Quetta Gladiators vs Peshawar Zalmi Betting Tips 12/06/2021

13:13, 12 Jun 2021

Senior Author

13:13, 12 Jun 2021

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.

The 19th fixture of the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2021 sees 2019 champions Quetta Gladiators take on 2017 winners Peshawar Zalmi at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on June 12 (Saturday). The match is scheduled to begin at 9:30pm IST.

Teams Status

Quetta Gladiators

Title defences are not for everyone, and it certainly took a toll on Quetta Gladiators, who, after winning the PSL in 2019, have seen an alarming slump in their form. In the follow-up campaign in 2020, they were a shell of their former self, finishing second to bottom and missing out on the playoffs.

They began the 2021 campaign where they left the previous one and managed to win just one of their first five matches before Covid-19 breached the so-called biosecure bubble back in March and sent the league on a hiatus. On the evidence of their latest match, which was played last night, it is clear that their fortunes have not changed at all.

The Gladiators were brushed aside in a 10-wicket defeat by Islamabad, who dominated in all three facets of the game, first restricting Quetta to just 133 all-out and then reaching the target without losing a single wicket.

Quetta are now bottom of the points table and need a miracle to somehow claw their way back into the tournament. Right now they are on the edge but defeat tonight against Zalmi would most likely also close on them the slightly ajar mathematical door to stay alive.

Peshawar Zalmi

Peshawar have played one game so far in the Abu Dhabi leg – a match they lost to Lahore by 10 runs. Their defeat was masterminded by Lahore’s Rashid Khan, whose five-wicket haul, in the words of Shoaib Malik, “broke our back”.

But there is no shame in letting yourself be fooled by the Afghan trickster. Rashid does that to almost everybody he hurls the ball at. Zalmi’s actual test will begin tonight.

What should concern them though is that their bowling unit allowed Lahore to recover from 25-4 to 170-8, and then saw most of their batting unit collapse, with the exception of Shoaib Malik.

Still, no assumptions can be made on the basis of just one game. Zalmi still are fourth on the points table and could soar to second tonight if things go their way.

What do the Sportsbook Say

Brand	Quetta Gladiators	Peshawar Zalmi
	2.00	1.80
	2.005	1.805
	1.85	1.80

Peshawar Zalmi are the favourites in this matchup. They are priced at 1.805 on 22Bet, 1.80 on Bet365 and 1.61 on 888. Meanwhile, Quetta are available at 2.005 on 22Bet, 2.0 on Bet365 and 1.85 on 888, while a draw with the same books has astronomical odds of 28.0.

Tipster’s Angel

Tip: Peshawar to win @ 1.80

Of Quetta’s top five batsmen, only Faf du Plessis can be considered a reliable, experienced run getter. The other four are Usman Khan, uncapped Aussie Jake Weatherald, captain Sarfaraz Ahmed and hard-hitting but young Azam Khan. On the other hand, Peshawar open with Kamran Akmal and Haider Ali before Shoaib Malik and David Miller further bolster their ranks. Quetta have a slight edge with the ball but what they lose in batting they do not necessarily win that back. Thus, a Peshawar victory seems more likely.

Tip: Faf du Plessis Will Score (50) Runs – Yes @ 3.5

As great a batsman as he has, Faf du Plessis has never quite lived up to his potential against Pakistan or Pakistani bowlers – be it international or in T20 cricket. He was bowled out for five off eight runs in Quetta’s win over Islamabad yesterday. He is due a reputation saving innings, and our gut feel tells us that he might deliver that tonight.

Conclusion

Quetta and Peshawar have always had close matches. In fact, they split their 17 matches 8-8, with one ending in a no-result. Here, though, edge lies with Peshawar due to Quetta’s woeful form.