Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians Betting Tips 23/04/2021

19:59, 22 Apr 2021

Senior Author

19:59, 22 Apr 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 17th fixture of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 sees Punjab Kings take on Mumbai Indians at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk, Chennai. The match will take place on April 23 (Friday) at 7:30pm IST.

Teams Status

Punjab Kings started their IPL 2021 campaign with a win but since then have lost three straight and currently dwell the bottom of the points table. It’s not possible to blame any one facet of their game. In two of their four matches, their batting has failed completely, giving their bowlers very little to work with and defend. On the other two occasions, the batsmen did their part, only for the bowlers to have off nights.

In their last match, they were bundled out for just 120 runs by Sunrisers Hyderabad and ended up losing the match by nine wickets.

Captain KL Rahul was out early, and whenever that happens, the rest of the Punjab batting just collapses. The same happened in that game. While top order’s contribution is crucial for any team, what should worry more for Punjab are the continued failures of their middle to lower order. It appears that if their top four don’t produce, the remaining seven of their batsmen won’t even put up a fight.

Mumbai Kings’ batting has not warmed up yet and it was again evident in their defeat to Delhi Capitals during the midweek. Rohit Sharma and several others got starts but were not capable of converting into something substantial.

A score of 137 was never going to be enough and it wasn’t. Mumbai now have two wins and two defeats in as many matches and should now be keen to get serious.

They still have Rohit Sharma at the top and have won too much to not be too worried by their early season slump.

What Do the Sportsbooks Say?

Brand	Home team name	Away team name
	2.50	1.53
	2.50	1.53
	2.48	1.53

Mumbai Indians can be backed at odds of 1.53 on all three of LeoVegas, Bet365 and 22Bet. The underdogs Punjab are priced at 2.5 by Bet365 and 22Bet but LeoVegas has slightly shorter odds for them at 2.48.

Tipster’s Angel

Tip: Total Runs Over 308.5

Both these teams’ main problem so far this season has been their batting. While Punjab batsmen, along with their spectacular failures, have also had their moments, including the mammoth 221 runs in their only win, Mumbai Kings’ batters have been consistently subpar.

It is fair to assume that whichever side bats first will be desperate to put together a sizable score, which should at least be 180 runs. If that happens, the over 308.5 barrier should easily be broken.

Lokesh Rahul to score 50 runs – Yes @ 3.2

It appears as if Punjab Kings’ production is tied up with what kind of day their captain Lokesh Rahul has. The two times he has scored half centuries on, his side has amassed big totals and when he’s failed, the team’s failed. Furthermore, he has alternated this pattern, which means that since he failed in the last game, it is his turn to step up and be among runs. Admittedly, this particular play is more superstition/trend than logic but hey, all is well that works.

Conclusion

Mumbai are definitely the stronger side, even if they have not made it count yet. If all goes to plan, the two-time defending champions should be collecting two points at the end of the night.