Australia v England: Prediction, Tips and Odds

England and Australia get their ICC Champions Trophy campaigns underway with an Ashes clash at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Saturday.

Both teams enter the tournament struggling for form and looking to make a statement in Group B.

Australia, the Cricket World Cup winners less than two years ago, will be unable to call upon the services of their formidable pace trio of Pat Cummins (ankle), Josh Hazlewood (hip), and Mitchell Starc (personal reasons) in Pakistan.

Coming off a disappointing 2-0 ODI series loss to Sri Lanka, Australia will be led by former Test captain Steve Smith in Cummins’ absence.

England, under new all-format coach Brendon McCullum, have also become stuck in a losing cycle. They were comprehensively beaten 3-0 by India in their preparation games and haven't won an ODI series since their poor showing at the 2023 World Cup.

Despite their recent woes, Australia have had the upper hand in ODIs against England, winning seven of their last nine encounters. However, with both teams looking to bounce back, this match promises to be a closely-fought contest as they aim to start their Champions Trophy campaign on a positive note.

Australia v England betting tips and predictions

Steve Smith - Top Australia Batter - 10/3

There are some major question marks over Australia’s batting line-up in this format with none of the young players who have been tried as openers yet filling the void left by David Warner’s retirement.

Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matt Short have been earmarked to open the innings in the medium to long term, but there is a chance that a more experienced star moves up the order to provide some short-term stability.

Travis Head opened alongside Short in the second ODI against Sri Lanka last week after both young openers failed in the first match.

There have been calls Down Under, from former Aussie great Adam Gilchrist no less, for Smith to move from his usual number four position in the line-up.

That looks less likely to happen with the 35-year-old back in a leadership role and having never batted higher than three in his 167-match ODI career.

Smith's importance to the Australian side cannot be overstated and he is still racking up big scores for the team in all formats.

He made big, back-to-back tons during the recent Test series against Sri Lanka on a pancake-flat surface in Galle followed by modest contributions in the subsequent 50-over games.

However, he has struck three half centuries at an average of 53.71 across his last nine ODI innings against England and should relish the chance to tackle Australia’s oldest rivals again.

The Lahore pitch is expected to offer good batting conditions, which should suit Smith's technically sound style more than the often unorthodox approaches employed by Fraser-McGurk and Short.

Head has the capacity to make big scores too, having hit four centuries — including two scores of 150-plus — in his last 20 ODI innings.

But he can be a bit of a feast-or-famine player in Ashes contests, posting eight scores under 30 in his 18 ODI innings against England.

Jofra Archer over 1.5 wickets - 10/11

Jofra Archer and Adil Rashid will form the cornerstones of England’s attack in Lahore with Jos Buttler pinning his hopes on two genuine world-class talents to bowl the team to victory.

Rashid was the undoubted star of the recent series against India as he took seven wickets at less than 28 runs apiece while Archer struggled in his only appearance of the series, recording figures of 1-39.

However, the Barbados-born paceman has troubled Baggy Green’s batters much more consistently than the leg-spinner in the past.

He has taken 14 wickets at an average of 28 in eight previous ODI appearances against Smith’s side and claimed two or more Australian scaLps on five of those occasions.

Archer's raw pace and ability to extract bounce on any surface should prevent the Aussie openers from getting on top in the Powerplay, while his variations at the death could also prove crucial in restricting their total.

Australia to win - 4/5

Despite their recent struggles and injury woes, Australia enter this match as slight favourites. Their experience in high-pressure global events and strong record against England in ODIs gives them an edge.

England's inexperienced lineup has struggled for consistency in ODIs recently, sitting five places below Australia in the rankings.

Australia's adaptability and disciplined approach could neutralise England's attacking instincts, especially in potentially spin-friendly conditions in Lahore.

While a close contest is expected, Australia's recent tournament pedigree make them the better choice to emerge victorious in this opening clash.

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Australia v England odds

Australia - 4/5
England - 1/1

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.