IPL: Our cricket tipster The Edge previews Wednesday’s IPL game between Kolkata Knight Riders v Lucknow Super Giants with a recommended BETDAQ bet.

Kolkata Knight Riders v Lucknow Super Giants

MATCH OVERVIEW:

We visit the DY Patil Stadium for the final time in this years IPL on Wednesday as Kolkata Knight Riders clash with Lucknow Super Giants. We have a fantastic week of action on BETDAQ Betting Exchange, and this is another massive game for both sides. It looks like the chances of reaching the playoffs are gone for KKR, but a win here would match them on points with Royal Challengers Bangalore with a better net run rate. It’s unlikely they will make it – but they might as well win here and ask the question!

This is also a huge game for Lucknow Super Giants. It looked for so long they they would finish in the top two and have an easier run in the playoffs with that second chance, but they come into this clash sitting in third. Rajasthan Royals have the same amount of points as them but a better net run rate. There’s very little in the net run rate, so Lucknow can still finish second even if Rajasthan Royals win their final game. It’s not ideal that they come into this fixture off the back of two losses, and they were two pretty heavy defeats too. They lot by 62 runs to Gujarat Titans and then 24 runs to Rajasthan Royals conceding 178/6 in the first innings – that was even with Jos Buttler out for 2 early!

That loss was obviously a big setback for Lucknow looking at the places in the table, but they will still fancy their chances of a win here. KKR have had plenty of issues with their batting right throughout the tournament. However, I wouldn’t be so confident on Lucknow. KKR have won their last two by 52 runs against Mumbai Indians and 54 runs against Sunrisers Hyderabad. I know that those two sides sit down the bottom of the table, but the batters looked confident which I think is a huge positive for KKR. However, Andre Russell scored 49 runs off 28 balls in the last game. He’s fantastic when he comes off, but we all know he doesn’t do it as often as he’d like.

WEATHER AND PITCH WATCH:

We had no ground history here before this IPL so we were only finding out what conditions were like at the start of the tournament. We saw 205/2 chased down and a side all out for 128 in the opening two games – this definitely wasn’t a ground to be confident on! However, over the last few weeks it looks like a par score has settled around 165. KKR won with that score here last week, and then they couldn’t chase down 156/9 in their game here prior. From the last six games, the side batting first has won three times and I don’t think there’s an edge either way there. As I said already this week, it’s good for cricket that the side who plays the best cricket will win, but bad for traders because it’s always nice to have a trade on the side who has the little edge in conditions.

RECOMMENDED BET:

On paper, Lucknow Super Giants are the better side here and they have been the better side throughout the tournament too. However, I actually think a small bet on KKR is worth it at 2.24 or bigger. I feel we’ll see a closer game than those odds suggest as the KKR batting order seems to finally be in form. Of course I am worried that their last two games have come against weaker sides, and probably sides with bowling issues too, but they looked very confident in their last game and if Andre Russell can turn up in the same form they will go close. The thing about Russell too is he blows hot and cold – he can put together three or four brilliant games, and then three or four terrible ones – you need to catch him at the right time and he looked very good the other night. I know Lucknow are a very good side, but KKR are a value bet here and worth a small investment.

The Edge Says:
One point win Kolkata Knight Riders to beat Lucknow Super Giants at 2.25 with BETDAQ Exchange.

View the market here -> https://betdaq.biz/KkrLuc

IN-RUNNING STRATEGY:

As mentioned above, there’s no clear edge here to batting or bowling first. Sometimes the best trade is no trade, and from that point of view that is definitely the case here. It’s actually been pretty much 50/50 on batting or bowling first, and it will be interesting to see what the captain who wins the toss does. When I look through the sides here, there isn’t much I want to target here – I am going to take on the KKR openers with the bat, and then support their mid-to-late order especially Russell who looks in good touch. The KKR bowling is their strong point too, so I wouldn’t look for many trades on Lucknow while batting. I think we’ll have a closer game here than the odds suggest, and we should see plenty of swings in-running.