We're officially on the home straight heading into the IPL play-offs! Punjab Kings (PBKS) will host Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Friday night, as both sides look to propel themselves into the top four.
Regardless of the outcome, other results will have to go a certain way for either to make it, with only one potential slot up for grabs in what is essentially a winner-take-all match.
Here, we take a look at where to find betting value in this clash.
MORE: Bet on PBKS vs RR, and latest odds for IPL 2023
PBKS vs RR odds
| PBKS win |
RR win |
|
|---|---|---|
| Dafabet (India) |
2.00 | 1.85 |
PBKS vs RR match facts
- Date: Friday, May 19
- Time: 19:30 IST
- Location: Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium (Dharamshala)
- Last meeting: April 5, 2023 - PBKS won by five runs
PBKS vs RR team news
There are no fresh injury concerns for PBKS. They brought in Kagiso Rabada and Atharva Taide for their last match, a loss against DC, but it is unclear whether those players will remain in the team.
Despite being fit, Trent Boult was dropped for RR's last game and it remains to be seen whether he will return on Friday night.
MORE: Make your IPL 2023 predictions and win prizes with Dafabet in Premier League Mania
PBKS vs RR prediction
- Result prediction: RR to win
This is a very tricky match to predict, particularly considering the context in which it will be played. Both sides still have a chance to make the play-offs, but multiple external results will have to go a certain way.
There is also an emphasis on net run rate, with PBKS (-0.308) in a much less favourable position compared to RR (+0.140).
For this reason, we're predicting Rajasthan to play it safer and come away with a solid win. We're also expecting them to bounce back following their 59-run collapse in their last match against RCB.
Punjab will need to go big or go home if they are to be any chance, which is often a risky strategy in T20 cricket.
PBKS vs RR best bet
- Pick: Sanju Samson over 23.5 runs
- Odds: 1.87 (Dafabet)
Samson has been extremely solid for RR this season, currently holding an average of 32.73.
Whilst he hasn't exactly been explosive, he is a trustworthy option and likely to cover this betting line.
This is an important game for the Royals, and we're backing the experienced batsman to step up.
PBKS vs RR outside bet
- Pick: Punjab Kings over 0.5 ducks
- Odds: 2.28 (Dafabet)
As mentioned earlier, PBKS will need to come out swinging if they are any chance of improving their net run rate for a potential play-offs berth.
Due to that, we're predicting that at least one of their batsmen will lose concentration and be dismissed for no runs. High risk, high reward could be their undoing!
MORE: Make your IPL 2023 predictions and win prizes with Dafabet in Premier League Million Bonanza
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