USA v Ireland T20 World Cup betting picks | June 14, 2024

USA v Ireland best bets

T20 World Cup preview: USA v Ireland

The group stage of the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup continues on Friday night as hosts USA face off against Ireland in Florida.

The Irish enter this clash as slight favourites at -138.89 with Bovada, while the Americans are +128 outsiders.

The USA suffered their first defeat of the tournament on Wednesday as they fell to India by seven wickets. Despite entering as major underdogs, the Americans were able to crawl their way to 8/110 in poor batting conditions.

The host nation made a strong start with the ball, dismissing both Indian openers early. However, a lack of wickets throughout the innings proved costly as India chased down the score with 10 balls to spare.

Although they went down, it has still been an incredibly successful tournament for the USA, who have two wins so far. However, if they are going to progress to the next stage, they need to win this match to guarantee their place.

Ireland continued their poor start to the tournament as they fell to Canada by 12 runs in their last game. Facing similarly poor batting conditions, the Irish were unable to capitalise on four early wickets, allowing the Canadians to set an imposing total of 137. In their own innings, regular wickets killed all momentum in the chase.

With losses in each of their two opening matches, Ireland will need a miracle to make it through to the next stage. If they are any chance of salvaging their campaign, they will need a couple of big wins in order to cover their poor net run rate.

USA v Ireland betting predictions

While Ireland have a much greater history in cricket and in World Cups, the USA have surprised many at this tournament. Batting has been a clear issue for the Irish, while the Americans seem to be a much more well-rounded squad. At +128 with top bookmakers, back the USA to continue their strong tournament and secure a place in the next round.

Opening the bowling for the USA, left-arm fast bowler Saurabh Netravalkar has emerged as a star in this World Cup. With 2/18 in each of his last two matches, he has been both economical and a wicket-taker. With Ireland needing to push hard to recover their net run rate, expect Netravalkar to play a key role and finish as the top American bowler at +260 with the best cricket betting sites.

Wicketless in this tournament, it has been a very disappointing start for Irish fast bowler Joshua Little. Coming off an IPL season with the Gujarat Titans, the 24-year-old is by far the most dangerous bowler in the Irish attack. With their tournament hopes on the line, expect a big performance from Little with two or more wickets at $2.10 with T20 bookies.

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