Sydney Sixers v Sydney Thunder Big Bash tips: Back Sixers at a great price for derby win

• Sixers should be shorter

• SCG pitch a short on par lines

• Warner choppered in

Sydney Sixers v Sydney Thunder
Friday 12 January, 08.15
TV: Live on Sky Sports

Sydney Sixers v Sydney Thunder team news

Steve Smith returns for one game before leaving again for Test duty. Tom Curran's season has been ended by a knee injury so Hayden Kerr could return to the side.

Possible XI: Vince, Philippe, Smith, Hughes, Henriques, Silk, Kerr, Edwards, Abbott, Dwarshuis, Murphy, O'Keefe

Thunder will have David Warner available with the opener flying in via helicopter from his brother's wedding. Alex Hales will probably drop down to No 3.

Possible XI: Warner, Bancroft, Hales, Kohler-Cadmore, Ross, Davies, Sams, McAndrew, Green, Sandhu, T Sangha

Sydney Sixers v Sydney Thunder pitch report

At the SCG only 10 from the last 24 in all T20 have busted 160 in the first-innings. Stars managed 154 last time out. With Thunder's batting an issue - and we're nopt fussed by Warner's return - going unders at around 160.5 is an option.

We expect a slightly inflated price because of his involvement. Thunder have an average run rate of 8 this term and Sixers concede an average of 7.6

Sydney Sixers v Sydney Thunder match odds

Sixers are 1.845/6 with Thunder 2.166/5. This is one of the most perplexing market views of the Bash so far.

This is not a vintage Sixers side and their powers are on the wane. But they are vastly superior to a Thunder outfit which cannot qualify and has won only once this season.

Sixers need a win to keep up their top-two aspirations healthy. On almost every metric we would expect them to be in the 1.654/6 region.

This is the Warner factor at play. Smith's inclusion seens to have been forgotten. Although not a major T20 player he has two centuries and two fifties in his last five Bash appearances.

Sydney Sixers v Sydney Thunder player bets

Those stats will make Smith a fancy for most at a boosted 13/53.60 with Sportsbook for top Sixers bat.

Warner is boosted to 11/43.75. He didn't top in any of the five Bash matches in the 2022 season. A sixth was washed out. Generally his powers are on the wane ion the format.

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