India are at home, they’re the bookies’ favourites and this big match against Australia marks the start of their journey in trying to win their first ODI World Cup since 2011. 

It may also be the last time we see the likes of Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja and skipper Rohit Sharma at an ODI World Cup, so they’ll be desperate to get off to a winning start and build some momentum.

Cricket World Cup 2023 India vs Australia odds and predictions

📝 India vs Australia betting odds

The hosts start as favourites as we just said, not only for this match but for the tournament as a whole, and whereas that status is justified, it does also put them under pressure from the word go. 

They may have hoped for a slightly easier match than this one to get off to a winning start but Australia it is and we all know this is a side that just never gives up.

We’ll give you our analysis, top stats and betting tips in a moment but first up, here are the match-winner odds from the best cricket betting sites around.

Sportsbet.io

Cricbaba 

Rajabets 

Pure Win

Bettilt

🔮 India vs Australia predictions

Chennai is a ground we know very well from being CSK’s home in the IPL for year after year. It’s a wicket that generally takes lots of spin, so the twirlers should have plenty of work ahead of them in this match. 

Interestingly, this isn’t a particularly happy hunting ground for India, with a win percentage of just 50% here in ODIs, winning seven, losing seven, and with two no results over the years. 

They’ve also lost their last two matches here in Chennai: against the West Indies in 2019 and to Australia, in March 2023.  

With first-innings scores of 269, 287, 281, 299 and 227 in the last five games, you can see that getting to 300 is an uphill task; chasing anything above 280 may prove tricky indeed on a wicket where scoreboard pressure will be a challenge for the chaser. 

It’s likely to be extremely hot during the first innings before the temperature cools down for the chase. Both sides will probably want to bat first so as to avoid 50 overs of energy-sapping heat in the first innings. 

The odds of India winning the Cricket World Cup are currently 2.9 with CricBaba and they’ll shorten a bit if they win here, but it may not be so straightforward.

📊 India vs Australia key stats

Let’s look at some stats ahead of the game. 

  • In 149 ODIs between the two, Australia have won 83, India have won 56 and there have been 10 no-results. 
  • Things are much closer when looking just at ODI matches played in India with 32 wins for the hosts, 33 for Australia and five no results. 
  • Things are also very tight in the last 15 games between these two in India with eight wins for the hosts and seven for the visitors. 
  • Part-time Australian off-spinner Glenn Maxwell took 4-40 and was man-of-the-match in the last game these two played in September 2023 in Rajkot. 
  • All of Virat Kohli (53.04), Rohit Sharma (59.79) and Hardik Pandya (54.60) average over 50 for India against Australia. Sharma and Kohli each have eight centuries against Australia. 
  • Of the Australian bowlers in action here, Adam Zampa is Australia’s leading wicket-taker in games against India with 34 wickets in 21 games. 
  • Steve Smith has five centuries against India in 27 matches; David Warner has three in 25.
2023 Cricket World Cup betting tips

India vs Australia betting tips 

The stats show that Australia are ahead of India in both the overall head-to-head as well as just in matches played in India, if only by one win. 

So, this could be tricky, especially on a ground where India don’t have a particularly good record. 

This is India’s first match of the World Cup and if you’re looking for the best Cricket World Cup betting offers to take advantage of, you’re about to find them. 

But back to our tips for this game. 

Adam Zampa to be Australia’s Top Wicket-Taker – 4.25 odds (Cricbaba)

We know that Chennai is a ground for the spinners, we know that Adam Zampa is Australia’s top wicket-taker in ODIs against Australia from the bowlers who will be in action and we know that he has some decent experience of playing in India after a few seasons of featuring in the IPL. 

We’re also pretty sure that he’ll bowl his full quota of 10 overs as the frontline spinner, which will give him the best-possible chance of taking two or three wickets, which could be enough to win this betting heat. 

Mitchell Starc, available at 4.0 as the favourite has an excellent record in World Cups but hasn’t played much of late, while it’s possible that none of the other quicks bowls their full 10 overs. 

So, it’s arguably Zampa holding all the trump cards here and the 4.25 is a very fair price on him being top Aussie bowler.

🏏 Back Adam Zampa to be Australia’s Top Wicket-Taker at 4.25 at Cricbaba 🏏

Australia to hit the most sixes – 2.24 odds (Sportsbet.io)

An interesting quirk of cricket betting markets is that the team who is the favourite to win the match is also often the favourite to hit the most sixes. But that’s not to say that should necessarily be the case. 

India’s big hitters like Sky Yadav, Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya are likely to bat at four, five and six, so if the top order bats deep, India might do most of their run-scoring in fours and twos, rather than sixes.  

Australia on the other hand have two natural six-hitters in opener David Warner and to an even greater extent, his partner at the top of the order: Mitch Marsh. And if they lose a few wickets, expect Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green and Alex Carey to go for big hits to get them out of trouble rather than just rotating the strike.

This should be much closer to 50/50, so there’s some decent value on outsiders Australia at 2.24 to hit the most maximums.

🏏 Back Australia to hit the most sixes – 2.24 at Sportsbet.io 🏏

Back Australia batting first – 2.2 or better odds (Cricbaba)

There are good reasons to think Australia can spring a surprise first up. Historically they have a superior head-to-head record against India, both in general and also in matches played just in India, including a win when they played just a couple of weeks ago. 

Then there’s the Chennai factor; as we’ve just seen this isn’t one of India’s favourite grounds for ODI matches. That includes Australia beating them here at this very ground back in March. 

And Australia looks in good health with a solid middle-order, some big hitters in the line-up and good variety in the bowling department, where a combination of pace and spin, left-armers and right-armers will give India’s batters plenty to think about. 

But the bet is only to back Australia if they bat first. The Aussies have a 62%-win rate in the last two years in ODIs batting first while India’s win rate batting second over the period is a very modest 54%.   

So, if Pat Cummins’ men bat first, back them in live betting at 2.2 or better. If they have to chase, leave the winner market alone.

🏏 Back Australia batting first at 2.2 or better at Cricbaba 🏏

📺 How to watch India vs Australia at the 2023 Cricket World Cup

  • Location:  MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, India 
  • Date and time: Sunday, October 8, 2023, 14:00 IST 
  • How to watch: 
    • India: Star Sports 
    • Australia: Channel Nine 
    • UK: Sky Sports Cricket 
    • Live streaming: Disney+, ESPN+, Switch TV

Read our previous 2023 ICC World Cup previews:

Cricket World Cup 2023 England vs New Zealand

England vs New Zealand odds & prediction

Cricket World Cup 2023 Pakistan vs Netherlands

Pakistan vs Netherlands odds & prediction

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About the Author:
JAMES PACHECO
James Pacheco has been watching, writing about and betting on cricket ever since watching South Africa's ill-fated run chase against Australia in the semi-finals of the 1999 Cricket World Cup. Since then he rates the 2005 Ashes as the best Test series he's ever watched and South Africa's successful run chase of 438 against Australia as the best ODI he witnessed, seven years after that disastrous single in 1999 cost the Proteas a place in the World Cup final. His favourite-ever players are Shane Warne, Kumar Sangakkara, Jacques Kallis and Daniel Vettori. His favourite markets to bet on are the top batsman and in particular, the man-of-the-match markets, where big rewards are on offer when you get it right. He's patiently waiting for the day when Virat Kohli breaks every international batting record going. You can follow James on LinkedIn.