IPL Betting: Chennai Super Kings v Hyderabad Sunrisers

White will probably lead Sunrisers

Ed Hawkins says the hosts will have an unfair advantage over the Sunrisers, who have two star players missing for the match on Thursday

Chennai Super Kings v Hyderabad Sunrisers
Start time: 15.30BST
TV: live on ITV4

Chennai
Chennai are beginning to look ominous. They have three successive victories and really should make it four with this home contest. Following worries about their lazy batting, they emphatically confounded all critics by chasing a whopping 186 against Rajasthan Royals. Mike Hussey and Suresh Raina were the architects of that chase with quick runs. The giant West Indian fast bowler Jason Holder had a poor debut (Rajasthan had 71 on the board after seven overs) and could be replaced. Dirk Nannes and Albie Morkel are potential starters.

Hyderabad Sunrisers
It is a meeting like this when the IPL governing council's ban on Sri Lanka players appearing in Chennai highlights just what an unfair advantage the Super Kings  are enjoying. Hyderabad will be without two of their most influential players in captain Kumar Sangakkara and all-roudner Thisara Perera. They have at least prepared themselves. Sangakkara did not play in the victory over King's XI which took the Sunrisers, albeit briefly, to the top of the table. Cameron White led in his absence and once again he is expected to take the armband. Perera's likely replacement is Nathan McCullum. There is still no sign of a return to fitness of star batsman Shkihar Dhawan.

First-innings runs
Here are the first-innings totals so far this season and last (most recent on right) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium: 112-205-164-146-156-139-160-114-222-190-148-165-159-185. That is an average of 162. Indeed, backing more than 160 at around 2.001/1 looks a fair wager given that backers of the score would have won 50% of the time over the study period. Of course we would rather be on Chennai for runs instead of Hyderabad so you may wish to wait until the toss. On three of the last four times they have batted first at CSK have posted 160 or more.

Match odds
Unsurprisingly Chennai are sizzling favourites to continue their good run. At 1.501/2 the Super Kings are an unappetising wager in this helter-skelter format. The Sunrisers are virtually friendless at a whopping 2.809/5. The case for a back-to-lay of the visitors is obvious. They need only a foothold rather than a concerted spell of dominance to get the clicks down. Their best chance comes in the form of their pace attack: Dale Steyn and Ishant Sharma. A couple of early wickets from those two and their price will plummet allowing a quick and easy profit. Chennai are not for us at such odds and if you fancy laying with a limited downside be our guest.

Recomended bet
Chennai for 160 or more first-innings runs at 1.9010/11