Stars v Thunder BBL tips & predictions – Saturday, December 23

Stars v Thunder BBL match preview

The T20 Big Bash League heads to Albury on Saturday afternoon as the Melbourne Stars and Sydney Thunder search for their first win of the season.

The Stars have had a horror start to their BBL13 campaign, with two crushing losses leaving them at the bottom of the standings. Averaging 107 as a side so far, there are major concerns with their batting lineup. However, the Stars are set to be boosted by the return of star all-rounder Glenn Maxwell from injury, with Nick Larkin or Jonathan Merlo likely to be dropped.

The Sydney Thunder are also winless this season after their score of 200 was chased down with two balls to spare on Tuesday night. Star recruit Cameron Bancroft has been the bright spot for the Thunder with 99 runs from his two innings at the top of the order. Meanwhile, pressure is building on young batter Matthew Gilkes, who has failed to fire at number three.

Stars v Thunder top picks & odds

Stars v Thunder betting predictions

Following their two terrible performances so far, it is hard to see the Melbourne Stars improving drastically for this match. While their batting has been the major concern, their pace attack has been taken apart. The Thunder are one of the deepest batting sides in the BBL and should have too much quality for the Stars at -142.86.

A big innings is required from Glenn Maxwell if the Stars are any chance of a competitive effort. Known for his ability to hit from his first ball, Maxwell may also need to pace himself if wickets tumble around him. The Victorian is an obvious choice as the top scorer for the Stars at +270 with T20 cricket bookmakers.

After leading the Thunder in last year’s Big Bash season, Oliver Davies showed his quality once again on Tuesday night as he hit 32 off just 17 balls. A crafty batter with the ability to hit big, Davies at number four should have plenty of opportunity to build an innings, so look for him to score 20 or more runs at -125 with top online bookmakers.

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