BBL Expert Tips and Predictions | Melbourne Stars vs Hobart Hurricanes

Both teams could be playing their last game of the season if they both fail to qualify for the play-offs! 

Stars have had an up and down season in BBL 13, they got off to a very poor start and fans thought that they were seeing Stars of old. However, they managed to build a streak of wins together which shot them up to 2nd in the ladder. However, their main worry has been with the ball. Maxwell being their top wicket taker proves that their specialist bowlers have not been good enough this season. 
 
Hobart have a very exciting batting lineup, but it has not lived up to expectation barring a few cameos from various batsmen including Nikhil Chaudhury. He looks to be a great pick-up from Hobart and looks certain to be participating again next season. Hobart have been lacking in the wicket taking department, they have taken the least wickets in the Big Bash this season. 

Melbourne Stars 

Stars have had a few injuries this season which has limited their ability to keep their lineup consistent, which is something that successful teams like Perth are able to do. The return of Coulter-Nile will be a relief for Stars, alongside Scott Boland and Joel Paris they will be hoping for the ball to do a little more of the talking at MCG. We can expect Boland and Paris to take the new ball in an attempt to eat away at that Hobart top order. The likes of Tim David and Nikhil Chaudhury will have to be limited with Coulter-Nile and the spin department. 

Hobart Hurricanes 

Hobart have nothing to play for this season which leaves a small question mark on what to expect from their performance at the MCG. There is potential for them to flash their powerful batting lineup and put on a show; however, if you had to pick a ground across the world for a boundary fest it would not be the MCG. Their bowling must improve, as they are taking just 4.33 wickets per game this season which instantly makes a game extremely difficult to win. Ben McDermott is the only Hobart batsman to be averaging a respectable total this season, he may have to play a slightly watchful innings at the MCG. 

The last 5 scores at the MCG this season have all been under 160 runs. 
Hobart have won just 7 of the H2H battles, while Stars have won 13. 
 
Beau Webster and Glenn Maxwell are the only Stars batsmen to score 200+ runs this season 

Glenn Maxwell will always be the player to watch for Stars, their top wicket taker and top run scorer. He will need to be at his best, particularly with the bat if the Stars want two points on Monday evening. He is available for top Stars batsman at $4.00 with PlayUp. 
 
Bowling is typically important to keep tight at MCG, which is the reason for Nathan Ellis playing a key role for Hobart. One of the more experienced seamers in their attack, he will be looking to expose the tricky death conditions and big boundaries at Melbourne. 

This is a very tricky match to call, as Hobart have little to play for and this match is almost a quarter-final for Melbourne Stars if results go their way. Hobart could be explosive in their batting as they may try to have a bit of fun to end their season. We think that Stars may just take this match as they have much more riding on it. You can grab them to win at $1.77 with PlayUp  

We hope you are able to use the stats to build your own bets for this clash, it might be a low scoring match which is something we have seen throughout the season at the MCG. Make sure to bear this in mind before backing the overs!