Mumbai Indians bowling against strong Bangalore batting
Mumbai Indians did not have the greatest of starts to the IPL season with them losing to Chennai Super Kings in their first clash but they came back strong against Kolkata Knight Riders to notch up a fine win. On the other hand, Royal Challengers Bangalore started off with an impressive win over Sunrisers Hyderabad but was exposed badly by Kings XI Punjab in the next game.
Both teams are strong in the batting department but Royal Challengers Bangalore slightly edge Mumbai on batting prowess alone. As a unit, though, Mumbai are well-rounded and have one of the strongest teams in the competition. Their odds of beating Royal Challengers Bangalore are a pretty good 1.64.
Bangalore, on the other hand, was once again exposed by Punjab with their questionable bowling attack posing several queries. If they do manage to bring back Moeen Ali and Chris Morris into the setup, RCB could be stronger. But their odds of beating MI aren’t that good and stand at 2.15
Mumbai have double the number of wins compared to losses against Bangalore
The overall head to head record between these teams is heavily skewed in favour of Mumbai Indians. The Rohit Sharma-led outfit has 18 wins in 27 matches while Royal Challengers Bangalore have just nine wins. The head to head contests haven’t totally been one-sided, though as that numbers might suggest.
RECOMMENDED BET: MI are as good as they can get when it comes to fighting batting teams and their odds stand at 1.64 in beating RCB
Since 2016, Mumbai Indians have won seven of their eight games against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL. That’s a pretty hefty record to tackle and the odds are stacked against Bangalore in pulling one over Mumbai Indians.
Keep an eye on…
Mumbai pacers: Led by Jasprit Bumrah, Mumbai Indians have a sound bowling attack, especially in the pace department. With Trent Boult adding left-arm variations and a new dimension to the bowling, Mumbai are as sharp as they have ever been. The pace attack will be a tough one for RCB to counter.
Kohli and AB: The duo literally carry Royal Challengers Bangalore’s hopes each season and this year is no different. How they shape up against the Mumbai seamers could well determine this contest. The onus of beating Mumbai will be primarily on these two.
TIPS: The Mumbai openers, Quinton de Kock and Rohit Sharma, are stable and form a good pair. Their odds of having a better opening stand against the RCB duo stand at 1.86
