IPL Betting: Royal Challengers Bangalore v Kings XI Punjab

Kings XI's dangerous Luke Pomersbach could spoil RCB's aim to take full points from Tuesday's IPL clash

RCB need to recover after losing to the Knight Riders at the weekend but Matt Harris is expecting a tough challenge from a dangerous Kings XI side.

Royal Challengers Bangalore v Kings XI Punjab
Tuesday 14 May 2013 at 11:30 BST
Live on ITV4 and itv.com

Royal Challengers Bangalore

RCB stand on the brink of qualification but it's been a mixed season for Virat Kohli's men who need to bounce back following a lacklustre display against KKR. The Royal Challengers will forever be accused of being a one-man team and there will be some concerns after Chris Gayle's subdued performance along with a general all-round failure to come to terms with a difficult Ranchi pitch.

The good news for RCB fans lies in a perfect home record that has seen them won six out of six at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium and while home advantage is a debatable benefit in the short format, you simply can't ignore that kind of return.

Kings XI Punjab

Kings won the reverse fixture in Mohali earlier this month thanks to the lone efforts of David Miller who scored the third fastest century in IPL history. That knock proved that it only takes one major innings to upset any T20 result odds but can anyone in the away side repeat that feat in this crucial tie?

Miller's own form has fallen away slightly since that game and David Hussey has now lost to place to Luke Pomersbach after a string of low scores. Adam Gilchrist has returned to the side but has made little impact and while Shaun Marsh has performed well, he does seem to be playing at less than full fitness following a hamstring issue. 

There remains real danger amongst that roster of overseas players but you feel that only a knock of David Miller's magnitude will give Kings any chance of claiming the points.

Venue and Conditions

First innings scores at the M.Chinnaswamy have been fairly consistent and in six matches, four of those totals have fallen between 152 and 161. The only real anomaly came in RCB's match against Pune when Chris Gayle's 175 drove them to make 263 but that only boosted the average to 167 - a minimum target for anyone taking first knock. The forecast for this match suggests some heavy cloud cover and even a threat of rain which could bring the lottery of Duckworth Lewis into the equation.

Match Odds

Bangalore are clear favourites at 1.558/15 while Punjab are out at a very generous 2.68/5. Kings XI certainly have a chance and there is some real value in that price but will need either a big innings approaching three figures from one of their batters, or some help from the DL method in a shortened game. Either of those scenarios could happen and it could be a close affair but a RCB win seems far more likely.

Top Bangalore Batsman

I'd correctly called Chris Gayle for Bangalore's last match against KKR but I hadn't expected him to top score with just 33 from 36 balls. It's said that the patient Cheteshwar Pujara is a perfect foil for his opening partner but perhaps his 5 from 14 balls put Gayle under too much pressure in that contest.

There are other contenders in Virat Kohli and AB De Villiers but if Pujara is rested it should free Chris Gayle up to play his natural game and he would give you the return at around 2.75n/a.

Top Punjab Batsman

Shaun Marsh is the favourite here at 3.02/1 or better while Miller remains a danger despite his lack of form and will attract a lot of money at around 4.57/2. However, Punjab fans have yet to see the best of Luke Pomersbach and the power hitting Aussie should make a major contribution here at 5.04/1 or better.

Recommended Bet
Back Chris Gayle to top score for Bangalore at around 2.75n/a