Cricket has three main formats, and each one changes how a bet settles. A T20 match can finish in about three and a half hours, while a Test can last five days and still end in a draw. If you are betting on cricket from Nigeria, the main things to understand are which format you are betting on, what happens when rain shortens a match, and how a tie is settled. This guide explains each in turn.
The three formats at a glance
| Format | Overs per side | Typical length | Can it be drawn |
|---|---|---|---|
| T20 (IPL, SA20, T20 internationals) | 20 | About 3.5 hours | No: ties go to a Super Over in most competitions |
| ODI (one-day international) | 50 | About 8 hours | No, but a tie can stand |
| Test | Unlimited, two innings each | Up to 5 days | Yes |
The difference that matters most for match odds is the draw. Test match odds are three-way: either team or the draw. A Test that runs out of time without a winner is a draw, and bets on either team lose. In limited-overs cricket, a draw is not a normal result, so the market is two-way.
Match odds in practice
Say you bet ₦3,000 on a T20 side at 1.85 on 8XBET. If they win, you receive ₦5,550, which is ₦2,550 profit. In a Test, the same team might be priced at 2.40, with the draw at 3.50, because rain or a flat pitch can stop either side from bowling the other out twice. Draw prices shorten as the days pass and the weather forecast worsens, so a Test that looks one-sided on day one can become a draw bet by day four.
Top batter and other player markets
Top batter asks which player will score the most runs for their team in the first innings. The two rules that matter most are:
- Taking part: bets usually stand if the player is named in the starting XI, even if he never gets to bat. If he is not in the XI, the bet is void. Substitutes brought in during the match, such as the IPL’s Impact Player, are treated differently by different bookmakers.
- Dead heats: if two batters tie for top score, your stake is divided between them. A ₦3,000 bet at 5.00 on one of two batters who both made 54 is settled as ₦1,500 at 5.00, so you receive ₦7,500.
Top batter prices on 8XBET are higher than they first look, because an opener can score 80 one week and get out first ball the next. Top bowler, player runs over/under and sixes markets follow similar participation rules. Our player props guide explains void rules in general.
Rain and the DLS method
In limited-overs cricket, rain is handled by the Duckworth–Lewis–Stern (DLS) method. DLS treats a team’s batting as a combination of two resources: the overs still available and the wickets in hand. When overs are lost, DLS sets a revised target, or decides the result if no more play is possible, based on how much of those resources each side had. A team chasing with plenty of wickets in hand can be ahead on DLS even with fewer runs on the board.
Settlement follows the official result:
- If the umpires declare a result under DLS, match odds settle on that result as published.
- A match needs a minimum number of overs to count as a result: usually 20 overs per side in an ODI and 5 overs per side in a T20. If too little play is possible, the match is a no result, and match bets are normally void.
- Run-based markets such as team totals and player runs are often void if the overs are significantly reduced after the bet is placed, because the line was set for a full match. The threshold varies between bookmakers.
Nigeria has seen how much rain can change a match. At the 2025 ICC Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup in Malaysia, rain cut Nigeria’s game against New Zealand to 13 overs a side. Nigeria made 65 for 6 and won by two runs for their first win at the tournament (ESPNcricinfo match report). Any pre-match bet on total runs in that game would have been placed for 20 overs a side, which is why reduced-overs rules exist.
Ties and Super Overs
When both teams finish on the same score in a T20, most competitions now play a Super Over: one over per side, repeated if it is also tied. Match odds usually settle on the Super Over winner. If no Super Over is played, which can happen in some ODI events or when time runs out, bookmakers apply one of two rules:
- Dead heat: half your stake is settled at full odds. A ₦2,000 bet at 1.90 becomes ₦1,000 × 1.90 = ₦1,900 returned, a ₦100 loss.
- Void: your full ₦2,000 is returned.
Runs scored in a Super Over normally do not count towards team totals, top batter or player runs. Those markets settle on the main innings only. Ties in Test cricket are extremely rare. Only two have happened in men’s Tests, in 1960 and 1986.
Match times in WAT
Nigeria’s time zone (WAT, UTC+1) works well for much of the cricket calendar:
- IPL evening matches start at 7:30 pm in India, which is 3:00 pm WAT. Afternoon double-header games start at 11:00 am WAT.
- England home summer Tests start at 11:00 am local time, which is also 11:00 am WAT because British Summer Time is UTC+1.
- SA20 evening matches start at 5:00 pm in South Africa, which is 4:00 pm WAT.
- Australian summer Tests start around 10:00 am in Sydney or Melbourne, which is about midnight WAT.
Long Test sessions suit live betting, because prices shift with every wicket and each new weather forecast.
Practical notes for Nigerian bettors
8XBET’s verified licence is a Lagos one: Strivora Limited, trading as 8XBet, is on the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority register from 5 June 2026 to 4 June 2027. Since the Supreme Court’s November 2024 ruling, gaming regulation has been a state matter, so readers outside Lagos should check their own state’s position. When you fund an account for a long tournament such as the IPL, use the methods in our payments overview. Keep stakes small on very long accumulators across a whole IPL round, because a single rain-affected game can void or dead-heat a leg. The accumulator guide explains how a void leg recalculates a ticket.
FAQ
Why did my top batter bet pay less than the odds shown?
The most likely reason is a dead heat. When batters tie for top score, the stake is divided between them.
Does the toss affect anything I can bet on?
Some bookmakers offer a toss market. It is a 50/50 event priced below even money, so the bookmaker’s margin makes it a poor-value bet.
Cricket can mean long days of betting. Keep to a budget, and see our responsible gambling page if you need support.
