England vs Sri Lanka odds and predictions for 2023 Cricket World Cup

BOTH SIDES can be said to be drinking in last-chance saloon as far as their chances of making the semi-finals go. 

England and Sri Lanka have each won just one match out of four and in both cases, will probably need to win all their remaining matches from now on, or benefit from other results going their way. 

In the case of Sri Lanka, they weren’t necessarily expected to make the last four and came into the competition as outsiders. But England were well-fancied as the defending champions and their poor set of results so far has caught many by surprise. 

So, defeat here could mean the end of the road for the losing side while a win will be just the tonic the victorious side needs to kick on and go on a good run. 

Lots at stake and lots of pressure could well produce a really entertaining game here in Bangalore.

England vs Sri Lanka odds

There are stats and betting tips coming up right now but first up, let’s consider the latest odds from the best cricket betting sites.

Below are the best odds England vs Sri Lanka to win the match.

• England to win – 1/3 at bet365
• Sri Lanka to win – 13/5 at BetUK

England vs Sri Lanka predictions

The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore is the ground where the Royal Challengers Bangalore play their home matches in the IPL and it has a reputation of being a run-fest, thanks to a good wicket and short boundaries. 

That was certainly the case in the only match played here so far this World Cup. 

Australia posted a mammoth 367/9 batting first against Pakistan, who put in a pretty decent effort to score 305 in response. For much of the chase, Pakistan were bang in the game, suggesting the wicket holds true in the second innings and that big scores can be chased here. 

In the last ODI before that in Bangalore (in January 2020), India chased Australia’s 287 and in the one before that Australia set India 335, who came close, but didn’t quite get over the line. 

So, it all points to the side batting first targeting at least 320. But it’s a good ground for chasing, so the side batting first may not be safe even with 340 on the board. Let’s see.

Team Updates

England’s problems aren’t limited to poor results and poor individual performances. Injuries are starting to kick in as well. 

Ben Stokes played his first match of the tournament against South Africa and looked only half-fit and somewhat rusty. But England’s Test captain should get another chance. 

Reece Topley has been ruled out of the World Cup with injury so either Chris Woakes will return, or injury replacement Bryson Carse will make his debut at the tournament. Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone and Sam Curran will all be competing for the all-rounder spot batting at seven. 

Sri Lanka brought in their own injury replacement in the vastly experienced Angelo Mathews, but he’s hardly played any ODI cricket over the past two years. But they may play him anyway and hope he can also chip in with a few overs of accurate medium-pace bowling. 

England likely XI:

1 Jonny Bairstow, 2 Dawid Malan, 3 Joe Root, 4 Ben Stokes, 5 Jos Buttler (capt, wk), 6 Harry Brook, 7 Moeen Ali/Liam Livingstone/Sam Curran, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 David Willey, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Gus Atkinson/Mark Wood

Sri Lanka Likely XI 

1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Perera, 3 Kusal Mendis (capt, wk) 4 Sadeera Samarawickrama, 5 Charith Asalanka, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva, 7 Dunith Wellalage/Angelo Matthews, 8 Chamika Karunaratne, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Kasun Rajitha, 11 Dilshan Madushanka

England vs Sri Lanka Africa key stats

• Things are extremely tight between these two over the years. 78 ODIs between them have seen England win 38 and Sri Lanka win 36. There have also been three no-results and one tie.  
• These two are certainly no strangers when it comes to playing each other at the ODI World Cup, having faced each other in it on 11 occasions.  England are 6-5 up over the years but curiously, Sri Lanka have won the last four matches at ODI World Cups, including winning on English soil at the 2019 World Cup.
• They’ve played each other twice in India and England won them both but they were back in 1987 and 1989, so those results aren’t of huge relevance here. 
• The last time they played each other was in a three-match ODI series in England in the summer of 2021, which England won 3-0. 

England vs Sri Lanka betting tips

We started by saying just how important this match is to both sides and one can’t stress that enough. 

Being at Bangalore, it could well be a high-scoring match where we finally get a tight finish to the game, something that has been somewhat absent from this tournament so far, despite there already having been a couple of notable upsets. 

By the way, here you can check out all the best Cricket World Cup betting offers currently available, a good way of getting your hands on a free bet, a risk-free bet or another form of bonus without risking any of your money. 

But let’s get back to the tips for this match.

Sri Lanka to win at 5/2 (Spreadex)

These are two sides who have seriously struggled so far this tournament and have consistently failed to do the basics right, which is why they’re in such precarious positions. 

In other words, they’re as good, or as bad, as each other. 

And when that happens, a case can be made for the outsider. We’ve seen that their records are almost identical in ODIs between the two over the years so the 3.5 on Sri Lanka looks generous in Indian conditions, where they at least have the upper hand in the spin bowling department. 

And it’s certainly a price on Sri Lanka that looks even better when we remember they’ve won the last four between them at World Cups, a stat that shouldn’t go ignored. 

A really flat wicket could play into England’s hands but as has happened before this tournament, they’re vulnerable to going at it too hard and losing too many wickets in clusters. 

This could be much tighter than the odds suggest so the Sri Lankans are very much the smart bet.

Sri Lanka to win at 5/2 with Spreadex

Kusal Mendis to be Sri Lanka Top Batsman at 10/1 (Sky Bet)

Sometimes there’s great value in lower-order batsmen at big prices who might get a 40 or so en route to being top batsman. 

Other times the obvious answer is staring at you in the face. And this might be a case in point. 

Kusal Mendis has consistently been Sri Lanka’s best batsman over the last couple of years and seems to have found his ideal batting spot at three, rather than at the top of the order. 

He opened the tournament with scores of 76 and 122 and though he missed out in the last two matches (9 and 11) he looks in great touch and for good measure, hit a fine 46 in that win against England at the 2019 World Cup. 

Batting at three once again, he’ll have every chance and odds of 4.5 are bigger than we would have expected. 

Kusal Mendis to be Sri Lanka Top Batsman at 10/1 with Sky Bet

Back Over 14.5 sixes at 1/2 (BetVictor)

BetVictor seem to be taking a bit of a chance when it comes to offering odds of 1.8 that there will be over 14.5 sixes in the match. 

In that Australia v Pakistan match a few days ago here in Bangalore there were 19 from Australia alone, and 25 in total.

England, for better or for worse, like to deal in sixes where the likes of Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler and Harry Brook are some of the biggest hitters in the game. 

They’ve clearly adopted a strategy of going for maximums even if it means losing a couple of wickets in the process, so they should be good for 10 or 11 sixes themselves, if the wicket is as flat as we expect it to be. 

Then again, none of those players just mentioned is the fourth-highest six-hitter in the tournament. 

That honour belongs to Kusal Mendis with 14. So if he gets going, Mendis may well contribute some sixes as well, to further help our cause. 

Back Over 14.5 sixes at 1.8 with BetVictor

How to watch England vs Sri Lanka at the 2023 Cricket World Cup

• Location: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore, India
• Date and time: Thursday 26 October 2023, 14:00 IST
• How to watch: The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event in the United Kingdom with coverage beginning at 09:30.

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