London Spirit v Oval Invincibles: Prediction, Tips and Odds

Defending champions Oval Invincibles started The Hundred in menacing fashion, justifying their pre-tournament favouritism with an eight-wicket demolition of Birmingham Phoenix.

However, that dominant start was short-lived as Sam Billings' men only squeaked home by 10 runs in a low-scoring contest against Welsh Fire before they suffered their first defeat last time out, going down by 19 runs to the Northern Superchargers on Friday.

London Spirit have started in polar opposite fashion, thrashed by seven wickets in their opener against Southern Brave, before a much more competitive three-wicket defeat against Birmingham Phoenix.

Dan Lawrence's side did make it third time lucky as they got off the mark with a three-wicket win over Welsh Fire on Thursday, and will hope to build on that going forward.

The Invincibles lie second in the standings after three games as one of four sides on four points, behind Trent Rockets on net run rate, while the Spirit are second bottom, above only the pointless Manchester Originals.

London Spirit v Oval Invincibles betting tips and predictions

Oval Invincibles to win - 8/11

Oval Invincibles may have suffered their first loss most recently but they remain the favourites to successfully defend The Hundred title they won so convincingly last season, and they can get their regular season back on track at the expense of their derby rivals.

Billings' men have already demonstrated their all-round bowling strength by dismissing the Phoenix for just 89, before they successfully defended what seemed a sub-par total when they prevented the Fire from chasing 114.

The Invincibles had no answer to the destructive power of Nicholas Pooran on Friday but he has been a class above any other batter in the tournament so far, and the Spirit do not have someone of his calibre on the evidence of the opening three games.

The Spirit were battered by Southern Brave when posting their highest score yet but the fact that Liam Dawson is their top scorer so far with 85 runs, having batted at number eight twice, speaks volumes about their struggles with the bat.

Lawrence's men also struggled to chase down 95 on Thursday, although they ultimately got the job done to record their first win. However, the Invincibles have an all-round strength and variety to their bowling attack, which looks more than capable of restricting the Spirit's out-of-sorts line-up once again.

The Invincibles also have the historical advantage over Sunday's opponents, winning four of the five completed matches, and they can get back on track with a fifth victory on Sunday.

Adam Zampa over 1.5 match wickets - 5/4

Adam Zampa is a world-class leg-spinner who is clearly enjoying his debut campaign in The Hundred, leading the wicket-taking stats with seven from three games.

The Australian took 3-11 in his first ever match in this competition before repeating the dose with 3-24 in his second. 

He may have had to settle for 1-26 against the Pooran-inspired Superchargers last time out, but he has shown a consistent threat and looks capable of taking a couple of Spirit wickets, with the fact that he is odds against offering excellent value.

Dan Lawrence - London Spirit - Top batter - 9/2

While the Spirit's batting line-up has yet to fire in three matches so far, someone still has to top-score for their side on Sunday and Lawrence has been as consistent as any up to this point and is worth backing to do so against the Invincibles at 9/2.

While there is a temptation at massive odds of 22/1 to go with Dawson, there is the danger he may not get much of a chance lower down the order, and the captain does have some form behind him.

He will of course be desperate to get the Spirit climbing up the table, and can do so by leading from the front.

With scores of 38, 1 and 29 behind him, there is more form there than many as his teammates - Dawson aside (45 not out, 36 and 4) - and he looks worth chancing in the team top batter market.

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London Spirit v Oval Invincibles odds

London Spirit - 11/10
Oval Invincibles - 8/11

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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.