Shimron Hetmyer, Nicholas Pooran, Sherfane Rutherford and Romario Shepherd all sticking around.

Veteran leg-spinner Imran Tahir is also available, while Ross Taylor is an eye-catching addition to the squad.

Taylor could replace Malik in the starting line-up, in what is going to prove one of few changes from last season.

Guyana Amazon Warriors were among the top teams last season once again, with Brandon King and Chandrapaul Hemraj both emerging as star players.

Exciting batting talents like Nicholas Pooran, Sherfane Rutherford and Shimron Hetmyer are also on board in a fiercely strong batting line-up.

Shoaib Malik is a big loss as captain, make no mistake, but with experience offered by Imran Tahir and new signing Ross Taylor, this remains a well-balanced squad.

They may lack the star paceman of say, the Tridents, but Romario Shepherd can lead the attack and this is still a very strong team.

Five times they have reached the final, in seven years, and five times they have lost. This could finally be the season they take the extra step.

Winners

While one of their losses, Shoaib Malik, is a big one, Guyana Amazon Warriors have got off lightly when it comes to squad changes compared to some other teams. An exciting batting line-up and key bowlers like Romario Shepherd and Imran Tahir can finally send the five-times runners-up to victory.

GAW CPL 2020 odds

Guyana Amazon Warriors are joint favourites to win the 2020 Caribbean Premier League and they can be backed at 3.75 with Bet365 and Betway to do so.

The two-time winners were disappointing last season, dropping to the bottom of the table after a series of poor performances. A star-studded squad can bounce back this year, however.

Winners in 2013 and 2016, the Tallawahs have found their performances have dried up in recent seasons.

They were bottom of the pile last season, winning just twice, despite boasting two of the CPL’s most iconic players in Andre Russell and Chris Gayle.

Gayle has left the franchise now – and is unavailable this season anyway – but box-office all-rounder Russell is back.

Add to that some high-quality all-rounders, and the Tallawahs will expect much more than they have produced in recent seasons.

Jamaica Tallawahs have made some big changes for this season, not least with captain Chris Gayle departing in acrimonious circumstances.

His rant against Ramnaresh Sarwan did not stop his former franchise from landing some big signings, however.

Carlos Brathwaite, who captained St Kitts & Nevis Patriots last season, comes across, while Rovman Powell will captain the Tallawahs.

Sandeep Lamichhane is another big signing, as is big-hitting Asif Ali, while veteran former international bowler Fidel Edwards makes his return to the Caribbean.

Jamaica Tallawahs were woeful last season, there is no other way to put it.

With Andre Russell only available for five matches and Chris Gayle lacking consistent form at the top of the batting order, they paid the price.

Just two wins in the tournament tells its own story, and was a far cry from their two titles in 2013 and 2016.

The response has been fairly emphatic, however. Gayle is gone, Sandeep Lamichhane and Carlos Brathwaite are among the players snapped up and Russell will hope for better fitness this time.

If all of those things click into place, the Tallawahs can reach the play-offs – but they need to improve significantly on last season..

Semi-Finalists

Jamaica Tallawahs fell well short last season, but Andre Russell’s star quality and some smart new signings can see them pull off a big improvement. They still seem well off being described as title contenders, however.

JT CPL 2020 odds

Jamaica Tallawahs are 7.00 with Betway and 7.50 with Bet365 to win the Caribbean Premier League. They are outsiders as a result of their dip in form in recent seasons, although their new signings are exciting ones.

A late surge lifted St Kitts & Nevis Patriots into the play-offs last season, but their search for a first title goes on.

Rayad Emrit takes over the captaincy as St Kitts & Nevis Patriots – who reached the play-offs in each of last three years but have never won the title – look to go further this year.

A few key absences – Fabian Allen missing his chartered flight and Rassie van der Dussen withdrawing from the tournament – leaves them a little light, however.

They have star players – Evin Lewis and new man Chris Lynn for batting, and Sheldon Cottrell and Alzarri Joseph for bowling.

It is squad depth they lack, however, and that could be their undoing this season.

Captain Carlos Brathwaite has left the Patriots to join Jamaica Tallawahs, so Rayad Emrit will take over the captaincy.

For the second year, Rassie van der Dussen is unavailable, while Laurie Evans was not re-signed from last year’s squad.

Fabian Allen has had to withdraw too, having missed his chartered flight – currently the only way to fly in or out of Trinidad.

The Patriots have brought in some big names, however, with Ben Dunk, Chris Lynn, Sohail Tanvir and Ish Sodhi their overseas players this season.

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots have consistently qualified for the play-offs in recent years and have made an eye-catching signing in big-hitting opener Chris Lynn.

Lynn’s batting form at the top of the order in T20 cricket – and T10 cricket – has been excellent and he will be a key man for the Patriots.

Evin Lewis is capable of fireworks alongside him, and this has the hallmarks of a partnership in the same mould as the one Lynn forged with Brendan McCullum in the Big Bash League.

Alzarri Joseph and Sheldon Cottrell are top bowling options too, but the question is what comes after them.

On their day, and with the likes of Ben Dunk not to be underestimated too, this is a very strong core to the team.

The problem is, the depth beyond that does look a little shallow.

Fifth

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots have the big-name stars to continue their run of play-off places, but the key might be what happens if they do not fire. This squad seems to lack depth beyond the core of star players.

SNP CPL 2020 odds

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots are 6.50 with Betway and 7.00 with Bet365 to win the 2020 Caribbean Premier League.

Unfancied St Lucia Zouks, who have only reached the play-offs once in their seven seasons, are big outsiders for this year’s Caribbean Premier League too.

West Indies’ World Cup winning captain Daren Sammy leads his home island team, St Lucia Zouks, as they look to end a barren run at the Caribbean Premier League.

They finished fifth last season, but they have already suffered some blows this season – big signing Chris Gayle withdrawing for personal reasons.

Rilee Rossouw, Colin Ingram and Anrich Nortje have all withdrawn too, leaving the Zouks without some key players.

Having never finished higher than fourth in this tournament, it is easy to see why they are such big outsiders.

Chris Gayle was a key acquisition for this tournament but he has had to withdraw due to personal reasons.

The West Indies icon might well have played his last Caribbean Premier League match as a result.

Rilee Rossouw, Anrich Norje, Colin Ingram and Noor Ahmad had all withdrawn from the original squad too.

There is one exciting addition, however. Anybody who followed the St Lucia T10 Blast will know of big-hitting Kimani Melius, and the rising star could be one to watch.

If the hope was that an aging Chris Gayle would enjoy one final hurrah as he fired St Lucia Zouks to a much improved performance, that has gone now.

The West Indian has had to withdraw for personal reasons, leaving Andre Fletcher and newcomer Kimani Melius as a potential opening pair.

There is plenty of excitement in that, but the loss of not just Gayle, but also Rilee Rossouw, Anrich Nortje and Colin Ingram are big, big losses.

They have brought in some players – some good players too – but there will be a gap in the plans for the season.

Once again, the play-offs look to far awy.

Sixth

St Lucia Zouks have never made a big impact at the tournament and they are outsiders for this one too.

STZ CPL 2020 odds

St Lucia Zouks are 11.00 with Betway and 10.00 with Bet365 to win the 2020 Caribbean Premier League.

Trinbago Knight Riders are looking to bounce back after a below-par campaign in 2019 in which they were unable to win a fourth title in five years.

Trinbago Knight Riders won the CPL in 2015, 2017 and 2018 and have never failed to reach the play-offs.

With key all-rounder Dwayne Bravo injured, however, they could only reach the play-offs last season and eventually finished in third place.

Sunil Narine also missed a chunk of last season, but both men are back in action and set to play a key part in this tournament.

Their record speaks for itself, and an abundance of quality – added to with some smart signings this season – means the play-offs should be minimum expectation again.

Trinbago Knight Riders have not been forced into any additional changes – the only team to get away with it so far.

Fawad Ahmed has been added and Chris Jordan is among last season’s international stars not available this time.

Ahmed is not the oldest player in this squad either – that is Pravin Tambe, who at 48 continues to attract interest.

But the core of this team is going to be unchanged, with the added bonus of Dwayne Bravo being fit again and Sunil Narine also back to fitness.

Trinbago Knight Riders have won three titles but lost their grip on top spot last season and eventually finished third.

Dwayne Bravo’s injury was a key factor in that, but he is back to bowling again and can score late order runs too.

Colin Munro, Lendl Simmons and Sunil Narine are big-hitting, top-order batsman too so the pressure is right on the bowlers.

With Bravo one bowler, the question is whether the others can step it up too, to support TKR’s title bid.

Finalists

Trinbago Knight Riders have made some smart signings and kept the core of last season’s team and that could be enough to inspire them to a fourth CPL final.

TKR CPL 2020 odds

Trinbago Knight Riders are joint-favourites to win the 2020 Caribbean Premier League at 3.75 with both Betway and Bet365.