Heat v Stars BBL tips & predictions – Thursday, December 7

Brisbane Heat v Melbourne Stars BBL13 preview

The highly anticipated BBL13 campaign kicks off on Thursday night as the Brisbane Heat host the Melbourne Stars at the Gabba.

Runners-up last season, the Heat will be looking to go one better this time. With the pace trio of Michael Neser, Spencer Johnson and Xavier Bartlett supported by the spin of Mitchell Swepson and Matthew Kuhnemann, the Heat boast one of the most imposing bowling line-ups in the Big Bash League.

With the bat, the Heat welcome Test stars Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne into the line-up for the start of the season. Internationals Colin Munro and Sam Billings should shore up the middle order, while opener Josh Brown will be looking to build on his breakout campaign last season. Keeper Jimmy Peirson has shown quality across previous seasons and will be looking to catch the eye of national selectors.

After a disappointing campaign in BBL12, the Melbourne Stars will be keen to show their quality. Boosted by the availability of Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis, the Stars will be incredibly unpredictable with the bat. They have recruited Sam Harper from the Renegades to bolster the top order, while all-rounders Hilton Cartwright and Beau Webster are expected to make up the middle order.

The Stars have recruited heavily in their bowling line-up, taking Pakistan pair Usama Mir and Haris Rauf in the draft. They have also recruited Joel Paris from the Hurricanes to fill out a pace attack that also includes Nathan Coulter-Nile.

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Brisbane Heat v Melbourne Stars betting strategy

With the availability of their Test guns, the Heat should have too much firepower at home for the Stars. In T20 cricket there is always the opportunity for a moment of individual brilliance to change the game, but Brisbane have too much depth across the park. At -128.21 with BoomBet, the hosts offer good value for the win.

Up the top of the order for the Heat, it is hard to look past the big-hitting Josh Brown. He scored a 42-ball hundred in the practice match last week and will be looking to get his campaign off to a flyer. Back Brown to lead the Heat as their top runscorer at +450 with top cricket betting sites.

After scoring the second-most runs at the Renegades last season, new Stars recruit Sam Harper will be looking to kick things off with a big knock as he opens the batting. He is a crafty batsman who is excellent at finding gaps and sharp between the wickets. We like him to top score for the Stars at +400 with online bookmakers.

Brisbane Heat v Melbourne Stars best bets

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