2011 Champions League Cricket Betting Odds, Tips & Preview

Indian sides dominate markets again

Sports Betting

While England are entertaining themselves with their short Twenty20 cricket series against the West Indies at the Oval over the next few days, there is the big fanfare of the 2011 Champions League cricket betting to look at. The young tournament, which offers the thrills and spills of the short format, once again brings together the best Twenty20 teams from across the globe (well, from India, Australia, England and South Africa, plus Trinidad and Tobago at least) to battle it out for the honours. This is only the third time the tournament has been held but already it is such a huge media spectacle. It was supposed to be launched in 2008 which was ultimately cancelled because of the Mumbai attacks, and so Australian side New South Wales were the first ever Champions League Cricket champions, crowned in 2009 after beating Trinidad and Tobago in the final. Last year there was success for the Chennai Super Kings against the Warriors from South Africa in last year’s showcase finale. So what do we have exactly for your 2011 Champions League Cricket betting? Well there are two groups of five, and the top two go through to meet in the semi finals on October 7th and 8th, and then the final itself is held on October 9th. So it is quite a quick fire, non-stop action type of tournament, just what Twenty20 Cricket should be. Yes, it seems like the cricket year just never ends, but when you can look forward to top action such as this, then who cares, frankly? Let’s take a look at the two groups, which will naturally be the first point of call to weigh up your betting options.

Pool A
Chennai Super Kings
Mumbai Indians
New South Wales Blues
Cape Cobras
Trinidad and Tobago

Pool B
Bangalore Royal Challengers
Warriors
South Redbacks
Somerset
Kolkota Knight Riders

Let’s start with the English challenge. 2011 Friends Life T20 runners up Somerset fought their way into the main part of tournament after coming through a qualification round robin, along with Trinidad and Tobago. Leicestershire, who won the 2011 Friends Life T20 title were unfortunately eliminated from the qualification stage. Truthfully the challenge from Somerset doesn’t look as if it is going to set the tournament alight really, with the UK bookies certainly thinking that they will be on the periphery of the action, having been handed long odds. For the nation who came up with the Twenty20 concept, England still seem to be lagging a bit behind the quality of the other big nations. Of course there is the money issue of the Indian Premier League which attracts most of the world’s top stars, so the balance of power is a little bit unfairly titled, we would have to say, and that does influence your cricket betting here. It is the Indian teams which are pretty much dominating the 2011 Champions League Cricket betting really, starting with the favourites, the Chennai Super Kings. Honestly they are in the tougher Pool really, along with the Mumbai Indians and New South Wales, but the Kings, with the likes of Michael Hussey in the side, look to be the most potent yet very well balanced side. They are not going to lose many matches, let’s put it that way. You really would expect to see Chennai, New South Wales and Mumbai battling it out for the top two spots here in Pool A. Mumbai, with Harbhajan Singh and Lasith Malinga in the side have a lot of threat and power, while the New South Wales will be looking to hold their end up as being previous winners of the Champions League Cricket. It should be a pretty good three way tussle between those. But also wanted to look at the Cape Cobras from South Africa, who have Owais Shah, Jean Paul Duminy and Herschelle Gibbs in their ranks, who could be a pretty good outside shot at making a nuisance of themselves and squeezing through. However, really have to look to the strengths that the Chennai Super Kings and their immense following will bring to the tournament. They are the team which everyone will have in their targets as having to beat. Like the threat of Mumbai to follow them through to the knockout stages.

Down in Pool B, the Bangalore Royal Challengers are definitely going to be the biggest force to be reckoned with here, with the likes of Tilkarantne Dilshan, AB de Villiers, Daniel Vettori and Chris Gayle in the side. Bangalore are a very strong side, and because they are in the easier of the two pools, they make pretty good value in your 2011 Champions League Cricket outright betting. There has been a lot of interest in the Kolkata Knight Riders as well, presumably not from David Hasselhoff though, as they are attracting a lot of attention in the betting market for the tournament. Pool B is going to be a lot more cut and dry by the looks of things, with the Bangalore Royal Challengers along with Kolkota expected to be in the semi finals. South Australia Redbacks, Warriors and Somerset will pose their challenges, but don’t see any of them being strong enough over four round robin matches each to depose either of the two Indian sides.

2011 Champions League Cricket Betting Odds
Chennai Super Kings: 5/1 at Victor Chandler
Royal Challengers Bangalore: 5/1 at Bwin
New South Wales Blues: 7/1 at Victor Chandler
Kolkota Knight Riders: 7/1 at Bet365
Mumbai Indians: 15/2 at Victor Chandler
Cape Cobras: 12/1 at Bet365
Somerset: 12/1 at Bet365
South Australia Blues: 12/1 at Totesport
Trinidad and Tobago: 14/1 at Totesport
Warriors: 14/1 at Be365

2011 Champions League Cricket Betting Tip: We are going to push for Bangalore in our Cricket Betting here. They have the easier of the two pools, and should take top spot. The semi finals are going to be a momentous struggle whoever finishers where, and so too the final itself. Wouldn’t be surprised to see all four Indian sides in the semi’s. The biggest threat comes from the New South Wales Blues to disrupt the Indian position of power, but we will back Bangalore, because of the balance of their very good, very powerful side. Nothing much to chose between them and Chennai really, would be a cracking final.

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