IPL 2024: Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings Best Bets

Match 49 of IPL 2024 will see the defending champions Chennai Super Kings take on Punjab Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Wednesday. The Super Kings are loitering around the top three (ten points), while the Kings are in the bottom three with just six points. We’ve prepared a preview and the best bets for this match.

Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium

Betting Preview

These two teams will play each other back-to-back which will be pivotal for either catapulting the Super Kings into the top-two or propelling the Kings into the playoff picture. There’s likely to be some tension for the home side, which has lost the last four head-to-head matches against Punjab, including a dramatic four-wicket defeat last season at this venue. Despite that loss, Chennai has a strong historical record at home, with Punjab managing only one win in their last four visits.

Chennai enters this match on the back of a significant 78-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad, marking their 50th win at this ground, a record only matched by one other team at any venue in the league. This victory also saw them posting over 200 runs for the 35th time in T20s, the most by any team. Their bowlers shone, dismissing the formidable Sunrisers for just 134 runs.

On the other hand, Punjab are riding high from an impressive eight-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders, chasing down 262 (the highest successful chase in men’s T20 history), highlighted by a record 24 sixes in an IPL innings. Despite some fielding lapses, the win keeps them in contention for the playoffs, though they face a challenge in achieving back-to-back wins for the first time this season. A victory here would bring them closer to the cluster of teams tied in the playoff race, enhancing their prospects for advancement.

Jonny Bairstow’s return to form is a huge boost for the Kings as he is a proven match-winner. His 108 off 48 balls showed his team and the rest of the world what he can do when he’s at his best. Expect to play a pivotal role if the Punjab Super Kings are to emerge victorious.

However, we expect another dominant performance from the home side at MA Chidambaram Stadium. Their spinners and experience should be enough to get the win as they chase a playoff spot. Back Chennai Super Kings to win this game.

Prediction: Chennai Super Kings to win at 1.57.

Players to watch: The slinging sensation from Sri Lanka Matheesha Pathirana is proving quite a handful for the batters this season. He ended up as Chennai’s best bowler in three of the last four matches. Prabhsimran Singh has started Punjab’s carnage against Kolkata in their last match, slamming an 18-ball fifty, which was the third-fastest for the franchise (by balls taken). The diminutive hitter has happy memories of this ground, having struck 42 off just 24 balls to give the right platform for the 201-run chase last season.

Key Stats

The all-time first-innings average at this venue in the IPL is 164, but three of the last four such scores have been 206 or more.

Six of the last nine powerplays at this venue saw scores of 50 or more.

Ruturaj Gaikwad has been dismissed by left-arm pacers four times out of eight innings in this IPL (92 runs off 69 balls).

Ajinkya Rahane has been dismissed by pacers in six of his last eight innings.

Chennai Super Kings have conceded the most powerplay runs in six of their last seven matches.

Chennai’s opening partnerships this season average 21.11 runs per innings at 8.08 runs per over, and only one 50+ stand.

The Punjab Kings have hit the most 6s in six of their last eight matches, tying the count in the other two.

Punjab have also hit the most 6s in nine of the last 12 H2Hs, tying the count in another.

Arshdeep Singh has taken five powerplay wickets this season, and only three bowlers have more scalps in that period of play.

Best Bets

Best Bet: Highest individual score to be over 77.5 at 1.86.

Alternative Bet: Jonny Bairstow to score 50+ runs at 3.75.

BET Contributor