Click here for LA Knight Riders v San Francisco Unicorns odds
Wednesday 15 July, 22:30
TV: Live on Sky Sports
LA Knight Riders v San Francisco Unicorns MLC Tips
LA Knight Riders are the surprise package of the MLC. It has been quite a turnaround for a franchise which, before this season began, had never qualified for the play-offs and had won only five matches altogether in the three previous seasons. They won six this season.
It is a bit of a mystery as to how they have done it in the context of their most reliable batter over the last two, Unmukt Chand, being anonymous. Chand has played only six games and returned just 45 runs. But Colin Munro has stepped up while Sunil Narine and Andre Russell, the Windies pair, have combined brilliantly with the ball for 13 and 18 wickets respectively. Jason Holder has 13, too, but is close to recording an average of ten on economy.
The Unicorns finished top of the ladder, pipping LA on net run rate. But they lost both of the head-to-heads. This pitches Unicorns as the third-quickest batting team in the tournament versus the fourth and the third versus the second respectively on bowling economy.
Given how we often favour a bowling team over a batting team, LA could be considered value here. That is a tricky line to take given their history but there seems no justification for LA being outsiders here on the Exchange at 2.1411/10. Sportsbook have this as a choice affair and that is right.
The play-offs are back at Oakland Coliseum where the battle between bat and ball has been fair. In the eight games so far there have been four scores in first dig of more than 180 and four below 165. It's not particularly helpful that there's not a clear identity. remember that the winner goes to the final with the loser meeting MINY or Freedom.
Click here for MI New York v Washington Freedom odds
Thursday 16 July, 02:30
TV: Live on Sky Sports
MI New York v Washington Freedom MLC Tips
This is something of a grudge match as the two finalists from last season meet. It was a classic New York mafia script with MI franchise pulling off a heist against a Freedom side that had dominated the league season only to be caught napping at the crucial time.
MINY came from the play-offs to win it thanks to a late charge to fourth place. They have finished in the same spot again although three losses in their last five means they don't arrive with the same momentum. They will be perfectly comfortable in a knockout game, with the winner meeting the loser of LA-Unicorns.
Freedom, however, have not been the same side. By far the best team last term they had a real struggle at the start. Four wins in their last five, however, suggests they have clicked. They finished joint-third in terms of points.
Despite that, MI New York will reckon they have the edge. They are the most economical team in the competition. With an average run rate of 8.06 there is a massive gulf between them and Freedom, who sit bottom of that metric pile conceding a whopping 9.45.
The trade off, as is so often the case, is with the bat. Freedom are the fastest scorers. MINY are the slowest. As stated, we always favour a crack team in the field. Sportsbook disagree and they have Freedom 4/61.67 favourites. That's our edge, then, with MINY at 11/102.11.
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