Best Cricket Betting Sites in Australia

Here at Betsquare, we test and rank different cricket betting sites according to multiple criteria (such as their range of betting markets, available banking options and promotions). Here’s our take on the top three so that you can make the best choice.

Even once you’ve decided where to bet on cricket, you’ll still need to understand the full range of odds and betting markets and how they impact on your wagering experience. Certainly, cricket offers access to a huge range of markets, from outright tournament betting and match wagering to predicting which player will score the most runs in a particular tournament.

Cricket also offers a larger selection of in-play betting markets and micro wagers than most sports due to the nature of gameplay and the sheer number of variables in play. Micro bets are a subset of in-play betting that allows you to wager on individual moments and events in games, and examples in cricket include predicting when the next boundary will be scored or whether the upcoming delivery will be a no-ball.

We’ll explore all of these markets in more detail later in the guide, but the best cricket betting sites will allow for extensive ante-post and in-play wagering across multiple tournaments.

While the international cricket schedule was particularly hectic in 2023, every year sees a huge number of competitions and test series contested across the globe. However, some international tournaments are more popular and widely covered by bookies than others, including the following:

This is widely considered to be the most popular tournament among cricket bettors, with the Australian, Indian and English sides always driving particularly high betting volumes.

The last Ashes series between the Aussies and England saw the Baggy Green achieve a thrilling 2-2 draw and retain the coveted urn. Even without the unique dimension added by England’s exciting and high-octane ‘Bazball’ style, this biennially held series is popular across the globe and widely targeted by those who like to bet on cricket. Since the event’s inception in 1882, Australia have won 152 of the 361 series contested, with England triumphing on 111 occasions and 98 ending in draws.

Of course, cricket remains a hugely popular domestic sport here in Australia, so you can also wager on many high-profile tournaments during the summer. Here are a couple of the most widely bet on:

The appropriately titled Big Bash League is the premier men’s T20 competition, in which eight sides contest a total of 44 matches that comprise 20 overs each.

The Sheffield Shield (currently sponsored by Marsh) is the premier domestic first-class cricket competition in Oz, first contested back in 1882/83. The recent 2022/23 campaign saw six teams compete across 31 matches, with Western Australia ultimately winning their 17th title overall.

You’ll access a huge variety of odds when you start to bet on cricket, which has much to do with the sheer range of markets in play. It’s also important to note that cricket betting sites’ odds will also fluctuate significantly from one bookie to another, so you must be able to analyse prices in real-time and access the best value for your stake.

The Aussie sports betting market uses decimal odds, which feature a single number to two decimal places. This stipulates how much you’ll win for every $1 wagered, including your stake amount. So, if you bet on cricket and back hosts India to win the 2023 Cricket World Cup at odds of 3.00, a successful $10 wager will trigger a total payout of $30.

In addition to displaying your potential return, the published decimal odds can also indicate the implied probability of a particular outcome occurring. This enables you to calculate probability and identify the risk associated with each bet, allowing you to tailor your stake accordingly.

There’s even a formula that you can use to calculate implied probability:

(1/ decimal odds) * 100 = implied probability

So, let’s take the example of backing India to win the 2024 World Cup. Using this formula, we can divide one by the ante-post odds of 3.00, creating a value of 0.33. Then, we multiply this by 100, revealing that India have an implied winning probability of 33%. This is highly competitive in a field of 10 competing sides, so you can set your stake amount accordingly.

In addition to drawing as much info as possible from the odds, you should also use the Betsquare website to compare real-time cricket betting odds and see which bookies offer the best possible value. You can also check out our comprehensive bookie reviews to see which cricket betting sites run odds promotions and price boosts, safe in the knowledge that this information is regularly updated.

While understanding, evaluating and comparing odds is crucial when you bet on cricket, this can be much harder when wagering in-play. Not only are there more markets available, for example, but the associated odds are liable to change quickly depending on in-game events.

You’ll also have limited time to place wagers when engaging in micro-betting, so you must consider the following advice to maximise your bankroll.

Whether you access a TV sports broadcast or live stream matches through your chosen bookie, you must watch as much action as possible before betting.

Make no mistake; the optimal live cricket betting strategy is to follow individual matches in real-time, as this allows you to see how they’re being played out and which side has the momentum. This makes it easier to identify the best value in-play wagers, whether you want to bet on the likely match winner or tip a particular player to be the top run scorer.

In addition to watching specific games and tournaments, we’d also recommend monitoring in-game statistics when engaging in individual match betting. The best cricket betting sites usually augment their live streaming platform or virtual fields of play with comprehensive match analytics and real-time statistics.

These can relate to numerous elements of cricket gameplay, while such metrics may help you to place more informed wagers and negate the risk of you betting emotively on your favourite side.

This is a key for both ante-post and in-play betting, but it’s particularly important when wagering on real-time markets. After all, the range of in-play cricket betting markets is often huge, while it’s easy to be swept away by a tide of emotion when backing your favourite stateside or country.

However, by only ever gambling an amount you can afford to lose within a predetermined period of time and identifying the highest value in-play markets, you can make the most of your money and minimise the risk of loss.

Many of these betting tips also apply to ante-post markets, especially responsible bankroll management and the importance of using statistics and analysis to inform your wagers.

Ante-post markets also revolve around several prominent wager types, and you must understand these in detail before you bet on cricket.

• Tournament / Series Winner: This is the single most popular type of outright market that simply requires you to bet on the winner of a particular tournament, series or league.
• Match Winner: A subset of outright betting, wagering on the match winner requires you to predict which side will prevail in a single game or test. In Test cricket, this market is complicated by the potential for matches to be drawn, although the mean average of games that end this way has dropped to 25% since 2002.
• Top-Scoring Batsman in a Match: This is an individual player market that asks you to wager who will be the top-scoring batsman in a game or team. This can unlock lengthy odds and potentially high returns, so you can use knowledge and analysis to make informed choices here.
• The Top Bowler: This is a similar market in which you’ll bet on a particular player to take the most wickets or return the best bowling figures in a game. Once again, you can narrow this market by betting on the best-performing bowler on a particular side.
• 1st Wicket Method: This is a less popular but potentially high-value market when you bet on cricket, as you predict how the first wicket will fall in a match. The best cricket betting sites tend to offer six potential methods, including caught, LBW, clean bowled, stumped, run out and ‘others’ (such as handling the ball).
• The Most Sixes: You can also wager on which team (or player) will hit the most sixes in a particular match, tournament or series. This market lets you analyse past player performance and identify the most explosive batsmen, such as Australia’s Mitch Marsh or England skipper Ben Stokes.

When appraising the best bookies and cricket sites online, we’d also recommend checking out the full range of payment methods that they offer. Here are some of the best options.

There are also specific rules to consider when you bet on cricket. Their precise terms may vary from one cricket betting site to another, but here’s an overview of some of the most important rules and how they impact your experience.

Each cricket betting site will set limits in relation to its total payouts, which are usually capped depending on the tournament or match in question and the selected markets. 

For example, the maximum payout is likely to be highest when engaging in match or outright betting on test matches and tournaments such as the IPL and Cricket World Cup, while the threshold will lower for less popular competitions and more niche wager types. Be sure to check your chosen bookie’s T&Cs to learn more.

So-called ‘dead heat’ rules may apply to multiple markets, such as match betting during knockout tournament games or the highest run scorer in a particular game.

Regardless, such rules usually dictate that in a dead heat where no winning outcome can be confirmed, returns will be calculated by dividing your stake by the number of entrants involved in the tie. So, if you bet on a batsman to top score in a game and he ties with two other players, your stake amount will be divided by three to create a reduced payout. 

While the Betsquare website will help you compare the best cricket betting sites and choose the right one, there are several additional steps to complete before you can bet on cricket and your preferred markets. These include:

• Choose your bookie and register for an account, ensuring that you opt-in to receive the welcome bonus (where applicable) and deposit the requisite amount
• Compare the available cricket betting markets and odds before finalising your choices and adding them to your bet slip (this is usually located on the right-hand side of the screen)
• Then, review your choices and set individual stake amounts based on the odds, their implied probability and your personal bankroll management rules
• Analyse the final stake values and odds, and if you’re happy, confirm your bets and watch the results roll in

You can also use the Betsquare site to compare Australian bookies’ latest welcome offers and bonus packages. Just remember to read and review the unique terms and conditions, with wagering requirements, odds restrictions and the time you have to use your free bets, all impacting your cricket betting experience directly.