There's a huge clash taking place in the Indain Premier League this week when the Kolkata Knight Riders host the Rajasthan Royals at Eden Gardens on Thursday. Both sides are on the brink of the top four, and with only two matches each remaining after this, it's a fixture neither franchise can afford to lose. Who will come through with the victory? Let's take a look with our latest cricket betting picks.
- What; 2023 Indian Premier League - Match 56
- Who; Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan
- Where; Eden Gardens, Kolkata, India
- When; Thursday, May 11th, 2023
- Time; 10 am ET
Both these teams sit outside of the top four positions, putting both outside of the playoffs. But a run of wins from their remaining three matches could see either side make it into the top four.
The best online cricket betting sites don't seem convinced though. As well as being outside the top four on the table, both are also currently outside the top four in the betting to win the competition. The Knight Riders are sixth in the betting at +1400, with the Royals fifth at +1000.
The current favorites are the Gujarat Titans. The defending champions are +200 to win the title for the second successive season.
Behind the Titans are the Chennai Super Kings at +275, with the Mumbai Indians now into +500 third favorites after a good run of form that has seen them winning three of their last four matches.
Making up the top four in the betting is the Lucknow Super Giants who are +900. Then it's the Royals and the Knight Riders.
Full betting on the 2023 IPL can be found below on our odds table. The odds are taken from all the best cricket betting sites. You can read more about these sites on our online sportsbook reviews page.
| 2023 IPL Winner Betting Odds |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gujarat Titans | +200 | +200 | +200 |
| Chennai Super Kings | +275 | +275 | +275 |
| Mumbai Indians | +500 | +500 | +500 |
| Lucknow Super Giants | +900 | +900 | +900 |
| Rajasthan Royals | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Royal Challengers Bangalore | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
| Punjab Kings | +2500 | +2500 | +2500 |
| Delhi Capitals | +6600 | +6600 | +6600 |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | +12500 | +12500 | +12500 |
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals Match Betting
In the latest cricket betting odds, the best online sportsbooks are struggling to split the two sides. BetOnline makes the Royals their slight favorites at -115. They have priced the Knight Riders up at -105.
In the betting to be the top batter, it’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Nitish Rana who both lead the way for Kolkata at odds of +375. Rana is the man in form having top scored with 51 in the win over the Punjab Kings in the Knight Riders’ last outing. Also in good form with the bat for KKR is Jason Roy. The Englishman is +400 to top score for Kolkata when the two sides meet.
As for Rajasthan, well they also have an Englishman in good form, and this one is leading the betting to be their top batter. Yes, that man Jos Buttler returned to form in the Royals last match, scoring 95 from just 59 balls in the Royals’ 4 wicket defeat at the hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad.
SMS finally witnessed a Jos the Boss™️ special! ❤️🔥🙏 pic.twitter.com/WVYzYfRl12
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) May 8, 2023
Jos Buttler is +260 to be the top run scorer for Rajasthan against KKR. Also in the running to top score is Yashasvi Jaiswal who is second in the betting at +275. Third favorite is skipper Sanju Samson at +333.
It’s hard to see past Jos Buttler at the moment though. The opening batter has had a barren run in recent matches. But to come back with what probably should have been a match-winning knock of 95 in his last match, shows just why Buttler is regarded as one of the best T20 batters in world cricket.
Our Pick to win the Match
The recent form shows that the Kolkata Knight Riders have won three of their last four and are on a bit of a late surge up the table. The form of Jason Roy has played a huge role in that run, with the 2019 World Cup winner getting the Knight Riders off to explosive starts with his power hitting at the top of the order.
Jason Roy in IPL 2023:
43(39).
61(26).
56(29).
20(19).
38(23).He's been amazing for KKR in this IPL. Exceptional, Roy! pic.twitter.com/n6KVnDkvvF
— Tanuj Singh (@ImTanujSingh) May 8, 2023
As well as Jason Roy, the Knight Riders have had consistent contributions from captain Nitish Rana. Who as well as scoring runs, has also led the team well in recent weeks. The three wins for Rana and KKR have come against the Punjab Kings (5 wickets), the Sunrisers (5 runs), and RCB (21 runs). The defeat was a 7 wicket loss to Gujarat.
As for the Royals, they have recently lost to the Sunrisers (4 wickets), Gujarat (9 wickets), Mumbai (6 wickets), and RCB (7 runs). The one win in that disappointing run was an impressive 32 victory over the Chennai Super Kings.
The problem we have here is that the Knight Riders look the in-form team, but the Royals are the better team. Rajasthan won’t keep on losing, and as well as having Jos Buttler back in form in their loss to the Sunrisers, there was also an impressive knock of 66 from Sanju Samson.
We feel that the Royals have had their bad run and are now looking like they are coming back to form. So we’re making Rajasthan our betting pick to beat the Kolkata Knight Riders when they meet on Thursday.
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