Kolkata Knight Riders v Punjab Kings IPL betting tips | Match 44

KKR v PBKS best bets

Kolkata Knight Riders v Punjab Kings match preview

Kolkata Knight Riders’ IPL title defence is hanging by a thread as they prepare to host Punjab Kings at Eden Gardens in a must-win clash on Saturday.

KKR are four points adrift of the top four and have lost three of their last four games, including a concerning 39-run defeat to Gujarat Titans last time out.

Their batting effort, chasing 198, was tame — Venkatesh Iyer (14 off 19 balls) and Rinku Singh (17 off 14) struggled to find any momentum.

The Knight Riders have responded by axing Quinton de Kock for Rahmanullah Gurbaz and shuffling Moeen Ali down to No.8, a move that hints at a desire for more aggression up front.

Punjab Kings, meanwhile, remain the IPL’s great enigma. Despite boasting one of the strongest squads, inconsistency continues to plague them.

They slumped to 6/157 in their last match against RCB. Josh Inglis showed some promise with the bat after replacing Glenn Maxwell, but the Kings will need a lot more collective effort to stay in the playoff hunt.

Kolkata Knight Riders v Punjab Kings predictions

KKR’s struggles against the stronger sides have been exposed this season, and Punjab already hold bragging rights after defending just 111 against them earlier in the campaign — an IPL record for the lowest total defended. While both teams are prone to collapses, Punjab’s bowling attack led by Arshdeep Singh and Marco Jansen gives them the edge in what could be another low-scoring affair.

Arshdeep has quietly put together a solid campaign with 11 wickets, often bowling at the toughest stages of the innings. He’s taken wickets at Eden Gardens before, and with KKR’s top order fragile, he looks well placed to do the damage again. The +225 with BetOnline for him to lead Punjab’s wicket count is hard to ignore

Sunil Narine has enjoyed success opening the batting for KKR this season, and even when he doesn’t stay long, he tends to swing hard. With Punjab likely to throw pace early on, Narine’s fearless approach makes him good value to clear the ropes at least twice.

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