2017 IPL Betting Tips: First Eliminator
It is knockout time in IPL 2017 and the first of the teams making their way out of the tournament is going to be at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on Wednesday, May 17th. Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders will clash in a high-stakes encounter. The winner stays in the tournament and goes on to play the loser of the first qualifier.
Journey so far
Sunrisers Hyderabad qualified in third place with 17 points from their league encounters. That included an abandoned match and six victories out of seven matches at home. Coincidentally, the side has qualified third last year too where they went on to win the title.
For Kolkata Knight Riders it has been a season of ebb and flow where they finished fourth with 16 points. After looking like they would finish in the top two, the Knight Riders lost four of their last five matches to finish last in the race to top four.
The ones to watch
Hyderabad has some of the best performers of the season. In batting, David Warner is the orange cap holder while Shikhar Dhawan is also among the top three. Bhuvneswar Kumar holds the purple cap with his top scalps while Rashid Khan is not far behind.
For Kolkata, Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa hold the key to their batting fortunes. They have a very aggressive and non-traditional opening pair in Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine making them very dangerous. With the ball, the variety offered by Kuldeep Yadav and Narine makes them a potent force.
Line-ups
Warner will have a difficult decision to make as a captain – should he go for batting comforts of Kane Williamson or the all-round abilities of Moises Henriques. With his bowlers offering consistency and Mohammad Nabi adding value with his off-spin, Williamson may just edge ahead.
Gambhir will have a tough task to rejuvenate a side that has lost its mojo in the recent matches. Nathan Coulter-Nile will walk back into the side at the expense of Trent Boult, provided he is fit to play.
How do they compare head-to-head?
Sunrisers have a record to settle against the Knight Riders – easily their least favorite opponent. They have won only four out of 11 matches. In this season, they have won one game each.
Picks
Recent form makes Hyderabad Sunrisers favorites to win this encounter although bettors put both on equal footing. Back the Sunrisers to win the match at odds of $1.91 (Ladbrokes).
TIP: Sunrisers to win – $1.91 at Ladbrokes
Warner is vital for Hyderabad at the top and he has not disappointed this season. Back him to be the top batsman for the Sunrisers at odds of $3 (Ladbrokes).
TIP: David Warner top Sunrisers batsman – $3 at Ladbrokes
For the Knight Riders, Lynn at the top would be the difference. Back him at odds of $3.75 (Ladbrokes) to be their best batsman.
TIP: Chris Lynn top Knight Riders batsman – $3.75 at Ladbrokes
TIPS ARE SIMPLY THE AUTHOR’s OPINION. ALWAYS GAMBLE RESPONSIBLY
