Brisbane Heat BBL 2020/21 betting preview, odds & predictions

The Brisbane Heat will make another run for the Big Bash League championship in the 2020-21 season, which kicks off on December 10.

The Heat have retained most of their batting lineup, providing head coach Darren Lehmann a flexible arsenal of big hitters.

Let’s take a look at the Brisbane Heat’s prospects and BBL betting odds for the upcoming season.

Brisbane Heat 2019-20 BBL result

Five out of the eight Big Bash teams qualified for the new finals system in the 2019-20 season, but the Brisbane Heat were not one of them.

Winning only six of their 14 matches, the Heat had to settle for seventh place.

An inability to stop red-hot opposition batsmen allowed multiple players across the league to post large scores against the Heat, such as Glenn Maxwell’s 83 (39), Mitchell Marsh’s 93* (41) and Phil Salt’s 67* (38).

Unless Chris Lynn or Tom Banton posted a massive score, the Brisbane Heat went down in defeat, but some additional signings may fix their issues.

Brisbane Heat 2020-21 BBL squad

Two long-time regulars will move on from the Heat this season in Matt Renshaw and Ben Cutting, but Tom Cooper and Jack Wildermuth come in as like-for-like replacements from the Melbourne Renegades.

English batsman Tom Banton returns after an exciting 2019-20 season to complete a big-hitting top order alongside Max Bryant and captain Chris Lynn.

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Morne Morkel has officially signed as a local player after the experienced South African recently gained a permanent residency, adding more firepower to the bowling group.

International duties mean Banton will miss a few games, while Aussie star Marnus Labuschagne will only be available for the final three games of the season.

Brisbane Heat squad: Tom Banton, Xavier Bartlett, James Bazley, Max Bryant, Joe Burns, Tom Cooper, Lewis Gregory, Sam Heazlett, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Ben Laughlin, Dan Lawrence, Chris Lynn (C), Morne Morkel, Jimmy Peirson, Mark Steketee, Mitch Swepson, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Jack Wildermuth, Matthew Willans. 


Brisbane Heat 2020-21 BBL fixture

The BBL fixture has not been altered due to Australia’s effort to neutralise COVID-19, meaning every team will partake in 14 games – two against each rival club.

To keep the league safe, Cricket Australia has implemented hubs in most states across the nation, which has worked well for the AFL and other sporting leagues around the world.

Five of the Heat’s seven home games will be played at the Gabba, while the other two won’t be far away at Metricon Stadium, giving the squad five must-win matches which could set up their finals run early in the season.

Brisbane Heat 2020-21 BBL betting odds

Big Bash League outright winner

With more notable players leaving the team than going in, the Brisbane Heat have not necessarily improved heading into the 2020-21 season.

Following their under-par performance last season, the Heat will start further back than their competitors, but a solid start in the Queensland hub could put them in a very strong position around the mid-season mark.

Cricket betting sites are paying $7 for Brisbane to win the BBL title, but we can see those odds dropping if Chris Lynn has a terrific season and Morne Morkel makes a difference with ball in hand.

Brisbane Heat top tournament runscorer

Chris Lynn is the best batsman at the Brisbane Heat and possibly in the entire BBL. The burly Queenslander is one of the most devastating hitters in the game, and his club form heading into the 2020-21 BBL campaign should have opposition bowlers worried.

Max Bryant is the next best bet considering he should play every game and will start at the top of the batting order, either opening or coming in very early.

Tom Banton is further back in the market since he will miss games when he has international duties for England, which is also why Marnus Labuschagne is well outside the top 10 prospects.

Brisbane Heat top tournament wicket-taker

Morne Morkel has taken 202 career wickets in his 184 T20 starts at a strike rate of just under 20, so it is no great surprise to see the new signing feature prominently the wicket-taker betting for the Heat.

However, it might surprise a few that Morkel ($2.88) tops the market ahead of Ben Laughlin ($3.60), who holds the record for most BBL wickets with 110.

Both players bring a wealth of experience to the table, but we favour Laughlin based on his past exploits in the competition.

Cheeky leg-spinner Mitch Swepson is always around the mark, but the Gabba pitch is a fast, true surface where spinners often struggle to make an impact.