Cricket World Cup Betting Preview for England

England Cricket Betting Preview

England are enjoying a cricket renaissance right now, and the 2011 ICC World Cup comes at the right time in terms of the team's progression. The only downside is that they will have to play almost immediately following an arduous tour of Australia (they will have less than a week in England before flying off once more), but once the tournament starts their games are spaced well apart, which should allow them sufficient time to recuperate.

England have just retained the Ashes and beaten Australia comprehensively in a test series in Australia, an unheard of achievement in recent memory. The team also won the Twenty20 world championship, marking England's first victory in a major ICC tournament for 35 years. They also have one of the best spinners in the world in the lineup (Swann), and a solid batting lineup that should handle the slow pitch conditions they will encounter.

At 11/2 in the betting England offers appealing value, and while they may ultimately fall short against host teams India or Sri Lanka it will come as no surprise if they win the world cup this year. Their vulnerabilities are injury concerns and the wear and tear of a long campaign away from home, but if they get a bit of luck they could go all the way here.

Prediction And England Odds

Semi-finals at least for a high quality team.