2019 Cricket World Cup betting preview – Australia vs Sri Lanka

Australia	$1.14 at Bet365
Sri Lanka	$6 at Ladbrokes

A rain-free day is forecast for Saturday’s Cricket World Cup clash between Australia and Sri Lanka in London.

The Aussies have dodged the poor weather thus far and sit second in the standings with three wins from four games after downing Pakistan in Somerset on Wednesday.

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It might have been a different story if the Pakistanis had taken their chances with ball and bat, but the end result was a 41-run win for Aaron Finch’s men.

David Warner answered his critics with a pivotal hundred, while Pat Cummins continued his fine form with team-best figures of 3/33.

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Next up for the green and gold is a Sri Lanka side that might be a little rusty after two consecutive washouts.

The 1996 World Cup winners have not played a single over of competitive cricket since June 4, when they defeated Afghanistan despite posting only 201 batting first.

Veteran quicks Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Pradeep were the heroes on that occasion, taking seven wickets between them.

Sri Lankan fans will hope their batsmen – especially the middle-order players – have hit the nets hard during the extended break.

Australia vs Sri Lanka top runscorer odds

Aaron Finch – $4.33 at Bet365

The Aussie skipper has made good starts in three of four innings at this World Cup, including a sharp 82 in the win over Pakistan. He is in very decent touch and offers more value than either David Warner or Steve Smith.

Kusal Perera – $5.50 at Ladbrokes

An alarming percentage of Sri Lanka’s runs at this tournament have come from only a few players. One of those is Perera, who hit a critical 78 against Afghanistan and looks the best bet in a shaky batting order.

Australia vs Sri Lanka top wicket-taker betting

Pat Cummins – $4 at Sportsbet

Why jump off a good thing? Cummins is Australia’s best bowler and showed it again in the win over Pakistan with three wickets at only 3.3 runs per over – a remarkable economy rate for a frontline seamer in this day and age.

Lasith Malinga – $4 at Bet365

We saw some vintage Malinga in the victory over Afghanistan, including a few of his signature in-swinging yorkers. The 35-year-old speedster will have to do some damage for the Lankans to have any chance.

Australia vs Sri Lanka CWC 2019 predictions

The only concern for Australia is what to do with Usman Khawaja, who was shuffled down the order against Pakistan in favour of bigger hitters. That upset the balance when they needed to up the tempo late in the innings. It might not matter, as the reigning CWC champions have more than enough firepower across the board. Sri Lanka should pray for rain.

Australia most sixes/Australia win – $2.10 at Sportsbet