Thunder v Stars betting tips & predictions | BBL Knockout preview

Thunder vs Stars best bets

Thunder vs Stars match preview

The Sydney Thunder host the Melbourne Stars in The Knockout at ENGIE Stadium as the Big Bash League finals continue this Wednesday.

The Thunder finished the BBL season in third place on the ladder, but their campaign was plagued with disruption.

International players Lachie Ferguson and Sherfane Rutherford left the squad due to international commitments before Daniel Sams and Cameron Bancroft suffered season-ending injuries during an outfield collision. The Thunder have also been without young opener Sam Konstas for most of the tournament due to his selection in the national team.

The Sydney side sat on top of the ladder early after winning four of their first five games. However, they managed just one win in the second half of the season due to a mix of poor form and a couple of washed-out fixtures.

Captain David Warner has led the Thunder with the bat, scoring 346 runs throughout the tournament. Off-spinner Chris Green has the most wickets with 11 at an economy rate of just 7.3 an over.

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It has been a tournament of two halves for the Melbourne Stars, who snuck into the finals in fourth place with a 40-run win over the Hurricanes on Sunday night.

The Stars started their BBL campaign with five consecutive losses. However, they turned it around and won their last five games in a row, including wins over the top two sides.

A key part of their turnaround was the inclusion of fast bowler Mark Steketee, who took 15 wickets across that run at an economy rate of under seven runs per over. With the bat it was Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis who led the way with nearly 600 runs combined for the tournament.

The Stars will be forced into at least one change as all-rounder Beau Webster heads to Sri Lanka with the Test squad, with veteran batsman Peter Handscomb added to the squad.

Thunder vs Stars predictions

Despite playing on the road, it is no surprise to see the Stars are favourites. The Thunder’s batting lineup is lacking depth, while their pace attack lacks experience. The Stars have an explosive batting lineup, while their seam attack is in excellent form, so back them to win at $1.65 with top BBL bookies.

Thunder spinner Chris Green has had an excellent tournament, leading the side for wickets and economy rate. He took 3/13 in his last game, while he has gone for over six runs per over in just one of his last five matches. If he can continue to build pressure, expect batsmen to be drawn into false shots as Green takes two or more wickets at $2.62 with leading cricket betting sites.

Glenn Maxwell is the main reason the Stars have made the BBL finals. He has scored 224 runs in his last three innings, while he has the best strike rate of anyone in the Big Bash this season. With his raw power and unorthodox strokeplay, back Maxwell to lead the Stars’ scoring once again at $3.10 with Bet365.

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