Match 18 at the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup is a crunch match between Australia and Pakistan. The two nations meet in Bengaluru this Friday. And after indifferent starts, the match is crucial for either nation if they are serious about finishing in the top four and reaching the semi-finals. Here, we look ahead to the clash and tell you the best bets to make in our latest cricket betting picks.
- What; 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup
- Who; Australia vs. Pakistan - Match 18
- Where; M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, India
- When; Friday, October, 20th 2023
- Time; 4.30 am ET
Australia finally got their first win on the board when they defeated Sri Lanka by five wickets in a rain-affected match on Monday.
Five-time ICC Men's Cricket World Cup champions Australia opened their account in #CWC23 with a solid victory over Sri Lanka 💪
Details 👇https://t.co/JPAQlkUD4J
— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) October 16, 2023
This came after back-to-back defeats at the hands of India and South Africa.
As for Pakistan, they started with wins over the Netherlands and Sri Lanka. Then in their third match, they were thrashed by India, losing by seven wickets on Saturday.
The results see Australia on two points from three matches and Pakistan on four points from their three matches. A win for the Aussies will see them go level on points with Babar Azam’s team. If Pakistan wins, it will be difficult for Australia to bridge what would be a four-point gap with only five matches each remaining.
Betting to win the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup
The top four qualify for the semi-finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup, and with India, South Africa, and New Zealand getting off to flying starts, it’s already looking like three of the four positions are taken.
Outside of the top three, England seriously dented their chances of reaching the top four when they lost to Afghanistan by 69 runs in Match 13. Australia are already playing catch up, and Pakistan need to bounce back quickly from their heavy defeat to India.
All this sees India remain favorites to win the competition in the latest Cricket World Cup betting odds. Rohit Sharma’s India team is +120 to win the competition for the third time in their history. Behind the favorites are South Africa at +425, with Australia and New Zealand at +550, England at +900, and Pakistan at +1100.
Those are the six nations with a realistic chance of winning the competition.
Australia vs. Pakistan Betting
Australia were far from convincing in their five-wicket win over Sri Lanka on Monday. Nevertheless, a win is a win, and the victory has got them back into the competition. Another win over Pakistan on Friday will put them right back in the mix, and the best cricket betting online sites think they will win as they have Australia at -170 to win their second match.
India continue their unbeaten run against Pakistan in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup with an emphatic win in Ahmedabad 👊#CWC23 | #INDvPAK pic.twitter.com/OG4EgMkPg4
— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) October 14, 2023
Pakistan was thrashed by India in their previous match. Once again their old failings came back to haunt them, with the batting just collapsing once the Babar Azam/Mohammad Rizwan partnership was broken.
When Azam fell, Pakistan was 155/3 after 29.4 Overs. They ended up 191 all out after 42.5 Overs in what can only be described as a spectacular batting collapse. India knocked off the required 192 runs for the loss of just three wickets in 30.3 Overs, inflicting Pakistan to their eighth successive World Cup defeat against their biggest rivals.
To bounce back from that mauling and beat Australia, Pakistan are +150. More match betting can be found on our cricket odds table.
| Australia vs. Pakistan Betting |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | -170 | -170 | -170 |
| Pakistan | +150 | +150 | +150 |
Our Australia vs. Pakistan Betting Picks
Neither side looked great in their last match, but one thing that never fails to impress is the Australian pace trio of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood. When Australia were in trouble at 125/0, they didn’t panic. Eventually, Pat Cummins removed the opening pair, and once the Aussie skipper had forced the door open, the rest of the team took care of business.
On any given day if one of the pace trio isn’t firing, the other two generally are. If all three fire, they make Australia extremely difficult to beat. Pakistan relies too heavily on the batting of captain Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. On their own, the duo will struggle to score enough runs against Cummins, Starc, and Hazlewood. Australia is the pick to win the match.
Josh Hazlewood didn’t have his greatest day against Sri Lanka on Monday, ending up with figures of 0/36 from seven Overs. Even when not performing at his best, he still only went at 5.14 an Over, which isn’t exactly what you would call a hammering.
Expect Hazlewood to bounce back on a pitch which does suit seam bowling. The last international match played here may have been three years ago. But on that occasion, India’s Mohammed Shami took 4/63 from 10 Overs.
If the pitch is similar, it could suit Hazlewood and make him worth backing to be the top Australian bowler at +400.
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