Brisbane Heat vs Hobart Hurricanes Betting Tips 08/01/2022

January 8, 2022 1:40 am

Zohaib Ahmed, Senior Author

The 41^st fixture of the Big Bash League 2021-22 sees Brisbane Heat take on Hobart Hurricanes at Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba on Jan 8 (Saturday). The match is to begin at 3 pm IST.

Teams Status

Brisbane Heat

If you compare the current Brisbane Heat side with the one that finished 2021, they’d be unrecognizable. Having lost a dozen players to Covid, the Heat have done a remarkable job in practically rebuilding a new squad mid-tournament but the downside is that the overall talent on their books has plummeted, even if the show is going on.

The Heat’s new look eleven got its first exposure in the last game against Melbourne Renegades, who themselves are no world beaters but still made the Heat look ordinary.

The lineup was chock full of debutants and players whom no one had heard before, and if it wasn’t for Jake Lehmann’s 65, the entire team would have made a lot less than the 128 they managed.

The Covid-hit regulars are still unavailable as their seven-day mandatory period of isolation isn’t complete yet and even then they’d have to clear a bunch of tests before they’re allowed back in. Until then, it’s going to be tough for Brisbane.

Hobart Hurricanes

Hobart Hurricanes has a simple formula: they win if their openers work and lose if they don’t. Their front two of Matthew Wade and Ben McDermott have been quiet of late and so they have lost two on the bounce.

Wade’s form, in particular, must be giving minor migraines to Hobart management as he has scored eight runs in total in his last four innings.

They were always a little light in the bowling department so if their hard-hitting batters don’t get enough runs on the board, they always appear in a bit of trouble.

The last time Hobart faced Brisbane, the lost, which was on New Year’s Day, although Brisbane now and then are completely different sides. Brisbane’s Xavier Bartlett and Mujeeb ur Rehman wreaked havoc in that game. Bartlett isn’t available, which is another edge to Hobart.

What Do the Sportsbooks Say?

Brand	Brisbane Heat	Hobart Hurricanes
	3.80	1.24
	3.72	1.302
	3.80	1.27

Hobart are massive favourites for this Big Bash League fixture. Parimatch has Hobart priced at 1.24 and Brisbane at 3.80. Paripesa has Hobart available for 1.302 and Brisbane for 3.72. Lastly, Sportsbet has Hobart priced at 1.27 and Brisbane at 3.80.

Tipster’s Angle

Tip: Highest Opening Partnership – Hobart Hurricanes @ 1.668

This is the easiest and possibly the best bet available on the entire board. Granted that Wade’s form has been extremely poor of late but he and McDermott still pack far more talent than whichever little-known combo would open for Brisbane. The odds on this one are still good because the Wade-McDermott partnership has only produced 6 and 1 runs in their last two game and Brisbane’s Lehmann and Jack Clayton, despite all their team’s problems, produced 36 runs for the opening wicket. Pound for pound though, the Hurricanes duo is on another level. The odds have been sourced from 22Bet.

Tip: Top Batsman Brisbane Heat – Fakhar Zaman @ 3.74

Fakhar Zaman struggles against spin so it was not surprising to us that he looked awkward in an eight-ball three-run innings in his first game of the tournament before falling to Afghan spinner Zahir Khan. Fortunately for him, Hobart do not have a quality spinner and their specialist bowlers are almost all pacers. The Pakistan leftie is much better against pace, which is why we think he can top score for his side in this game. The odds have been sourced from Parimatch.

Conclusion

It’s a mismatch on paper with one team at almost full strength and the other a shadow of its former self. Shorts odds on Hobart keep us from backing them but if there was even a bit of parity – odds-wise – they’d have been our recommended pick.

Zohaib Ahmed

01:40, 8 Jan 2022

Senior Author

Zohaib Ahmed

Senior Author

01:40, 8 Jan 2022

Zohaib Ahmed is a sports journalist whose profession is to report and edit but whose passion is to predict and bet. He’s been in the industry for more than a decade and has worked/written for various bookmakers/tipsters. His expertise is in cricket, football, MMA, boxing and basketball.