IPL 2021, Match 01, April 9th MI vs RCB, betting tips and prediction for match winner, top batsman, top bowler, most fours, most sixes, highest runs in the powerplay. Analysis of pre-match and live in-play betting markets for the IPL fixture between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore. Free bets and offers MI vs RCB
The below analysis looks to establish value in the odds on offer for the match between MI vs RCB IPL 2021. In order to be a successful at betting on cricket games proper bank roll management is essential and an understanding of the various betting markets a must.
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Winner MI vs RCB betting tips and predictions
Picking a winner from the opening game without any prior form is always a tough call. One thing we do know is that Mumbai Indians are notoriously slow starters to IPL tournaments and indeed they have worse win % from opening games in the IPL (30.8%) than any of the other 7 franchises competing this year.
At the same time, on a player by player basis Mumbai Indians do have a large portion of their squad coming into this game off the back of success with their various international teams and that can only be an advantage.
Both sides will be without left-handed openers in the form of Quinton de Kock who is finishing off with South Africa and Devdutt Paddikal who is recovering from Covid-19. Mumbai are likely to bring in Chris Lynn as a straight swap which already shows the kind of depth they are blessed with, while RCB have a tough call to make in regards who opens with Kohli.
The big question for me before betting on the winner of this game would be how will the pitch play? Back in the earlier days of the IPL, the pitches at Chennai regularly threw up high scoring contests but over the last couple of tournaments staged in India (IPL 2018 & 2019) the Super Kings produced slow turning wickets that had many sides struggling for runs.
In IPL 2019, no team scored 180+ in an innings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium (worth noting if you are betting on the total innings runs markets) and CSK dominated all comers with the exception of eventual champions that year, the Mumbai Indians who beat CSK in both fixtures that they played them at this venue.
That being the case and given that MI have retained the core group of players who won 2 games here in 2019, if the pitch does look likely to be slow and/or turning then odds of around @1.65 for MI to win this game look very good indeed!
Top batsman MI betting tips and predictions MI vs RCB
It’s a shame that de Kock is unavailble because his poor record at this venue would have made him good value to lay money against him being the top scorer for Mumbai Indians and you’d image you’d get a decent price for that.
For me the risk of betting on any one MI batsman isn’t so much their form but more in the fact that MI have such strength throughout their line-up. As such dutching your bets across several of the batsmen might be the lower risk, lower reward way to go. MI’s top 4 batsmen were top scorers in 14 out their 16 matches in IPL 2020 and of course they will be without de Kock for this fixture.
| Batsman | Odds to be MI top scorer | % of total Stake |
| Rohit Sharma | 3.75 | 37.21% |
| Ishan Kishan | 4.0 | 34.88% |
| Suryakumar Yadav | 5.0 | 27.91% |
As such a bet of 10 units spread across these 3 batsmen using the % of total stake column would deliver a profit of 3.95 units.
Top batsman RCB betting tips and predictions MI vs RCB
RCB are going to be reliant on Virat Kohli to do most of the run scoring this year and you can bet that he will be very keen to prove any of the doubters wrong in regards his ability to open the batting. With Paddikal unavailable and RCB’s overseas stars AB de Villiers and Glenn Maxwell having had very little preparation in the run-up to the tournament as they come out of quarantine then backing Kohli to be top run scorer in the MI vs RCB fixture at odds of 3.25 looks like good value.
Indeed, AB de Villiers might well be worth laying against. The South African great had a steady season in 2020 but has not played competitive cricket since. He finished as his side’s top run scoring in an innings on 4 out 15 occasions last season. I’ve laid a bet against him at odds of 1.4 on the Betfair Exchange to see if anyone bites.
Top bowler Mumbai Indians betting tips and predictions
As noted in our head to head analysis, Krunal Pandya has an excellent record at this venue and against several of the RCB batsmen. The fact that RCB are also without a key left-handed batsman in Paddikal makes the threat of Krunal Pandya all the greater and a small stake on him at odds of 6.0 looks like good value especially if the pitch is dry (see above).
Again, there is a good dutching opportunity to back either Jasprit Bumrah or Trent Boult to be the top bowler for MI in this match. The pair were irresitable during last year’s IPL taking wickets in the powerplay and again at the death. 1 of the 2 was top bowler in 11 out of MI’s 16 matches last season so the below looks a very good offer
| Bowler | Odds to be MI top scorer | % of total Stake |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 3 | 53.85% |
| Trent Boult | 3.5 | 46.15% |
Most runs in the powerplay betting tips and predictions MI vs RCB
Our head to head stats show that Mumbai Indians have more fire power in the powerplay phase of the game and you can pick up a bet on them to score more runs in the first 6 overs at odds of 1.8.
Our in depth analysis of Kohli as an opener showed that he is not a particularly potent striker during the powerplay. RCB do have the option to go with the harder hitting Finn Allen but it would mean sacrificing one of their overseas spots that look likely to go to all-rounders or if it’s a turning pitch Adam Zampa.
Live and in play betting tips MI vs RCB
Our head to head preview of MI vs RCB in IPL 2021 provides a lot useful information for those that are looking to bet live or in-play during the match.
I would expect Washington Sundar to bowl at least one over in the powerplay (possibly the first over of the innings) and his record vs Rohit Sharma and Chris Lynn’s struggles against spin in general will mean we are likely to see a below average number of runs from that over.
Other key match-ups will involve Krunal Pandya vs AB de Villiers, again a head to head record that is very much in favour of the bowler. On the flip side, de Villiers has targeted Trent Boult and Hardik Pandya in previous meetings so above average runs can be expected from overs involving any of those 3.
