Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Sixers Preview & Prediction | BBL|14 | League Stage
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After only recording one point from their last two games, Sydney Sixers are looking to get back to winning ways here, but face a Melbourne Stars side coming off the back of consecutive victories.
Date & time: Thursday January 9th 2025: USA PT – 12:15am / USA ET – 3:15am / UK – 8:15am
Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia
Weather: Temperatures could be as high as 30c come the start of play, meaning extremely hot conditions for players whilst the sun remains out.
How to watch: USA – Willow TV / UK – Sky Sports & Sky Go / Australia – Seven Network, Foxtel & Kayo Sports
How to get tickets for BBL|14: Click here for the latest ticket information for Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Sixers
Melbourne Stars Preview: Turnaround in form
Melbourne Stars have looked a totally different team so far in the second half of the league stage, winning their sixth and seventh games to keep alive their slim hopes of making the play-offs. Both victories were by the same margin, five wickets against Brisbane Heat and Melbourne Renegades respectively.
However, this game represents by far the Stars’ biggest challenge since getting their first points of the season, especially when the reverse fixture saw the Sixers comfortably take them down by eight wickets at the SCG.
Sydney Sixers Preview: Key not to drop standards
Don’t be fooled by Sydney Sixers’ recent lack of points, this isn’t due to them dramatically flatlining. After falling to a first defeat of the season at the hands of Hobart Hurricanes, their game Brisbane Heat was abandoned due to rain without a ball being bowled. Having said that, they could do with getting back into the win column sooner rather than later.
Despite the Border-Gavaskar trophy series being over, Steve Smith will not join up with the Sixers just yet, the Australia star is yet to make his first BBL 14 appearance against Perth Scorchers at the weekend.
Melbourne Stars Betting Analysis
It’s a dangerous game when making a play on Ben Duckett when considering the ‘feast or famine’ nature of his spell so far with the Stars, but when it comes off for him, he normally cashes out. Whilst Duckett has been dismissed for 0 twice, his other three innings have seen him rack up scores of at least 50 and in just five knocks, Duckett has already compiled 202 runs. With that in mind, a stake on Duckett to reach a half-century here could prove lucrative.
Sydney Sixers Betting Analysis
In a game like this against an in-form opponent, Sydney Sixers need their best bowlers firing and the reliability of Sean Abbott will be crucial for them. So often a match-winner for the Sixers, taking crucial wickets when his side need them, it would be no surprise if Abbott had a big role to play in this particular showdown. Consider a move on him to take over 1.5 match wickets.
Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Sixers Expert Prediction
Sydney Sixers are the better all-round team as they showed in the reverse fixture, but this is a different Melbourne Stars side compared to back then. Now they have momentum behind them and that winning mentality which had previously been missing. That makes this game a real banana-skin for the Sixers. Whilst the strength-in-depth and reliability of the visitors makes them worth backing, expect a much closer contest than what we got between these two in Sydney.
Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Sixers Top Tip: Sydney Sixers to win
