Australia v West Indies First ODI Tips: Hope and Zampa primed for G force

• Plenty of Hope with 16/54.20 Top WI Bat bet

• Zampa looks a solid bet

• Aus long odds-on for the win

Australia v West Indies
Friday 2 February, 03.30
TV: Live on Sky Sports

Australia v West Indies First ODI team news

Australia are not at full-strength with six World Cup winners absent, including skip Pat Cummins. Steven Smith leads a strong-looking unit, however.

Bash stars Matt Short, Aaron Hardie, Xavier Bartlett and Jake Fraser-McGurk should all play. Lance Morris adds pace from Perth while Adam Zampa should consider himself attack leader

Possible XI: Head, M Short, Fraser-McGurk, Smith, Labuschagne, Hardie, Inglis, Abbott, Bartlett, Zampa, Morris

West Indies were boosted by their stunning Test win in the final match of the series at The Gabba. But this is a revamped squad. Hero Shamar Joseph is not involved for example.

Shai Hope leads the batting which looks shaky again. Kjorn Ottley has played only two ODI while the middle-order is a moveable feast with Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge and Romario Shepherd interchangeable.

Possible XI: Athanze, Ottley, Carty, Hope, Greaves, Hodge, Shepherd, A Joseph, Forde, Motie, Thomas

Australia v West Indies First ODI pitch report

The MCG has hosted only one ODI in the last five years. So to confirm our view that was formed in the Bash that the surface can be tricky for batters, a look at the last 13 (ten-year filter) shows that 275 or more was busted six times.

We may be able to lay West Indies runs batting first at the 250 mark for even money or slight odds-against. In six of their last ten against the top sides they have failed to beat that mark.

Australia v West Indies First ODI match odds

Australia are 1.162/13 with West Indies 7.06/1. That's a big gap between the sides. In terms of man for man ability, it is probably justified.

But does the MCG pitch bring them closer together? Possible. Overcast weather conditions could help, too while we are always aware that a day-nighter might assist the side batting first.

West Indies beat England in their previous series and took a game off India. But failure to qualify for the World Cup was a low.

A trade on the Windies to make this a contest may make sense. They have the potential to trade at around 3.002/1.

Australia v West Indies First ODI player bets

We have two strong followers because of win rates in the top bowler and bat markets. First up Zampa at 11/43.75 to take most Aussie wickets. He's winning in that 60% bracket. There's a lovely boost on Shai Hope for most Windies runs at 16/54.20. Hope has won five of the last 17.

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