BBL Expert Tips and Predictions | Perth vs Melbourne

We will be looking into key players, stand out prices and of course looking into the breakdown of both teams in action.

There are plenty of factors to consider in this match including plenty of ins and outs with the starting XIs. We are expecting Aaron Finch to be left at home for Christmas due to a bad back, this could be seen as a benefit for Renegades as Shaun Marsh could step in on his home ground. Scorcher’s have lost their captain due to a meniscus tear, which means Aaron Hardie will take the armband and Eskinazi is likely to take his place - pushing Cooper Connolly down to 6 in the batting order.

Perth Scorchers 

Perth are priced at 1.48 with PlayUp for this match, this seems a very fair price. I would look to back 1.57+ if you can get this pre-match. However, Perth will be likely to line up with four seamers and Ashton Agar as their spinner. This attack simply cannot be matched in this league, particularly at the Optus Stadium. Eskinazi is likely to replace the injured Turner, he is likely to open with Crawley for an all-English opening stand. Perth will be hoping an English opening partnership will be able to score runs in Australia after all!

Melbourne Renegades

The Renegades are a tricky outfit to assess as they have polar opposite styles of play throughout the team. De Kock and Fraser McGurk will look to hit every ball for a boundary or they will be out for single figures. De Kock seems to have a carefree type of attitude which can sometimes bring the best out of him as he will have less pressure on his shoulders. The Renegades middle order is a concern with Finch involved, however Shaun Marsh potentially returning could be the perfect glue between the top order and the middle order. I would avoid the 2.65 to win with PlayUp. 

A Huge stat is that Perth won a whopping 83% of matches against Renegades, with a 15-3 record. I see this percentage increasing in the Boxing Day match! 
 
Renegades score an average of 158 runs per innings against Perth, however they concede an average of 168 runs. I expect Renegades will need 170+ to be in with a chance of defending against Perth. 
 
Shaun Marsh is the 6th leading runscorer for Perth, he is 4.85 to haunt his old team with a top bat performance with PlayUp.

Certainly one to keep an eye on is Jason Behrendorff, the 2nd leading wicket taker for Scorchers. He will be bowling at an ultra aggressive Renegades top order with a swinging ball. 4.33 for top Perth bowler with Bet365.  
 
Peter Siddle has potential to replace Richardson as he is being managed, he will be worth a watch if he bowls early on with Tom Rogers.

I can only see one result in this match and that is Perth with a convincing win, final last words! The home record and the head to head record is too big to ignore and the bowling lineup differences between the two sides should ultimately decide the game and the Scorchers’ attack is far superior.  

That will be our prediction for this week, elsewhere I fancy the Sixers to beat the Melbourne Stars at home. Similarly, I think the Stars lack the quality to beat the Sixers in a 20-over match.