SUNDAY IPL: Our cricket tipster The Edge previews Monday’s IPL Eliminator: Kolkata Knight Riders v Royal Challengers Bangalore with a recommended BETDAQ bet.

MATCH OVERVIEW:

The pressure is on in the Indian Premier League on Monday as we have the Eliminator at Sharjah! We have a tale of two very different sides here, and it will be very interesting to see how they get on. Royal Challengers Bangalore could have easily finished in the top two, and indeed they would have if they chased 141 successfully against Sunrisers Hyderabad last week and KKR might not have been expecting to make the Playoffs at all. They were pretty average in India, but they started the UAE stint in superb form and they have carried that through until the end. A fascinating match on BETDAQ Betting Exchange awaits.

We should have a very close game here and it’s no surprise to see such an even market. RCB would have been kicking themselves to lose against Sunrisers Hyderabad, especially given they have been nailed to the bottom of the table for almost the whole tournament. However, they finished on a high with a morale boosting win over Delhi when they hit a six off the final ball to win – the player reaction didn’t look like it was a dead rubber! We have two quality sides here and they have been playing some very good cricket.

I feel this game will be decided by their big players – how early can KKR get Maxwell and de Villiers out? Maxwell is in the form of his life at the moment and de Villiers looks to be coming into form at the right time. RCB need them to fire to have a chance, and KKR have the bowlers to attack. Eoin Morgan has been under immense pressure as KKR captain – he can’t afford a failure on the big stage.

WEATHER AND PITCH WATCH:

Although I am a fan of Sharjah because it’s a ground that usually produces exciting cricket, I have to say the wicket this season has been unsatisfactory. Last season we saw some very high scores and high chases, and then naturally the scores came down as the tournament went on and the wicket got lower and slower. This season it started very low and slow, and some games it has looked close to impossible to bat. We’ve had some very low scores here, and I have to say it’s been a big edge to bowl first here. Usually you’d want to bat on tricky wickets, but given the short boundaries it’s actually easier to chase here – especially as the team batting first usually panic and aim too high, and end up falling short. I’d definitely bowl if I won the toss.

RECOMMENDED BET:

I’m sure there will be some very big opinions on this game. We have a very even market with both sides more or less close to 2.0. As I said above, I feel this game will be decided by the performances from the big players and I can see Maxwell and de Villiers winning it for RCB. Morgan just hasn’t performed for KKR this season, I know he’s a good captain and leader but he has been under par with the bat and one wonders what they will do with Andre Russell – will he get a game? How fit will he be – I know he was pushing for the Playoffs, but that has to be a close call! The big games are usually decided by big players; and RCB have their top players in great form.

The Edge Says:
Two points win Royal Challengers Bangalore to beat Kolkata Knight Riders at 1.97 with BETDAQ Betting Exchange

View the market here -> https://bit.ly/BDQRolKol

IN-RUNNING STRATEGY:

As I write this preview the latest news on Andre Russell is he is “pushing to be fit” – I would definitely time a bit of time and effort into seeing how fit he is through social media and new articles; his involvement will likely move the market a few ticks. He is a massive player for the KKR after all. Other than that, the biggest edge in-play I see here is supporting the team bowling first. The scores have been so low here that the market will likely move a lot – plus chasing has almost seemed easy with the short boundaries and players knowing the run rate required is so low. I would also look to support Maxwell and de Villiers when batting for RCB as they look in great touch. We should have an excellent game!