Renegades v Heat BBL betting tips & odds – Thursday, December 21

Renegades v Heat BBL13 match preview

The Melbourne Renegades continue the search for their first win of the Big Bash League campaign on Thursday night as they welcome the in-form Brisbane Heat to Marvel Stadium.

After losing their first match to the Sydney Sixers, the Renegades had their second match abandoned due to an unsafe playing surface. As a result, they have not played in nearly two weeks.

Former international captains Aaron Finch and Quinton de Kock headline the batting lineup for the Melbourne Renegades alongside exciting youngster Jake Fraser-McGurk. Emerging all-rounder Will Sutherland plays a major role in the pace attack alongside Kane Richardson and Peter Siddle, while the spin pairing of Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Adam Zampa should cause plenty of problems through the middle overs.

The Brisbane Heat have had an excellent start to BBL13. Despite losing some star players to international duty, they sit top of the standings after stress-free wins over the Melbourne Stars and Sydney Thunder.

Heat opener Colin Munro has the most runs in the tournament so far with 145 from his two innings. Leg-spinner Mitch Swepson and fast bowler Xavier Bartlett lead the way for wickets as the Heat have comfortably defended scores in their two wins so far.

Renegades v Heat best bets & odds

Renegades v Heat predictions & picks

In their two matches so far, the Heat have been excellent with both bat and ball. However, the Renegades will have a full-strength side, and with their wealth of international experience, they should be able to handle the tricky Marvel Stadium pitch. Back the Renegades to win their first match this season at +105 with Bet365.

South African star Quinton de Kock comes into the BBL after a stellar campaign in the recent Cricket World Cup in India. With over 10 years’ experience in the Indian Premier League, the wicketkeeper-batter has played at the highest level of T20 cricket and will be looking for a big performance in his first hit for his new team. De Kock will open the batting and looks the best bet to top score for the Renegades at +240 with online bookmakers.

Heat spinner Mitch Swepson has been a major contributor in both of Brisbane’s wins so far. The Queenslander has five wickets at an average of 9.8 in BBL13, while his economy rate of 6.84 suggests he is frustrating the opposition batters. Given the ball throughout the middle overs, look for Swepson to once again lead the way as the Heat’s top wicket-taker at +375 with cricket betting sites.

More sports betting tips