Ashes 3rd Test Predictions – England v Australia betting preview

South Africa v England 3rd Test betting predictions, tips & match preview

ENGLAND might be trailing 1-0 in the Ashes, but they will start heavy favourites to win the third Test against Australia, due to begin at Headingley on Thursday.

While the second Test was ultimately a draw after rain spoilt any chance of a result, the ramifications of the Lord’s contest can still be felt reverberating throughout Australia.

The moment that could shape the Ashes was when debutant Jofra Archer (a proven World Gambling List money-maker) cleaned up Australian talisman Steve Smith with a bouncer which has ruled him out of the third Test with concussion.

Also read: How to bet on cricket

The former Australian captain had been scintillating in the first three innings of the second stage of his career, following his year-long ban for his part in the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa. Smith had posted dual centuries at Edgbaston and looked set for a third successive ton at Lord’s before disaster struck.

Archer, evoking memories of past England pacemen such as Harold Larwood, who was one of Donald Bradman’s tormentors in the famous Bodyline series, now appears to have a mental grip over the Australian line-up with no batsman looking comfortable against his searing pace and vicious bounce.

Even Smith’s eventual replacement, Marnus Labuschagne, who became the first concussion sub ever in the Aussies’ second innings, was struck second ball, before making a gutsy half-century and saving the game for his team. The classy right-hander and part-time leg-spinner is now in the box seat to replace Smith for the Headingley Test.

Australia are also weighing up whether to include gritty Victorian opener Marcus Harris, most likely at the expense of Cameron Bancroft, who despite facing plenty of balls has not looked capable of scoring. His opening partner David Warner is also yet to reach double figures in four innings, a factor which has the Aussies searching for answers.

England look likely to enter the clash unchanged after the successful introduction of Archer and spinner Jack Leach into the Test line-up, despite the struggles of opener Jason Roy, who is yet to fire a shot against the talented Aussie bowling line-up.

Ashes Third Test Odds – England v Australia

England have been priced $1.66 favourites to topple the Australians ($3.15) and level the Ashes 1-1 after three games, with the draw paying $7.60.

Smith’s clouded future and the menace of Archer have also seen the odds slashed for an England victory in the series, with the home team priced at $2.63. Australia are narrow favouritse with the odds of a series victory being $2.25, while the drawn series option, which would mean Australia retain the famous Ashes urn, is paying $3.75.

Ashes 3rd Test best bets

As always the cricket boffins at the World Gambling List have studied the form and come up with our best bets and predictions in the lead-up to the match. If you need somewhere to place a bet, read our guide to the best cricket betting sites.

Travis Head to top-score in Australian 1st innings

Australian No.5 Travis Head has looked comfortable in this Ashes series and sits only behind Smith for his output. Remarkably Head is paying $8.50 to top-score in the 1st innings for Australia – which is just too good a price for us to pass up, given Smith will be watching from the stands. Keep an eye on the selections though, because we really fancy Harris as a Test batsman, with his grit and technique looking perfectly suited to English conditions.

Jofra Archer for man of the match

Archer was clearly the player who made the difference in the second Test, and not just because he cleaned up Smith. The Australians just did not look comfortable against him, with the woes of the Aussies openers not helping matters. He is paying $6.50 for man of the match, which are some juicy odds given what we saw at Lord’s. Make sure you check out the conditions, before placing any bets, with the Headingley wicket traditionally suiting seam bowlers, especially if there is cloud about. All-rounder Ben Stokes, who made a century at Lord’s in the second innings, could also prove to be a value bet, especially if the pitch looks likely to seam around.

Ashes 3rd Test Prediction

While Archer has stolen the headlines for England it’s easy to forget the woes surrounding their own batting line-up, including skipper Joe Root, who has struggled against the Australian bowling line-up. While we are predicting England will level the series 1-1 we don’t think it is a foregone conclusion with the $1.66 odds of an England win too short for our tastes. We think there is some value to be found in the betting on the player markets in this one, with our hard-earned set to be plonked on Head and Archer as mentioned in our best bets above.

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