Cricket
Joburg Super Kings vs Sunrisers Eastern Cape: Odds, Tips and Prediction
Date: Sunday January 26
Kick Off Time: 11:30 local time
Venue: Johannesburg
We’re now into the business end of the competition, every match matters, and two of the best sides in the competition are in action here. Played at Johannesburg on January 26, our Joburg Super Kings v Sunrisers Eastern Cape preview will look at the latest team news, head-to-head numbers and cricket betting tips ahead of this one. If you wish to follow our tips, you just need to head to any of our recommended cricket betting sites to back those selections.
Aiden Markram//Getty Images
The Sunrisers have of course won both editions of this tournament to date but haven’t had it all their own way this season. Having lost their first three matches of the season, they then bounced back to win their next two (at the time of writing). So a recovery is on the cards but there’s still plenty of work to do if they’re to make the Playoffs, let alone win it again.
In contrast, the Super Kings have started strongly and look a well-organised side under the leadership of Faf du Plessis, so this is a mouth-watering contest. No wonder the Joburg Super Kings v Sunrisers Eastern Cape betting odds are so tight.
Pre-Game Odds and Win Probability
Joburg Super Kings: 5/4 (2.25) - 44%
Sunrisers Eastern Cape: 4/6 (1.67) - 60%
Forecast Odds – Betting available on Betway closer to event
Head-to-Head Record
| Date | Winner | Method of victory |
| January 21 2023 | Super Kings | 5 wickets |
| February 5 2023 | Super Kings | 24 runs |
| January 9 2023 | Sunrisers | 14 runs |
| January 10 2024 | Abandoned | |
| January 31 2024 | Super Kings | 9 wickets |
The Super Kings have had the upper hand so far with three wins from the five times they’ve played each other, with just one win for the Sunrisers and an abandoned match in there, too. And the Sunrisers certainly have their skipper Aiden Markram to thank for that sole win in January 2023, after his 100 off just 58 balls gave his team an imposing score of 213/5, which they defended.
Joburg Super Kings: Current Squad
- Faf Du Plessis
- Wihan Lubbe
- Evan Jones
- JP King
- Jonny Bairstow*
- Devon Conway*
- Leus Du Plooy*
- Moeen Ali*
- David Wiese*
- Donovan Ferreira
- Maheesh Theekshana*
- Doug Bracewell
- Gerald Coetzee
- Imran Tahir
- Sibonelo Makhanya
- Tabraiz Shamsi
- Beuran Hendricks
- Hardus Viljoen
Jonny Bairstow
Bairstow may have played his last game of international cricket, but he’s certainly not done at T20 franchise level and has an important role here as a keeper and Number 4 batsman, where he’s among the most powerful batsmen in the game.
David Wiese
Interestingly, the veteran has had more of an impact as a bowler than as a batsman so far this season, bowling plenty of overs and taking important wickets, adding real balance to the team. But his batting is there if they need it and sooner or later, he’ll have an impact with the bat, as well.
Imran Tahir
Tahir was left out for the first couple of matches, but the Super Kings management obviously realised his worth and brought him back. Since then, Tahir has carried on doing his thing by bowling aggressive lines with his leg spin and taking vital wickets.
Eastern Cape Sunrisers: Current Squad
- Aiden Markram
- Zak Crawley (England)
- Roelof van der Merwe (Netherlands)
- Liam Dawson (England)
- Ottneil Baartman
- Marco Jansen
- Beyers Swanepoel
- Caleb Seleka
- Tristan Stubbs
- Jordan Hermann
- Patrick Kruger
- Craig Overton (England)
- Tom Abell (England)
- Simon Harmer
- Andile Simelane
- David Bedingham
- Okuhle Cele
- Richard Gleeson
Marco Jansen
Jansen has often opened the bowling and taken wickets while not going for many, as well as adding quick, vital runs from Number 6 or 7, so pretty much all you could hope for from a genuine all-rounder.
Tristan Stubbs
The Sunrisers have often used him lower down the order than you’d expect this season and have come under criticism for that as many feel he should be facing more deliveries. But he’s gone about his work with minimum of fuss and may save his best for the biggest occasion, when it comes along, with a match-winning knock that’s a testament to his class.
Ottneil Baartman
Another player who has been somewhat underused by the Sunrisers, who haven’t always given him his four overs to bowl. But they should, because he’s one of the most prolific wicket-takers in the competition. Remember to check out his Sunrisers' top bowler odds at the best betting sites for cricket each time he plays.
Top Batsman for both teams
Leus du Plooy to be Super Kings Top Batsman
Du Plessis, Bairstow and Conway are far bigger names than the uncapped Du Plooy but so far, he’s been just about the best of them with some wonderful timing and shot selection, so he often represents better value at reliable bookmakers for betting than the star names mentioned.
Aiden Markram to be Sunrisers Eastern Cape Top Batsman
The skipper is a class act anyway but has been in good form so far this season and as we know, has already one century to his name against Joburg.
Predicted Line-Ups
Joburg Super Kings Predicted Line-up: Conway, du Plessis, Du Plooy, Bairstow, Ali, Ferreira, Wiese, Makhanya, Viljoen, Tahir, Shamsi.
Sunrisers Eastern Cape Predicted Line-Up: Bedingham, Crawley, Abell, Hermann, Markram, Stubbs, Jansen, Dawson, Harmer, Gleeson, Baartman.
Suggested Bets
Time to move on to some cricket betting insights as to who can be some of the star performers in this match. Remember that one of the most important cricket betting strategies is to always secure the highest odds possible, so it’s always a good idea to have accounts at several best betting sites for cricket, so you can do just that.
Imran Tahir to be MI Cape Town Top Bowler: The veteran has lost none of his energy or desire, not to mention his ability to attack those stumps with almost every delivery, so if it’s a top bowler bet you want, he’ll certainly give you a good run for your money.
Marco Jansen to be Sunrisers Top Bowler: Jansen’s huge height allows him to generate extra bounce, which is one of the reasons why he has batsmen in trouble so often and why he takes so many wickets. This is the sort of pitch that may well be right up his street.
Value Bets
Remember that when playing at the best cricket betting sportsbooks, there are lots of other markets beyond just match winner and innings runs. Here are a couple to consider.
Marco Jansen to be Player of the Match: Jansen has already featured as a top bowler bet but he might go one better than that here and be Player of the Match at a far bigger price, especially if he’s also allowed to make a significant contribution with the bat.
Donovan Ferreira to be Player of the Match: Ferreira is in some ways the Super Kings’ answer to Jansen as a player who can take wickets, stem the flow of runs and occasionally make some match-winning contributions with the bat, so he could be in the mix if Joburg wins the match.
Prediction: Super Kings to Win
The Super Kings have an excellent head-to-head record in this fixture with three wins, just one defeat and a no-result against the Sunrisers so they clearly had the upper hand over these three seasons. Crucially, the Sunrisers have made some odd tactical decisions by not bowling their best blowers enough and batting many of their top batsmen so far, including both Markram and Stubbs, too low down the order. These are just the sorts of mistakes that could cost them.
For fans exploring sports betting in South Africa, this is exactly the kind of matchup to analyze closely,
James has been writing about cricket, football and tennis betting for the best part of 20 years for some of the biggest operators, websites and publications in the industry.
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