McCullum odds & BBL best bets – Sydney Sixers vs. Brisbane Heat

Thursday, January 18 from 7.40pm AEDT at the SCG, Sydney.

THE Brisbane Heat are in trouble.

Once the favourite to win BBL7 earlier in the season, the men from up north are in trouble of missing finals all-together.

The Heat have lost two games in a row – both to the surging Hobart Hurricanes – and now sit outside the top four because of net run rate. With three games to go, a loss against the Sydney Sixers this Thursday night could extinguish any hopes of a return to the Grand Final.

And it’s not a good time to be playing the Sixers either.

After a mid-season injection of talent, the men in pink have found their best form of the summer, winning two games in a row, including a thumping win over the Melbourne Stars on Tuesday night.

The inclusion of Aussie spinner Nathan Lyon has proven a God-send for Sydney. Lyon’s 3/18 from four overs proving too good – a tip that we recommended in our betting preview.

Add in West Indian skipper Carlos Brathwaite, who can be devastating with bat and ball, and the Sixers look like an imposing outfit – even if they’ve left their run too late to make the finals.

Can the Heat, now paying $8 to win the title at CrownBet.com.au, turn this slump around?

Like usual, a lot is going to depend on Brendon McCullum at the top of the order.

The former Kiwi skipper is coming off a promising 51 and will need to lead from the front if the Heat are to fire. He’ll need support from Joe Burns and Sam Heazlett at the top of the order – especially while Heat superstar Chris Lynn remains on the sidelines with a calf injury.

Let’s take a look at the player specials and valuable betting markets on offer.

Match tip: Brisbane Heat to win – -105.26 @ CrownBet.com.au

Brendon McCullum odds and tips – Sixers vs. Heat BBL betting

This is a must-win game for the Brisbane Heat and McCullum will know that he has to deliver in a big way.

While he hasn’t gone on to post any really big totals, McCullum has been solid this summer and shown signs of breaking out. We’re expecting him to go big here and there is some value about with bookmakers.

McCullum odds vs. Sydney Sixers:

• Man of the match: $7 @ Sportsbet.com.au
• To score more than 2.5 4’s: -133.33 @ Sportsbet.com.au
• To score 50 or more: $3.18 @ Sportsbet.com.au
• Top score for the Heat: $2.75 @ CrownBet.com.au
• To score more than 30.5 run: +100 @ CrownBet.com.au

There’s some great multi-fillers in this list for McCullum. In particular we like the chances of him topping 50 runs, which brings a number of markets into play. Should the Kiwi stay in for longer than a couple of overs, the $1.75 on him hitting at least three boundaries is almost bank interest.

Most wickets tips – Sixers vs. Heat

Sydney Sixers:

He’s delivered for us once, so we’re going back to the well with ‘the goat’, Nathan ‘Garry’ Lyon.

Lyon has made an immediate impact on the BBL and looks like a man with a point to prove in his attempt to get into the national limited overs sides.

He’s paying $4 to top the Sixers wicket tally at Sportsbet.com.au.

Brisbane Heat:

The SCG has taken spin well this summer and we’re sticking with that theory for the Heat. Expect Pakistan veteran Yasir Shah to go head-to-head with Lyon, just like they have before on the test arena.

Shah is paying +275 at Sportsbet.com.au.