Big Bash: Prediction, Tips and Odds

Australia's premier T20 competition, the Big Bash, is back for the 14th edition and there promises to be plenty of thrills and spills as the battle for supremacy begins.

Running from Sunday 15th December to Monday 27th January 2025, Brisbane Heat will be aiming to successfully defend the title they won last season with a comfortable 54-run victory over Sydney Sixers.

Perth Scorchers are the record five-time winners of the competition and they will be itching to make up for defeat in the knockout game in the 2023/24 campaign, when they were thumped by Adelaide Strikers.

Big Bash betting tips and predictions

Brisbane Heat to win outright - 5/1

Winning back-to-back Big Bash titles has become a habit in recent years, with the Sixers accomplishing this feat in 2020 and 2021 before the Scorchers proceeded to do the same in 2022 and 2023.

Brisbane, who have replaced coach Wade Seccombe with Johan Botha, will be hoping they can follow suit and they boast one of the fiercest bowling attacks.

Last season, the Heat took 91 wickets, setting the best bowling average (16.3) and strike rate (13.7) of any side in a single Big Bash tournament.

Xavier Bartlett ended as leading wicket-taker and he was ably supported by the likes of Michael Neser, Mitchell Swepson and Spencer Johnson, all of whom return for this edition.

Brisbane unearthed left-arm pacer Johnson in early 2023 and he has been a sensation ever since, picking up IPL deals and also being capped for his country.

The Heat have plenty of strength in depth to cope with any players that have international commitments and it would be no surprise to see them lift the trophy again.

Top 4 Finish - Melbourne Renegades - 7/5

There have been plenty of changes at Melbourne Renegades ahead of the new season, with Cameron White replacing David Saker as coach.

Opener Josh Brown has been snapped up after his title-winning season with the Heat, while Laurie Evans arrives from the Scorchers to add more firepower to the middle-order.

Jacob Bethell and Marcus Harris add further strength to the batting and there is also plenty of strength in the bowling department, with Adam Zampa, Kane Richardson, Gurinder Sandhu, Xavier Crone and Fergus O'Neill in the ranks.

A big improvement is expected from last season's seventh-placed finish and a spot in the top four is not out of the question.

Melbourne Stars to finish bottom - 7/2

While the Renegades could be on the up this season, the same cannot be said of Melbourne Stars, who have failed to reach the finals in the last four editions.

Glenn Maxwell may have given up the captaincy to Marcus Stoinis, but the reality is that the 36-year-old is not the force he used to be and he is slowing winding down his career.

Zampa's departure has also left a big void to fill in the bowling department, while the additions of Ben Duckett, Tom Curran and Usama Mir haven't really got the tongues wagging.

It could be another campaign of toil for the Stars, with bottom place calling.

Top Team Batter - Chris Lynn Adelaide Strikers - 7/4

Matt Short was the undoubted star for Adelaide last season, smashing a Big Bash-leading 541 runs at an average of 60.11 and a strike-rate of 153, landing back-to-back MVP awards in the process.

However, the 29-year-old has failed to make the most of his opportunities to shine for Australia on the international stage since and he will be under pressure to be the Strikers' leading light again.

Therefore, the better play could be to back Chris Lynn to be Adelaide's top team batter. The 34-year-old will be available for the entire tournament, having previously left early for the UAE League - that is a huge boost for the Strikers.

The Australian scored 304 runs from seven innings last season, giving him a leading average of 60.80, while he cleared the rope 14 times.

Read more cricket betting tips and predictions on site.

Big Bash odds

Perth Scorchers - 15/4
Sydney Sixers - 9/2
Brisbane Heat - 5/1
Hobart Hurricanes - 13/2
Sydney Thunder - 13/2
Adelaide Strikers - 8/1
Melbourne Stars - 8/1
Melbourne Renegades - 9/1

View the full market and more odds for the Big Bash on site.

Read Big Bash League: Dates, venues, history & more on site.

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.