Perth Scorchers vs. Sydney Thunder – Big Bash League, Thursday, January 6, 2022

The Perth Scorchers find themselves six points clear at the BBL summit after winning eight of their nine matches this season. Funnily enough, their sole loss came against their next opponents – the Sydney Thunder.

The two sides clash at Metricon Stadium on Thursday, January 6 – less than a fortnight after their previous meeting. Can the Thunder upset the Big Bash odds once again? Or will the Scorchers flex their muscles?

In this Perth Scorchers vs. Sydney Thunder betting preview, I break down the odds, analyze both sides, give my prediction, and finish by providing a free pick for Thursday’s match.

Although the Thunder beat the Scorchers last time around, the top online cricket sportsbooks view Perth as the favorite to win this one. This is hardly surprising, though, given that Perth leads the Thunder by ten points.

Still, it is worth noting that Trevor Bayliss’ men head into Thursday’s clash on a three-match winning streak. That statistic makes the price for the Thunder win look pretty attractive, right?

The Scorchers won each of their opening six matches this season, seeing off Brisbane and Adelaide before doing the double over both Hobart and the Renegades. Impressive, huh?

As expected, the three-time champions returned to winning ways in style – thrashing the Melbourne Stars by 50 runs. Kurtis Patterson (54) and Colin Munro (40) starred with the bat, while Tymal Mills (3-28) and AJ Tye (2-11) cleaned up with the ball.

Last time out, Adam Voges’ men secured a ten-run victory over the Sydney Sixers. Despite reaching 8-143, the Scorchers limited the defending champs to 8-133. Tye (3-17) and Mills (3-29) were the standout performers once again.

After notching his third three-wicket haul of the campaign, Tye finds himself atop the Golden Arm leaderboard. Mills has climbed into the top five, too, having claimed eight scalps across the past three matches.

With eight wins and a net run rate of +1.254 to their name, the Scorchers are undoubtedly the strongest team in the competition. But was their loss to the Thunder a minor blip or a cause for concern?

The Thunder made a slow start to the campaign, losing two of their first three outings. Since then, however, they have picked up four wins from five matches.

Bayliss’ men thrashed Brisbane by 53 runs before losing to Sixers. After securing their impressive victory over Perth, they registered two big wins against Adelaide.

Sam Billings (67) and Jason Sangha (56*) both posted big knocks in the win against the Scorchers. Three days later, Sangha stole the show with an unbeaten 91 in a 22-run victory over the Strikers.

The Sydneysiders are performing well in every department at the moment. The batters are scoring tons of runs, while the bowlers are producing both economical and destructive spells.

It is also worth noting that Bayliss’ men are winning by big margins. After thrashing Brisbane by 53 runs, they secured 22-run and 28-run victories over Adelaide. Oh, and they beat the Scorcher by 34 runs.

They couldn’t do it again, could they?

This matchup brings together the most in-form teams in the competition. Both sides have won four of their previous five matches, with the Scorchers suffering just a single defeat all season.

We all know that Perth suffered a 34-run loss to the Thunder in their previous meeting, but the Western Australians have been unstoppable since then. Following the loss, they hammered the Stars before beating the reigning champs.

Sure, the Thunder head into Thursday’s clash on a three-match winning streak. But there is no hiding from the fact that Perth is the strongest team in the comp. With that in mind, I can see the Scorchers gaining their revenge.

The Scorchers were not at their best when the Thunder beat them last month. However, they have claimed two statement victories since then – emphasizing their strength.

Having won eight of their nine matches this season, I’m confident that Voges’ men will come out on top here. With Tye and Mills leading the bowling attack, I’m backing the Scorchers to make amends on Thursday.

In Thursday’s early match, the Renegades and Brisbane go head-to-head at GMHBA Stadium. If you enjoyed this betting preview, be sure to check out my prediction and pick for that clash.