Chennai Super Kings v Royal Challengers Bengaluru IPL tips: CSK can spin their way past RCB

IPL Friday Superboost

Betfair are offering punters a brilliant superboost for Chennai Super Kings v Royal Challengers Bengaluru focusing in on two strong batsmen in Virat Kohli and Phil Salt.

Both players hit 18 boundaries between them in their opening game against KKR, so the chance to back the pair to hit 10 between them at 11/102.11 boosted from 10/111.91 in Friday's game is one to take a look at.

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Chennai Super Kings v Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Friday 27 March, 14:00
TV: live on Sky Sports

Chennai Super Kings v Royal Challengers Bengaluru IPL team news

Chennai Super Kings completed a rudimentary opening win over Mumbai Indians on a spinning Chepauk surface. Their strategy is clear and simple - win your home games and pick up a couple of successes away from home to make the play-offs.

Whether they pick the same XI remains to be seen. Ravi Ashwin could be vulnerable as Chennai will surely want another spinner alongside Ravi Jadeja who can move the ball away from the right-hand heavy RCB top order. Shreyas Gopal could come into the reckoning or Rachin Ravindra will bowl. 

A selection surprise is very much in their locker. There was no Matheesha Pathirana versus Mumbai or Devon Conway. Sam Curran may lose his place to the former in time and Ruturaj Gaikwad is now batting at No 3. 

Possible CSK XI: Ravindra, Tripathi (sub for Khaleel), Gaikwad, Dube, Hooda, Curran, Jadeja, Dhoni, Ashwin/Gopal, Noor Ahamad, Ellis

RCB's bandwagon is in motion after beating KKR in their first match. It wasn't a particularly convincing performance, however. At times their bowling, bar Josh Hazlewood, was all over the shop. Keeping Hazlewood fit is their best chance of a play-off. 

Bhuv Kumar missed the KKR game but is expected to be fit. He could come in for Rasikh Salam or Yash Dayal. There has been criticism of RCB that they lack spin options. Mohit Rathee, a legspinner, may come under consideration.

Possible RCB XI: Kohli, Salt, Paddikal (sub for Suyash), Patidar, Livingstone, Jitesh, David, Krunal, Rasikh/Kumar, Hazlewood, Dayal

Chennai Super Kings v Royal Challengers Bengaluru IPL pitch report

Mumbai's 155 in the first-innings at the Chepauk was the sort of score we would expect late season. It is a surface that tires quickly after limited traffic. But that time isn't just as yet. Wickets here have been shown to be good for the first two matches and you have to go back a long way when at least 170 has not been notched in one of the first two games. The overs line is set at 185.5. By filtering the first two matches only, that has won five in the last nine. 

Chennai Super Kings v Royal Challengers Bengaluru IPL match prediction

Chennai are 1.804/5 with RCB 2.206/5. Just as against Mumbai, that looks a decent price about a team which has a win percentage of 69 in the last four years at the Cheapuk. If you want an extra security blanket, five of their last six wins have come batting second.

We could be wrong but in time RCB's success over Kolkata could be an example of flattering to deceive. They were chaotic in the field and at time times in the first ten overs they couldn't land it on the strip.

Throw in a top six which is all right-handers and they are surely vulnerable against the canniest spin attack in the tournament (not to mention a brains trust which is outsmarted by no-one) on an often helpful surface. 

Chennai Super Kings v Royal Challengers Bengaluru IPL special bets

Hazlewood looked in superb rhythm in the match against KKR. His four overs cost just 22 runs and he picked up two wickets. He looked so menacing that RCB's main job will be to keep him off the treatement table. In a format where an outstanding bowler can take you a long way, Hazlewood covers a multidue of RCB sins. There will be a clamour to bet him here.

The best way is the 11/82.38 that Hazlewood breaches 20.5 performance points. With 20 points per wicket, 10 for a catch and 1 for a run, let's not beat around the bush. It's a price for him to take two wickets. It would be a major bonus if he took a catch or scored a run. 

In franchise cricket since 2021, Hazlewood would have won that bet 52% of the time. In IPl it's a hit rate of 46%. Sportsbook's implied probability is 42%.

Chennai Super Kings v Royal Challengers Bengaluru IPL player bets

Another bowler bet to snaffle is the 9/25.50 that Jadeja takes most wickets for Chennai. We like his ability to spin the ball past the bat of the RCB top order. The 9/25.50 offered by Sportsbook is also value on win rate. He wins just shy of 20%, which is a 4/15.00 chance. Virat Kohli, now winning at 43%, is 9/52.80 for back-to-back wins on top RCB bat. Gaikwad would have been a wager here but we don't like a short price of 21/103.10 cosndeirng his strong win rate is largely built on opening. 

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