THURSDAY IPL: The Edge previews Kolkata Knight Riders v Lucknow Super Giants with a recommended BETDAQ bet.
Kolkata Knight Riders v Lucknow Super Giants
MATCH OVERVIEW:
The IPL lands back at Eden Gardens on Thursday as Kolkata Knight Riders host Lucknow Super Giants on Betdaq Betting Exchange ! It’s early days in the IPL given we go on for two months, but I think we can call this a must win game for both sides given their start. KKR are in a real rut – they “opened” their points account only via a washout against Punjab Kings on Monday night, with the game abandoned after just 3.4 overs due to relentless rain in Kolkata. At least they have one point on the board. Before that washed-out game, KKR had suffered two tough defeats – thrashed by SRH by 65 runs at Eden Gardens in their second match after posting 220/4 only to see Rohit Sharma’s Mumbai Indians chase that down in the opener.
The bowling attack is the main issue. Obviously with the injuries we did see this coming, but you’re looking around thinking where are the wickets coming from. Cameron Green – the tournament’s most expensive overseas buy – can’t bowl due to Cricket Australia restrictions and he’s failed with the bat so far. KKR are under pressure. Lucknow Super Giants arrive in better spirits after a morale boosting win over Sunrisers Hyderabad at the weekend. Rishabh Pant – the most expensive player in IPL history – finally showed his class after a slow start to the tournament, hitting an unbeaten 68 off 50 balls to see Lucknow home with a ball to spare. They need him to fire.
You have to say looking at the Lucknow batting line-up that their middle order is very hit-and-miss. They absolutely need Pant to hold it all together, but at least their bowling has gone very well. They will need that in excellent betting conditions here! They also need Nicholas Pooran to come to the party!
WEATHER AND PITCH WATCH:
We are back at Eden Gardens, and hopefully we have more luck with the weather. Rain delayed Monday’s game and eventually ended it entirely; the forecast for Thursday needs to be watched closely. We saw 226 scored in the opening game here, and in general this has turned into a very high scoring ground. Since 2023, the average first-innings score at this ground sits around 191, and 200-plus totals have been posted regularly. It’s a massive stadium, but the boundaries are quite short given the power hitting we get today.
RECOMMENDED BET:
KKR are the home side with a fantastic crowd behind them, and the batting firepower when it clicks is also fantastic. But the bowling attack is in serious trouble and Lucknow’s bowling has looked sharp in their opening games. As I said above, it’s actually hard to see where the wickets are coming from with KKR. The concern with Lucknow is their middle order outside of Pant – especially with Pooran’s slow start – but I still feel that they are worth a small bet at 1.86 given how poor KKR have been with the ball.
The Edge Says:
One point win Lucknow Super Giants to beat Kolkata Knight Riders at 1.86 with Betdaq Betting Exchange
View the market here -> https://betdaq.biz/IPKoLu
IN-RUNNING STRATEGY:
As I said above, Eden Gardens has turned into a very high scoring venue so it’s hard not to see runs here. However, we had bad weather earlier in the week so that might have an impact – you’ll have to keep an eye on the radar here. Lucknow have bowled well in the tournament to date, so it’ll be interesting to see how they go in very good batting conditions here. I do feel the best in-running trade will be getting against the KKR bowling in either innings – obviously if we get dew also, that’s even better for the Lucknow batters against this poor KKR attack.
