Melbourne Renegades vs. Brisbane Heat – Big Bash League, January 23, 2021

The Renegades and the Heat clash at Marvel Stadium on Saturday, with the Queenslanders needing the win to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Michael Klinger’s men have nothing left to play for this season. But after beating the Stars last time out, they will be confident of finishing BBL 10 on a high.

I discuss the betting odds before sharing my Melbourne Renegades vs. Brisbane Heat prediction and pick.

With the Renegades (1.95) out of contention for a top-five finish, it is hardly surprising that the top online sportsbooks view the Heat (1.76) as the favorites to win this game.

Having said that, the Gades showed great spirit to beat the Stars in their previous outing, so they won’t go down without a fight on Saturday.

Having won just three of their 12 matches this season, the Renegades find themselves eight points adrift at the bottom of the standings. With the playoffs now unreachable, Klinger’s men will simply be playing for pride in their final two games.

Still, the Gades can take huge confidence from the fact that they beat their Melbourne rivals last time out.

Chasing down 158/6, Mackenzie Harvey smashed an unbeaten 47 off just 21 balls to get his side over the line, with Sam Harper (39) and Beau Webster (22*) chipping in along the way. The Gades ended up reaching their target with just two balls to spare.

Once again, Aaron Finch failed to make an impact. The captain was dismissed in unfortunate circumstances on 10 runs, meaning his BBL 10 average sits at just 15.36.

We all know that the Renegades have endured a campaign to forget, but the team is still packed with quality players. With nothing left the play for, Klinger’s side could be a dangerous opponent from now until the end of the season.

This moment > any words.#GETONRED pic.twitter.com/p5pQZQHpAH

— Melbourne Renegades (@RenegadesBBL) January 20, 2021

The Heat claimed a five-wicket victory over the Renegades just last week, although Darren Lehmann’s side has since recorded back-to-back defeats.

After suffering a damaging 59-run loss to the Scorchers, the Heat lost by a whopping 82 runs to the Strikers on Thursday. With just two wins from their previous five outings, it goes without saying that the Queenslanders need to discover some form.

The Strikers reached 197/5 after their 20 overs, with Alex Carey hitting the first century of BBL 10. Marnus Labuschagne returned to action for the Heat, yet they were bowled out for just 115.

The Heat currently find themselves second from bottom in the table. Sure, they have an eight-point lead over the Gades, but they are in danger of missing out on the playoffs.

I haven’t backed the Renegades too often this season, but I can see them getting the better of the Heat on Saturday. Klinger’s men played with freedom in their last match and managed to secure an impressive win against one of the competition’s strongest teams.

Heading into this clash on the back of successive losses, the Heat are not in a good place right now. All the pressure will be on the Queenslanders this weekend, and I can see them crumbling.