THE EDGE: The Edge previews the BBL match between Melbourne Stars v Melbourne Renegades with a recommended BETDAQ bet.
Melbourne Stars v Melbourne Renegades
MATCH OVERVIEW:
Another massive Derby at the Big Bash on Betdaq Betting Exchange. We had the Sydney Derby shortly before the New Year, and now we have the Melbourne Derby on Tuesday morning. Melbourne Stars set the fireworks off on New Year’s Eve with a superb win over Adelaide Strikers. The Adelaide Oval has become a tradition on New Year’s Eve, but Marcus Stoinis was the party popper for the home side as he guided the Stars home chasing a whopping 205/4 from Adelaide Strikers. Stoinis scored 55 runs off just 19 balls in a wonderful innings.
After looking very poor at the start of the tournament and losing their first three games, the Stars have put three wins together now. Their bowling is still struggling but their batting has finally come to the party. Maxwell and Stoinis have to fire, but when they’re in form all the others play better around them too. Sadly for the Renegades, they haven’t quite had their run of good form yet. One win from five completed games leaves them towards the bottom of the table. The positive is that win came in their last game, so perhaps they can start to turn things around.
Melbourne Derbies are always fun; but this game is massively important for both sides. For the Renegades, they have to win to have any chance of reaching the playoffs – they are at that desperate point now. For the Stars, they will see this as a good chance to beat a side struggling and try put some distances between themselves and the others. After New Year’s Eve there seems to be a top four and a bottom four forming.
WEATHER AND PITCH WATCH:
Because we had the Boxing Day Test here, as is tradition in Australia, this is only the second Big Bash game here. The Boxing Day Test was a thriller, and reasonably low scoring too with only one score over 300 in the first innings of the match. The first Big Bash game here was low scoring too; Melbourne Stars were bowled out for 101 but the way Perth Scorchers chased it down would suggest they could have scored 160/170 if batting first. Obviously it’s hard to get massive scores here given it’s such a big playing area. We don’t see many sixes, and I would expect the batters to have to work hard for their runs again.
RECOMMENDED BET:
It’s no surprise to see the Stars as the favourites here, and I still feel they offer good value at 1.83. Their bowling is still a major red flag in my opinion so I will be keeping stakes small, however their batting has been superb in recent weeks and that can be the difference here. The Renegades batting has been OK too, but their bowling is the major worry. There’s always an over or a ball coming to release the pressure – the win over Adelaide Strikers might give them some confidence but it was the same story of their batters going well after their bowlers conceded 177/6. I’m happy with a small position on the Stars.
The Edge Says:
One point win Melbourne Stars to beat Melbourne Renegades at 1.83 with Betdaq Exchange
View the market here -> https://betdaq.biz/StaRen
IN-RUNNING STRATEGY:
This game could be tricky for in-running trading. Both sides have weak bowling attacks that you wouldn’t mind being against, but the MCG hasn’t looked like a batting paradise. The best percentage call is waiting to see what conditions are like, and then hopefully they are good enough to take on both bowling sides. I would expect the bat to win out of the ball, but I am worried about the MCG being a low scoring venue. We should have a fresh wicket after the Boxing Day Test however, and if we do we could see the batters have a good day out.
