Brisbane Heat vs Hobart Hurricanes Prediction: Heat are undefeated this season

Brisbane Heat and Hobart Hurricanes are going head to head in the 29th Match of Big Bash League at The Gabba, Australia on 07 Jan 2024. Heat are undefeated this season and would want to continue that going into the final phases. Who will win this game of cricket?

Brisbane remains undefeated in this season's BBL, having won five matches and experienced two no-results. Their recent defeats came from consecutive matches against the Sydney Thunder and Melbourne Renegades. The Brisbane team has been in excellent form both individually and as a whole.

When it comes to run-scoring, Colin Munro and Nathan McSweeney have been leading the charge for the Heat this season. Munro has amassed 166 runs, while McSweeney has scored 133. However, McSweeney's strike rate of 112 is comparatively low. On another note, Brisbane may welcome back Usman Khawaja now that Australia's Test series against Pakistan has ended.

In terms of bowling, Xavier Barlett and Paul Walter have been outstanding seamers for the Heat, taking a total of 18 wickets and consistently challenging opposing batters. Matthew Kuhnemann and Mitchell Swepson have also contributed with 15 wickets, with Kuhnemann being arguably the best left-arm spinner and Swepson the best wrist-spinner in the tournament.

The Heat have not won the BBL title since 2013 but finished as runners-up last season. A victory over the Hurricanes in this match would solidify their position at the top of the points table and demonstrate their determination to win a second BBL title.

Colin Munro (c), Josh Brown, Nathan McSweeney, Matt Renshaw, Sam Billings (wk), Paul Walter, Xavier Bartlett, Michael Neser, Spencer Johnson, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Kuhnemann

The Hurricanes had a disappointing start to their BBL season, losing three out of their first four matches. However, they have since rebounded with consecutive victories over the Melbourne Renegades and Sydney Thunder. The team from Hobart still has a chance to make it to the playoffs, and a win in this match would greatly enhance their chances.

Caleb Jewell and Macalister Wright have been the standout performers with the bat for the Hurricanes this season, with Jewell scoring 143 runs and Wright scoring 138. Both players have been striking the ball at a rate of over 140. However, they will face a tough challenge against the likes of Swepson, Bartlett, and others.

When it comes to their bowling performance, Hobart has not been as impressive as Brisbane. Nathan Ellis and Riley Meredith have taken six and five wickets respectively in this BBL season. Both players have represented Australia in limited-overs cricket and are eager to impress the national selectors in this T20 World Cup year.

Despite their previous successes, Hobart has never won the BBL title and has been runners-up twice. It remains to be seen whether this will be their year to clinch their first championship. A victory against the current table-topping Heat would certainly strengthen their case as serious contenders for this year's title.

Nathan Ellis (c), Caleb Jewell, Ben McDermott (wk), Macalister Wright, Sam Hain, Corey Anderson, Tim David, Nikhil Chaudhary, Chris Jordan, Patrick Dooley, Riley Meredith

The upcoming match will be held at The Gabba in Brisbane, which is the homeground for the Brisbane team. In the two completed BBL matches at the Gabba this season, one toss-winning captain chose to bat first while the other chose to bowl first. It is likely that the team winning the toss in this match will also choose to bowl first.

The Gabba has seen first-innings scores of 172 and 214 in this BBL season. A competitive first-innings score for this match would be considered to be 180 or higher. Both teams are expected to have two specialist spinners in their lineup. Fortunately, there is no rain forecasted in the area the day before or on the day of the match, so we can expect a full fixture without any shortening due to wet weather.

Brisbane appears to have a stronger position to win this match compared to Hobart. One particularly interesting battle to watch will be between the Heat's bowlers and the Hurricanes' batters. As for betting, the Heat are the favorites with odds of 1.68, while the Hurricanes are priced as underdogs with odds of 2.22.