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The Aussies start as clear favourites although they know from experience that they can never underestimate their neighboring rivals.

London Start Time: 04:00

Venue and Pitch

The track at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur is a belter and a high scoring game is definitely on the cards. This is the same ground where the Dutch scored nearly 300 against England and unless bowlers stick to a tight line and length, they will find it hard to keep the scoring rate in check.

Bet on the Cricket World Cup

Team News

Both teams will look to wear black armbands in a show of support for those who were devastated by the earthquake in New Zealand earlier this week. The Aussies are without their star finisher Michael Hussey who was not picked due to an injury. Hussey has sent a message to the selectors by opting to play in the Sheffield Shield back home. His absence means that the middle order is not as strong as before and the Kiwis will look to take advantage of this.

Match Odds

Australia will look to continue their record match winning world cup streak. Yet, the Kiwis have shown in the past that they always take their game to a new level when they take on their rivals. The Aussies are expected to win this one and have match odds of 2/5. The Kiwis on the other hand have lost their last two series against India and Pakistan and are fighting hard to find form.

Top Batsman

Shane Watson has been Mr. Consistent for Australia at the top and is expected to get the Aussies off to a good start. The current odds on him stand at 11/4, while the explosive Cameron White is a good bet at 13/2 as he plays well in the sub-continent.

For the Kiwis, their best batsman continues to be Brendon McCullum who is at 7/2. The talented Ross Taylor has always been plagued with consistency problems but on one of his good days he can change the outcome of this game.

Featured Bet

It will be interesting to see which team has the highest score after 15 overs. The Aussies have the best pace attack amongst all the teams and will look to use the extra pace of Brett Lee and Shaun Tait to make early inroads, which could put New Zealand on the back foot. The Aussies hold the upper hand here as well with 4/5.

Match Predictions

Based on current form, Australia will win this one but the Kiwis could surprise them especially if they use the earthquake back home as motivation to perform on the day.

Best Bet: Australia 2/5