IPL 2023: Punjab Kings v Royal Challengers Bangalore Betting Tips

The first game of Thursday’s double-header will see Punjab Kings square off against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali. PBKS and RCB sit 5th and 8th on the standings respectively and will both be hoping for a win to move up the table. Lwanele Poswayo has got you covered with his betting tips for this game.

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Both teams have yet to find some momentum this season, with Punjab Kings losing 2 and winning 3 games while the visitors RCB have won 2 and lost 3 of their 5 games. The hosts will be hoping for the return of their captain Shikhar Dhawan, who missed the previous game with a shoulder injury. He is averaging 116.50 this season and has a strike-rate of 146.57, his highest strike-rate across 16 IPL campaigns. Back him to be PBKS to batter at 3.25, if he plays.

Stand-in captain Sam Curran produced a top bowling performance for Punjab Kings on Saturday (3/31) and it was death-bowling at its best from the left-arm medium pacer. Curran and Arshdeep look good to be PBKS’s top bowlers for this game, especially considering how effective lefties have been in IPL 2023 so far. The latter averages a wicket every 13 balls at the IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali.

RCB’s key batters Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell have been in terrific form this season, but they’ve still lost 3 of their last 4 games.

Mohammed Siraj has been the standout bowler for RCB across the competition so far. The India international has racked up 69 dot balls and eight wickets from his 120 deliveries and is yet to go wicketless in an innings. He’s at 2.65 to take over 1.5 wickets.

The Royal Challengers are the favourites for this game and rightfully so. They have the better side on paper and should prove to be too strong for a PBKS side that’s missing some key players.

Key Stats

RCB have struck the highest opening partnership and most powerplay runs in four of their five games this year.

Kings have won five of their last six games against RCB, and did the double over them last season.

Kagiso Rabada has taken at least one wicket in 11 of his last 12 IPL appearances.

Arshdeep Singh averages a wicket every 13 balls at the IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali.

Kagiso Rabada to Virat Kohli in the IPL: 3/27 from 24 balls.

During the middle overs (7-16) RCB averaged 6.20 sixes per innings, the highest of any team this season.

The average first-innings total at Mohali in IPL games since 2018 is 175, but the average winning first-innings total is 186.

Best Bets

Prediction: Royal Challengers Bangalore to win at 1.74

Suggested Bet: Mohammed Siraj to take over 1.5 wickets at 2.65

Suggested Bet: Royal Challengers Bangalore to hit the most sixes at 1.83

Value Bet: Sam Curran to be Punjab Kings’ top bowler at 4.00

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