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Royals should be clear favourites
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Buttler a bet at 11/5
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Warner getting it wrong
Rajasthan Royals v Delhi Capitals
Saturday 8 April, 11:00
TV: Live on Sky Sports
Team news
Roylas have a win and a loss so far. They would have been disappointed to go down to Punjab last time out.
They lost by five runs and were guilty of trying to be too smart by opening with Ravi Ashwin. Ashwin's four-ball duck probably cost them. Had Buttler faced those four would he have scored the five?
Buttler could miss out here after cutting a finger. If so, his spot could go to Joe Root.
Probable XI: Jaiswal, Buttler, Samson, Padikal, Hetmyer, Ashwin, Holder, Boult, Asif, Chahal
Delhi have lost twice and are struggling in the absence of Rishabh Pant. David Warner's captaincy against Gujarat last time left a lot to be desired. Apparently Axar Patel isn't deemed worthy of a bowl on a wicket which saw Rashid Khan take three wickets.
Possible XI: Warner, Shaw, M March, Rossouw, Sarfaraz, Porel, Axar, Hakim, Kuldeep, Nortje
Pitch report
Just the one game at the ACA Stadium in Barsapara. It looked pretty decent for batting with Punjab posting 197.
India made 237 against South Africa there last year. We need a chunk of matches, though, to form a definitive opinion on the surface before betting. The par line to go over looks likely to go off in the low 180s. We'd rather be on Royals to bust that than Delhi.
How to play
Royals are 2.01/1 outsiders with Delhi 1.9720/21. Answers on a postcard as to why last year's runners-up are outsiders against a team which is struggling to get going please. Maybe the market has already decided to rule out Buttler.
Maybe there is something others know that we don't but man for man Royals really should mop up Delhi here. We would be surprised if Royals go off as big again against a mid-ranking outfit.
Tops value
Warner has won top bat twice for Delhi with two painfully slow efforts. It appears he's batting for himself again. With Warner, Rilee Rossouw, Mitchell Marsh and Prithvi Shaw all boasting high win rates, this could be a market to swerve.
Buttler, with an even-money record before the tournament began, has been boosted to 11/5 and we're going to have to snaffle that.