Royal Challengers Bangalore v Chennai Super Kings IPL Tips: RCB must win and win well

• Bangalore value in-play

• Net run rate crucial

• Kohli 12/5 for top bat and 13/2 for MoM

• Read about Ed's Betfair Exchange strategy below

Royal Challengers Bangalore v Chennai Super Kings
Saturday 18 May, 15:00
TV: Live on Sky Sports

Royal Challengers Bangalore v Chennai Super Kings team news

Glenn Maxwell is set to come back into the team for Will Jacks, who has returned to England. Reece Topley went with him although he has not been involved for a while.

Possible XI: Du Plessis, Kohli, Maxwell, Patidar/Swapnil (subs), Lomror, Green, Karthik, Dayal, Karn, Siraj, Ferguson

Ajinkya Rahane's dreadful form surely means Daryl Mitchell bats at No 3, particularly as they lack the experience of Moeen Ali who has left. This is a different CSK bowling line-up with both Mustafizur Rahman and Matheesha Pathiarana out.

Possible XI: Ravindra, Gaikwad, Mitchell, Dube, Jadeja, Rizvi/Simarjeet, Dhoni, Santner, Shardul, Theekshana, Deshpande

Royal Challengers Bangalore v Chennai Super Kings pitch report

The Chinnaswamy was road-like for Sunrisers' 287. But it's an outlier in the context of other innings. The other first-innings scores read ( most recent first): 187-147-181-182-176. The market is wise to it as far as the par line is concerned at under 193.5. Chennai's bowling economy is 8.6 but we are aware that stats are misleading because of change in players.

Royal Challengers Bangalore v Chennai Super Kings match prediction

Bangalore are 1.9210/11 for a sixth-straight win. But even two points may not be enough to usurp Chennai for a play-off spot.

RCB have to win and win by a certain margin. If there is a first-innings score of of 200, they need to win by 18 runs or chase the target down with 11 balls to spare or more.

One wonders whether playing two games in one will fry the Bangalore brains trust. They've not been the brightest. And up against the smartest of the lot, they will find this a tough test.

Still, they have revolutionised their approach and are now scoring faster at the death and in the middle overs than anyone. While they are confident and each player knows his role, Chennai are muddling through.

There is rain forecast and a completed match is 2.407/5. It could be tight and that could well trade at odds-on. But drainage at this ground is good.

Royal Challengers Bangalore v Chennai Super Kings Exchange strategy

The toss will be key given the net run rate permutations. Both sides will surely be desperate to bat first.

The Chinaswammy is well-known for being a road and we would expect a shortening in the odds for the team able to post a score.

Do bear in mind that Bangalore have revolutionised their approach with the bat on their winning run and have now got the best strike in the middle overs and at the death. With that in mind, a drift to odds-against early doors makes them a bet.

Royal Challengers Bangalore v Chennai Super Kings player bets

Virat Kohli has been boosted to 12/53.40 for top RCB bat. The importance of getting a win could lead Kohli to overvalue his wicket which is no bad thing for this bet. He is 13/27.50 for man of the match.

For Chennai, Ruturak Gaikwad has been supremely reliable and it's a welcome return to the opening slot. He has been boosted to 13/53.60.

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