In-play cricket
Live cricket odds change after every ball, and they don't always change by the right amount. This guide shows when in-play prices tend to overreact, how to judge a live price against our pre-match numbers, and which live markets are worth your attention. Live exchange odds sit further down the page.
Updated By Rohan Mehta, Head of Cricket
Your pre-match anchors
Our fair prices for the next cricket matches. Compare live odds against these.
Not online for real money. The Online Gaming Act 2025 bans online money games, and in-play betting is covered by that ban. Following live odds and playing free prediction games is fine. Our guide to betting law in India explains the Act.
Live odds
Exchange back and lay prices for cricket, tennis and football, refreshed every 30 seconds.
Loading odds
Times shown in IST. Back = odds to bet on the outcome, Lay = odds to bet against it. Prices move quickly in play; always confirm on the betting site before placing a bet. 18+.
The basics
Live cricket odds move after every ball. The market closes while each delivery is bowled, then reopens at a price that reflects the new score, wickets in hand and overs left. Wickets cause the biggest moves, followed by big overs and changes in the required rate.
T20 phases
ODI phases
Where the value shows up
Most often straight after a dramatic moment: an early wicket cluster, a single big over, the innings break or a rain delay. The price moves on the headline event before the market has weighed the pitch, the batting order and the bowlers left.
01
Two quick wickets in the powerplay send the batting side's price out sharply. On a good pitch with a deep batting order, that drift is often bigger than the damage.
Check: How deep does the batting go, and is the pitch still good for batting?
02
The chasing side's price is set almost entirely on the first-innings total. The market is slower to account for dew, a pitch that is slowing down, or a strong chasing record at the ground.
Check: Compare the total with the venue's average first-innings score.
03
Count the overs each bowler has left. A side that has already used its best death bowler is open to a big finish in overs 16 to 20.
Check: Who bowls the 19th and 20th overs?
04
When a DLS target is likely, work out the par score at each break. Live prices often lag behind the revised target, especially in the first minutes after play resumes.
Check: Which side is ahead of par right now?
05
Losing a batter on 70 hurts more than the scorecard shows, because the new batter needs time. The price moves on the wicket, but the scoring rate drops for the next few overs as well.
Check: Who comes in next, and how fast do they usually start?
06
One over of 20 runs can make the market treat a chase as won. If the asking rate is still high and wickets are short, the shortened price can be too short.
Check: Required rate, wickets in hand and bowlers left.
The anchor method
Start from a fair price set before the match, then compare the live odds with it after a big moment. If the market has moved further than the match situation justifies, the live price is worth a look. If not, leave it.
Worked example
We give India a 65% chance against West Indies, a fair price of 1.54. Say India lose two early wickets and drift to 2.31. The market now gives them about 43%, a drop of 22 points. If the pitch is good and the batting runs deep, ask whether two wickets really cost that much.
Note the pre-match fair price
Before the match, take our win percentage for your side and divide 100 by it. That is the fair price.
Wait for a big moment
Let a wicket cluster, a big over or the innings break move the live price.
Convert the live price
Divide 100 by the live decimal odds to see the chance the market now gives your side.
Judge the swing
Ask whether the event really changed the match by that much. Bet only when the market has moved further than the match has.
Live markets
Match odds is the deepest and fairest live market. Session runs and innings totals suit bettors who know the venue's scoring pattern, while next-over and next-wicket markets are short-term bets that only make sense if you are watching live.
| Market | Opens | What moves it | Our take |
|---|---|---|---|
| Match odds | All match | Wickets, the run rate and the required rate | The deepest live market. Back and lay prices here are the best guide to the true chance. |
| Session runs | Before each 6, 10 or 20-over session | Batters at the crease and bowlers left | Popular on Indian exchanges. Use the venue's phase averages from our match previews as a guide. |
| Innings runs over/under | From the toss | Boundaries, wickets and the pitch slowing | Lines adjust after every over. Good value appears after an early wicket on a flat pitch. |
| Next over runs | Ball by ball | The bowler, the phase and the batter on strike | Very short-term and high variance. Only worth it if you are watching live, not on a delay. |
| Fall of next wicket | After each wicket | Partnership runs and the new ball | Lines sit at the partnership total. New batters are vulnerable for their first ten balls. |
| Batter runs | Once a batter is in | Strike rate and overs left | A set batter in the middle overs is often underestimated. Check how many overs are left. |
The full list, pre-match and live, is in our cricket betting markets guide.
Exchanges
On a betting exchange you bet against other people, not a bookmaker. Backing means betting that something will happen. Laying means betting that it won't, so you take the bookmaker's side and pay out if the selection wins.
The live odds board above shows both prices for each match. The gap between the best back and lay price is a quick guide to how liquid a market is: a narrow gap means plenty of money on both sides.
Back
You win if the selection wins. Back at 2.50 with ₹100 and you collect ₹250, your stake included.
Lay
You win if the selection loses. Lay ₹100 at 2.50 and you risk ₹150 to win the ₹100 stake.
Why exchange prices matter
Exchange prices move faster than a bookmaker's and usually carry a smaller margin, which makes them the best live read on a match even if you never place a bet.
Discipline
Live markets reward patience and punish impulse. Keep to these and the swings stay manageable.
What readers ask most about in-play odds, exchanges, cash out and the law in India.
Live betting, also called in-play betting, means placing bets after the match has started. Prices change after every ball, and markets close briefly while each delivery is bowled.
After a moment that moves the price sharply, such as two quick wickets, a big over or the innings break. Those are the points where the market most often moves further than the match has.
On a betting exchange, backing means betting that something will happen and laying means betting that it won't. When you lay, you act as the bookmaker and pay out if the selection wins.
Markets close while each ball is bowled, and for longer after a wicket or a review, so nobody can bet on an outcome they have already seen. They reopen at a new price.
Compare it with a fair price. Turn the live odds into a chance by dividing 100 by them, then ask whether the match situation really supports that chance. Our pre-match win percentages give you a starting point.
Rarely as a habit. Cash-out offers include an extra margin, so you give up value every time. It makes sense when the match has changed in a way your original bet didn't account for.
Not online for real money. The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 bans online money games across India, and that includes live sports betting. Following live odds and free prediction games is allowed.
Still unsure? Ask our team
18+ only. Betting involves financial risk.
Live betting is the fastest way to lose track of what you have staked. Set a limit for the match before the first ball, step away after a loss, and use the tools in our responsible gambling guide to stay in control.
In-play picks, live scores and how markets behave once the match starts.
