CRICKET BETTING SITES

List of the Best Cricket Sportsbooks & Apps Online in May 2023

In terms of total fans and spectators, cricket is often considered to be the second most popular sport in the world. It’s not hugely popular in the US, but it’s growing, and there are still a large number of fans here.

The cricket betting industry is helping the sport to grow, giving bettors a huge range of betting lines and opportunities. In the following guide, we’ll take a deep dive into cricket betting in the US, looking at the best sites, betting lines, odds, and more.

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The Best Cricket Odds

Don’t just assume that your favorite site is the one that has the best cricket betting odds. Always shop around, compare, and stick with the sites that offer you the best odds.

The Rise of Twenty20 Leagues

The popularity of Twenty20 (T20) has exploded in recent years as it’s considered to be a more accessible form of cricket than traditional ODIs/Test matches. The T20 format is used for many major domestic leagues, including the biggest cricket competitions in Australia and India. It’s perfect if you want a shorter, faster, and more action-packed version of cricket, and if you’re looking for a full league of these games, check out the Big Bash, Indian Premier League, Pakistan Super League, or the T20 Blast.

Cricket Event Calendar

From major international tournaments to Test matches, domestic leagues, and more, the cricket calendar is packed. Cricket is a fair weather sport, so most games are hosted in the spring and the summer. But it’s also a global sport, so once winter arrives, just tune in to those Australian games and watch some summertime cricket Down Under!

Cricket Betting Trends

A couple of decades ago, cricket was all about the big international matches, from the World Cup to the Ashes and exhibitions. These days, T20 domestic leagues are taking over. These franchise leagues have received huge investments and they are televised on all major sporting networks, giving everyone a chance to watch and wager.

Cricket Betting Picks and Predictions

There are a lot of cricket betting strategies and predictions out there. These can be helpful, but they should be taken with a grain of salt. Don’t throw your money at a bet just because someone told you to. Do your own research, make up your own mind, and don’t rely on other people to make those predictions for you.

Online Cricket Betting

The online cricket betting industry is huge. It’s at its biggest in countries like the UK, India, and Australia—the biggest cricketing nations—but it’s also growing here in the United States. You can find a large and growing number of cricket betting markets on the best USA sportsbooks, and we have reviewed all of these on this site.

Facts About Cricket

• The first recorded game of cricket took place in 1646, but it’s thought to have been popular for many decades before that.
• The game is said to have been invented by shepherds seeking a way to pass the time.
• The longest cricket match ever was between South Africa and England. It ended as a tie after 14 days of play.
• Rain and bad light are the two most common reasons for a cricket game to be suspended.
• The first-ever cricket balls were made of tightly rolled wool.
• It’s a surprisingly dangerous game and several people have died on the field. That’s why batters wear so much padding.
• There used to be just two cricket stumps. That changed when players became frustrated with the number of balls that passed through the middle of the stumps.
• In England, the term “he had a good innings” is used to refer to someone who had a good life. It comes from the game of cricket.

What are the Rules of Cricket?

As with all sports, there are a lot of major and minor rules to cricket—some are simple and easy to understand, others are a little more complicated for casual players.

The most important thing is to understand that cricket isn’t really like baseball. If you’re new to the game and expecting something akin to baseball but with heavier bats, you’re going to be very confused.

Here are some of the most important rules you should be aware of:

• Single Run Scoring: The batter must hit the ball and then complete a run in order to score a point. If the fielders throw the ball at the stumps before either of the batters has made it to the end, the batter will be out. If not, they will score 1 point for every completion.
• Fours and Sixers: Four points are scored when the ball passes the boundary after touching the ground. Six points are awarded when it clears the boundary without touching the grass.
• Batter: A batter is “out” when the bowler hits the stumps or a hit is caught by a fielder. They can also be taken out of the game by something known as an “LBW” or “Leg Before Wicket”, which is when the ball hits their leg and the umpire deems they have used their leg to protect the stumps.
• Innings and Overs: Cricket matches are divided into “innings”, which are separated into “overs”. The number of innings will depend on the type of game (see below), but there are 6 balls per over.
• Wickets: If all of the players are bowled out and it’s no longer possible to field two batters, the batting team is out regardless of the over count.

Test vs ODI vs Twenty20

There are three main forms of cricket: Test Cricket, One Day Internationals, and Twenty20. The basic rules are the same across all of these variants, but there are differences with regard to the length of innings and other minor rules.

Test Cricket/First Class Cricket

Test cricket is considered to be the highest standard of cricket. It is also the traditional form of cricket and it’s how the very first internationals were played.

There are 11 players per team and each team gets two innings. Most games are scheduled for a minimum of three days. If the game is not over once the allotted time has passed, it is declared a tie. This is true regardless of the score.

At international level, first-class cricket games are only played by nations with Test status. There are currently 12 nations that have been granted this status:

• England
• Australia
• South Africa
• West Indies
• New Zealand
• India
• Pakistan
• Sri Lanka
• Zimbabwe
• Bangladesh
• Ireland
• Afghanistan

There are also a number of Associate Members. These members are still eligible for international competitions and they play on the world stage, but they have not yet qualified for Test status.

There are currently 94 Associate members, including the United States. The US is actually one of the better cricketing nations on this list, along with the UAE, Netherlands, Oman, and Scotland.

The US is considered to be one of the 20 best cricketing nations in the world and has a long history with the game. The first US international was played in 2004, but the game has been played here for over 200 years.

One-Day Internationals (ODI) Cricket

ODI cricket is also known as Limited Overs Cricket. It is a form of international cricket with 50 overs per inning. The games typically run for around 9 hours and can be completed in a single day.

The very first ODI was played in 1971, making it a relatively new variant when compared to Test cricket.

Twenty20 (T20) Cricket

T20 cricket is rapid and its speed and simplicity are quickly turning it into one of the most popular forms of cricket. It’s played at a domestic and international level and was first devised back in 2003.

In T20 cricket, there are only 20 overs per inning and each team gets just one inning. The games are over in a couple of hours, so you don’t need to wait several days for them to finalize.

Most Popular Cricket Tournaments

There are over a dozen major televised cricket tournaments during any given year, as well as many more minor tournaments. You can watch these live on ESPN+, Sling TV, and Willow, among others.

These are some of the best cricket tournaments to bet on:

The ICC Cricket World Cup

• Type of Cricket: One-Day International
• First Staged: 1975
• Most Successful Team: Australia
• Schedule: Every 4 Years

The pinnacle of ODI cricket is hosted every 4 years and contested by the best ODI nations in the world. There are four stages and plenty of entertaining matchups.

England hosted the first-ever cricket World Cup and the first two events were won by the West Indies, but Australia is the tournament’s most successful team. Australia also strung together the most consecutive wins after victories in 1999, 2003, and 2007.

The T20 Cricket World Cup

• Type of Cricket: Twenty20
• First Staged: 2007
• Most Successful Team: West Indies
• Schedule: Every 2 Years

A nail-biting, fast-paced international cricket tournament that you get to enjoy every 2 years. This tournament has been won by India, Australia, and England, but the West Indies is the most successful team in its short history.

The Ashes

• Type of Cricket: Test Cricket
• First Staged: 1882
• Most Successful Team: Australia
• Schedule: Every 2 Years

The Ashes is a test match between Australia and England, the oldest teams in Test cricket and two nations that have consistently ranked as the best in the world. There is a fierce cricketing rivalry between these two, so the Ashes always has something to offer cricket fans.

The Champions League Twenty20

• Type of Cricket: Twenty20
• First Staged: 2008
• Most Successful Teams: Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians
• Schedule: Every Year

A major domestic competition contested by the best teams from India, South Africa, and Australia. It is a cross-continent event that plays host to some mouthwatering match-ups.

The Indian Premier League

• Type of Cricket: Twenty20
• First Staged: 2008
• Most Successful Team: Mumbai Indians
• Schedule: Every Year (2 months in the summer)

The Indian Premier League is cricket’s biggest domestic competition. It is also the most-watched sporting event in India, akin to the NFL in the United States. It hosts the best players from across India and also attracts superstars from all over the world.

Understanding Cricket Betting Lines

Cricket matches are long and fascinating contests during which anything can happen. This provides bettors with an array of betting lines, some of which you will be familiar with while others don’t exist on any other sports.

Moneyline

The Moneyline is a simple wager on the team you think will win the match. There are also options for “Ties”, as these are relatively common in Test matches.

Most major international and domestic matches are evenly balanced, so you usually get decent odds. When you’re watching the early rounds of the World Cup and a top Test team is playing against a much lower-ranked team, this is probably not the best bet.

There are a couple of wagers to look out for here. The most basic ones cover a single match, such as a T20 game played in the IPL. Others cover specific innings played over the course of a day in a Test match. There are also bets that cover an entire Test series.

The betting site will clarify the type of bet.

Draw/Tie No Bet

The Draw/Tie No Bet removes the Tie option from the equation. It’s a Moneyline bet between Team A and Team B, with all bets voided if there is a Tie.

It’s a good option if you want to avoid frustration because cricket matches can be called as Ties when they run over or are suspended late in the day due to rain.

Total Runs

If you’re not sure which way the game will swing, the Total Runs bet is a good option. This bet is a choice between a simple “Over” or “Under” option.

For instance, the Total Runs may be fixed at 400.5. If you choose Over and there are 401. You win. If there are just 400, you lose.

As you can see, the half-points are used to remove all confusion and to negate the chance of a push. Unless the game is voided or suspended, there will always be a winner in this market.

Total Fours and Sixes

Fours and Sixes are known as “boundary” shots. The boundary is the roped line that encircles the field of play. When the ball crosses this line, either a four or a six is awarded depending on whether or not it bounces/rolls.

Sixes are more common in short forms of cricket, including T20, as they are quite risky in longer variations of the game. After all, hitting the ball high and long gives the fielder a chance to catch it, thus taking the batter out of the game.

In T20 cricket, this is less of a problem as there are a limited number of overs and so it’s often a race to hit the highest possible scores.

The Total Fours/Sixes bets will give you a fixed amount and ask you whether you think there will be More/Over or Fewer/Under boundaries. These bets may relate to specific innings or teams or cover the entire match, so make sure you check the betting rules.

Double Chance

If the Tie No Bet doesn’t appeal to you then the Double Chance might.

These bets are commonplace in team-based sports where Ties are a frequent occurrence, including soccer.

The bet will look something like this:

• Team A or Tie
• Team B or Tie

Simply put, you’re betting against one of the teams. If you choose the first option, you will win if there is a Tie or a victory for Team A and only stand to lose if Team B is successful.

As you would expect, the odds are reduced somewhat and you’ll typically get much lower odds here than you would for a straight-up Moneyline wager.

If you’re betting on the favorite, the Double Chance is simply not viable as the odds will be infinitesimal and the payout barely noticeable. It’s a great option for betting on the underdog though as it’ll cover you even if they slip up, throw a big lead away, and draw the match.

Innings Leads

An Innings Lead market relates to a team’s lead at the end of an innings. In larger matches, there are several innings, and these bets mean that you don’t need to wait for the entire match to finish before your bet settles.

Player Prop Bets

A player Prop bet is one that relates to specific players from one or both of the teams.

• Top 1^st Innings Batter: Which batter will score the most points across the entire first innings? This bet often relates to both teams, but there may also be options to choose the highest batter on a single team.
• Top 1^st Innings Bowler: As above, but in relation to bowlers. The bowler that wins this bet is the one who has taken the most wickets. These bets usually cover both teams.
• Player of the Match: The player of the match is the one voted to have played the best, whether because they have bowled lots of wickets, caught many balls, or scored the most points.

Team Prop Bets

A team Prop Bet covers one or both of the teams.

• To Win the Toss: The toss takes place at the beginning of the match to determine who gets to bat/bowl first. It’s a literal coin-toss bet, and it’s perfect if you’re looking for a luck-based bet that will be settled early on in the contest.
• 1^st Wicket Method: How will the first wicket be taken? Will the player be bowled out? Will it be an LBW? Will they be caught after trying to hit a six?
• Runs at Fall of the 1^st Wicket: Will there be more or fewer runs than the stated amount by the time the first wicket is taken? Remember, teams don’t always play their best batters first, but the ones they pick are typically very competent and so they usually score highly.
• A 50 to be Score: Will a 50 be scored? This is also known as a half-century.
• A Century to be Scored: Also known as a “century”, a score of 100 is a big achievement, but it’s something that the best batters do quite often.
• Highest Individual Score: The highest individual score is the most points that a single batter scores. If you bet on a score of 100+ and one batter scores 101, you’ve won. If no one breaks the century mark, you have lost. 

Futures

Do you think this will be India’s year in the ICC World Cup? Do you fancy Australia to claim yet another title? Maybe you think that the West Indies are a dead-cert for the T20 World Cup. Whatever your long-term predictions are, you can turn them into a wager using Futures bets.

A Futures bet is a long-term bet “for the future”. It’s one that is typically placed before a tournament begins and covers the entire length of that tournament.

You can usually get very good odds with these bets—especially if you’re wagering on long-shots—and there is often some variety to them.

For instance, some cricket betting sites let you wager on whether or not a certain team will make it to the semi-finals or the final, as well as whether one of the big teams will suffer a shock early exit.

There are even bets for the player you think will be awarded the Player of the Tournament, as well as the ones that will secure the most points, centuries, or wickets.

These bets incorporate several variables though, as that player will only be given a chance to score heavily if their team runs deep in the tournament. What’s more, Player of the Tournament awards are usually only given to players who make it to the final.

Parlays

Cricket betting Parlays are multiple bets added to the same line.

In the first round of World Cup games, for instance, your wager might look something like this:

• England to Win
• Australia to Win
• South Africa to Win
• India to Win

All of these are Moneyline bets so the odds might not be great, but once they are combined, those odds increase and make the overall bet more viable.

A series of Totals, Double Chance, and even Prop Bets can also be added to a Parlay, but if just one bet loses, the entire bet fails, so keep this in mind when you start stacking those bets.

The Best Cricket Betting Strategies

Whether you’re new to cricket betting or just need someone to point you in the right direction, there are a host of cricket betting strategies and tips that you can utilize. We have listed some of the best options below.

Create a Bankroll

The very first thing that you should do as a gambler is create a bankroll.

A bankroll is a strict budget that you use for US online gambling. It should be fixed on a weekly or monthly basis and not increased with any further deposits until the next bankroll period has begun.

Bankrolls are used by professional poker players and sports bettors to keep a close rein on their gambling and to monitor all of their winnings and losses.

To create a bankroll, simply determine how much money you can afford to lose every month once you have covered expenses, savings, bills, and other living expenses. That month can then be added to your sports betting balance, after which you should set deposit limits to ensure that this amount is not exceeded in a moment of weakness.

The idea of a bankroll is that you can only increase it when you win. Your bets must also be structured so that you don’t wager your bankroll in a single session or week.

For instance, if you have a bankroll of $200 per month and wager an average of 5 bets per week, those bets should be no more than $10 each.

Watch and Learn

The most successful cricket bettors are the ones who know the most about the game. They have a good feeling for what will happen during the course of a single match or tournament. If you want to match their level of success, you must acquire the same in-depth knowledge.

That’s easier said than done, but you have to start somewhere, so watch some cricket games and start learning about the rules, teams, and players.

Bet Live

Live betting is available from all of the best cricket betting sites.

Live betting lines open as soon as the game or tournament begins. They adapt to the action on the field, and so the odds are constantly changing. Whenever something major happens, such as a wicket, a four, or a six, the market will be suspended and the odds will adjust. Most other adjustments occur without suspensions, though.

Cricket live betting lines let you test your knowledge of the game. If you have a good read on proceedings and think that a team is underperforming, simply wager on them to lose or to get a lower score than expected. If you sense that a player is having a good day, bet on them to take more wickets or score a century.

The oddsmakers also react to the game, so the odds won’t be the same as they were before the first ball was thrown. But there are still a lot of opportunities here for well-informed and reactive bettors.

Get the Best Cricket Betting Odds

Cricket betting odds can differ greatly from one site to the next. Most players ignore these and prefer to simply use the sites they are most familiar with. But even the smallest differences can equate to massive profit swings in the long run.

When you’re betting on short-priced favorites, the odd variations are usually very small. For instance, one site might offer odds of -400 while another offers -450. It still makes a difference, but if you’re only wagering a few bucks at a time, you’re not going to notice much change.

It’s a different story for those longshot bets, though.

It’s not unusual to see one site offering odds of +10,000 while another goes as high as +50,000. The site is basically saying, “It’s not going to happen, so take whatever you want”. But sometimes those big bets land and when they do, the difference can be substantial.

A successful $10 bet on odds of +10,000 will return a profit of $1,000. A successful bet on odds of +50,000 will give you $5,000.

There have been numerous instances of big odd swings. When Mike Tyson fought Buster Douglas back in 1990, many Vegas sportsbooks didn’t even offer odds on Douglas as they didn’t think he stood a chance. The ones that did offer a betting line gave Douglas comically big odds. But Douglas earned the shock win and made those bookmakers look foolish.

In recent years, we saw something similar happen when Leicester City won the English Premier League (soccer) or even when Trump won the presidency (politics). At the start of the campaigns, the odds for both of these things were astronomical on some sites and downright ridiculous on others.

Always shop around, and the more of an outsider your chosen wager is, the more attention you should pay to those odds.

Collect Bonuses

One of the first things you should do when betting on cricket online is check for match deposit bonuses, free bets, and other promotions.

After all, you can’t lose if you’re gambling with someone else’s money, right?

These bonuses are offered by all cricket betting sites. Typically, you’ll be offered a welcome bonus when you first join and make a minimum deposit, and you can then collect regular loyalty bonuses.

The more you deposit and wager, the more generous these loyalty bonuses will be. The best sites even have VIP Schemes that offer a plethora of perks and rewards for high rollers.

We make sure that the cricket betting sites we review all offer bonuses. We also tell you how generous these bonuses are and what you must do to collect them.

But we can’t complete those steps for you, so double-check the Terms and Conditions, follow the rules, and don’t miss out!

Listen to Some Cricket Betting Podcasts

Cricket betting strategies are somewhat of a minefield.

There are influencers out there who claim to have all the answers and are “generous” enough to sell you these answers for a few hundred books. You’ll also find the best sports betting apps for cricket and books that make many of the same claims, charging a fortune for ineffective tips that get you nowhere.

It would be nice to think we could just pay $200 a month and get a steady supply of foolproof cricket betting tips and predictions on which we could wager our fortunes. But life is not that simple—if it was, the betting sites would be out of business.

By all means, read cricket betting predictions and tips, but don’t pay for them and always take them with a grain of salt.

One of the best ways to stay informed is to listen to cricket betting podcasts. These podcasts are usually free and they cover a wide range of stories, tips, predictions, previews, and more relating to cricket.

Test Match Special, Sky Sports Cricket Podcast, The Analyst Inside Cricket, Stumped, the Edges and Sledges, the Final Word—all of these podcasts are well worth a listen if you want to learn more about the game and upcoming fixtures.