Australia are back in the hunt for 2023 ICC ODI World Cup glory after three wins on the trot, setting up Saturday’s match against New Zealand as a huge one in the context of the tournament.
The Kiwi’s have arguably been the best side outside of India so far, and a win in Dharmasala will firmly set them up for a top two finish as the semi-finals draw closer.
Check out our full preview of the match below, complete with betting tips and player props!
ICC Cricket World Cup Betting Tips
Australia vs New Zealand
Dharamshala, Saturday 28th October, 4:00pm (AEDT)
Australia
If Australia weren’t firing on all cylinders before the game against Netherlands, they definitely are now!
After stringing together wins over Sri Lanka and Pakistan, the Aussies carried out an absolute demolition job on the Dutch on Wednesday, winning by a whopping 309 runs.
Several batsmen got in on the act as Australia posted 399 – David Warner continued his excellent form with 104 off 93 balls, Glenn Maxwell stole the show with a 40-ball century and both Steve Smith (71) and Marnus Labuschagne (62) also raised the bat.
Netherlands had no response in their batting innings, capitulating for just 90 as Adam Zampa (4/8 off three overs) enjoyed the bulk of the spoils.
It was a comprehensive victory for Australia, boosting their Net Run Rate while reducing the workloads of the bowlers.
That leaves the fourth ranked side in a great position to attack the second half of the tournament.
In even better news, Travis Head is now fully fit and available for selection, bolstering a top order that has already been scoring plenty of runs lately. So, who misses out? Marnus Labuschagne was the obvious answer before the Netherlands game, but now we could see a reshuffle that displaces Stoinis while keeping Marnus in the side. It remains to be seen, but I still think Labuschagne will make way.
Australia Predicted XI: David Warner, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa
New Zealand
New Zealand suffered their first defeat of the 2023 World Cup last Sunday, going down to India by four wickets in a tight contest.
Darryl Mitchell (130 off 127 balls) and Rachin Ravindra (75 off 87) put together a fantastic platform, but the middle and late order were unable to capitalise, crumbling to leave the Black Caps 273 all out.
It was a defendable total, but everyone in world cricket knows that Virat Kohli is the master of a run chase and he displayed that skill again, anchoring the India innings with 95 off 104 balls to see his side home with two overs to spare.
Mitch Santner was economical (1/37 off 10 overs), but the rest of the bowlers lacked penetration against the best batting line-up in world cricket.
Despite the result in Dharmasala, I expect the Black Caps to bounce back quickly.
A five-day break will only freshen up the squad, and the rest of their performances have been top notch.
Santner and Matt Henry both sit in the top five wicket-takers for the tournament, and Mitchell is averaging 90 with the bat, so there is plenty to like from a Kiwi perspective.
As such, expect an unchanged XI for this massive game.
New Zealand Predicted XI: Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryll Mitchell, Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult
Betting Tips
While New Zealand are the higher ranked side heading into this game, I actually feel like Australia have the edge in terms of form. The Black Caps benefited from a relatively easy run of matches before running into a rampant India, whereas Australia have been forced to play India, South Africa and Pakistan over the same period. With the return of Travis Head, the Aussies should select their best XI for this one, and they have a great recent record against NZ in ODIs, leading me to back the favourites here.
Player Prop Quick Tips
Bowler Matchbet 4 – Adam Zampa ($2.10 at Ladbrokes) – Like many of his teammates, Zampa has found his groove in recent matches, taking four wickets in each of his last three appearances to sit on a total of 13 for the tournament. While Santner has also performed well (12 wickets), Zampa has a better record both in India and against Saturday’s opposition, making him the likely winner of this matchup.
