IPL 2024: Chennai Super Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants Best Bets

Match 39 of IPL 2024 will see the defending champions Chennai Super Kings square off against Lucknow Super Giants at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Tuesday. CSK play their next three games at home but won’t have it easy against an LSG side that has experience playing on slow, spinning surfaces. Have a look at our preview and best bets for this game.

Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium

Betting Preview

Between their last meeting in Lucknow and the upcoming game at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium, both teams have no other fixtures, allowing them to fully analyse their previous encounter. In that game, Lucknow efficiently chased down 177 with eight wickets in hand, despite the notable innings from Ravindra Jadeja, who hit his top score of the season, and MS Dhoni, who added a quick 28* off nine balls. Jadeja’s promotion to number four could be repeated, especially since he was dismissed by just one of the six bowlers Lucknow deployed last time.

Despite having the lowest wicket loss rate this season, Chennai’s run rate is one of the slowest at 9.10 RPO, leading to suggestions to advance their big hitters like Dhoni, Shivam Dube, and Moeen Ali in the batting order. However, tight bowling from Matheesha Pathirana, Jadeja, and Tushar Deshpande has offset slower batting phases. Planning is likely underway for the departure of Mustafizur Rahman, their leading wicket-taker, who has only three more matches before international duty.

Lucknow’s season mirrors last year’s inconsistency, marked by unexpected match outcomes. Their recent victory against Chennai snapped a losing streak, hinting at a possible return to form. Despite a 1/2 away record in 2024, losses were against strong teams, maintaining their robust 67%-win rate at away venues. Last season’s high-scoring game in Chennai, where they narrowly lost 217 to 205, was an anomaly, and with both teams avoiding 200+ scores this year, a repeat of such high scoring is less likely, particularly given the typical first innings average in Chennai is in the low-170s.

LSG’s batters have struggled so far this season but will be boosted by the return to form of their two openers, KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock, and should fancy themselves against Chennai’s bowlers. This is a tough one to call but we’re backing Lucknow to do the double over CSk.

Prediction: Lucknow Super Giants to win at 2.25.

Players to Watch: It took Chennai’s captain Ruturaj Gaikwad a few games to fire, but he’s promising to get back to near his best now after scores of 46 and 67* in his two starts at Chepauk. He made 57 from 31 balls against Lucknow at this venue last year before being dismissed by Ravi Bishnoi, who has taken five wickets from 12 overs bowled in Chennai at an average of 15.80 and economy rate of just 6.58rpo.

Key Stats

Chennai have won 72% of their IPL matches played at Chepauk.

CSK conceded the highest opening partnership of the match five times this year. 

Mustafizur Rahman has personal bowling averages of 68 and 88 against Quinton de Kock and Nicholas Pooran, whilst he conceded 79 runs off KL Rahul without one dismissal.

Similarly, Ravindra Jadeja has an average of 51 bowling to Pooran and has never dismissed de Kock (0-60) nor Rahul (0-61).

Shivam Dube’s three games in Chennai this season returned scores of 34*, 51 and 28.

Nicholas Pooran’s three away innings this year saw him score 64*, 40* and 45.

Best Bets

Best Bet: Highest individual score to be under 72.5 at 1.86.

Alternative Bet: Ruturaj Gaikwad to score over 28.5 runs at 1.86.