West Indies Tour of South Africa 2023 Betting Predictions & Odds (2 Tests, 3 ODIs & 3 T20I, February 28 – March 29)

2023 West Indies Tour of South Africa: Event Details

South Africa host the series and will feel confident in their strong track record against the West Indies. However, they come into the first Test in contrasting form – South Africa have not played Test cricket since getting walloped in Australia, while the West Indies have just returned from two good wins in Zimbabwe. We break down all the best bets to make in this series and on the first Test this Tuesday.

South Africa vs West Indies Odds

Here’s a look at the odds for the first Test match of this series from the top online cricket bookies for those who want to bet on SA vs WI 2023:

• South Africa to win @ 1.29 (2/7)
• West Indies to win @ 6.00 (5/1)
• Draw @ 8.00 (7/1)

Somewhat surprisingly, South Africa are the heavy favorites to win here. Bookies are clearly putting weight on their home-ground advantage and track record against the West Indies rather than their current form. With odds of 1.29 (2/7) for a win, South Africa are well ahead of the West Indies on 6.00 (5/1), or even the likelihood of a draw, which is at 8.00 (7/1). Read on for our 2023 cricket SA vs WI betting picks based on these odds.

The History of West Indies Touring South Africa

Despite the long history of both nations playing cricket, South Africa and the West Indies first played each other just over 30 years ago. Since then, they’ve played 100 matches across all three formats, with South Africa dominating in each.

The last West Indian tour of South Africa was in 2014-15, which saw Test, ODIs, and T20s played. South Africa won the Tests 2-0 and the ODIs 4-1, while West Indies claimed the T20s 2-1.

However, South Africa did travel to the West Indies in 2021, with the last five games unfolding as so:

• June 27, 2021 – West Indies won by 8 wickets (T20)
• June 28, 2021 – South Africa won by 16 runs (T20)
• June 30, 2021 – South Africa won by 1 run (T20)
• July 2, 2021 – West Indies won by 21 runs (T20)
• July 4, 2021 – South Africa won by 25 runs (T20)

The last time these two sides met, South Africa snatched the T20 series in the final match. Combine this with the fact that the West Indies have not won a Test against South Africa since 2007, and it seems the visitors will need to produce something special this week to get a win.

South Africa Recent Test Match Form

South Africa’s recent Test form does not make for pretty reading – one draw and four losses. After working themselves into a position where they had a shot at making the World Test Championship final, this was well and truly scuppered when the South Africans had an abysmal tour of Australia. Two heavy losses and a draw knocked them out of contention, with serious concerns over a batting lineup that doesn’t appear capable of scoring 200+ with any regularity.

West Indies Recent Test Match Form

The West Indies have fared slightly better than South Africa, though their recent results are possibly a little misleading. Their last five Tests have yielded two wins, two losses, and a draw. Their wins were against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, where they looked impressive – but the West Indians were found wanting against Australia as well, losing heavily in both games.

SA vs WI Cricket Betting Tips

With South African bookmakers offering some generous odds ahead of this first Test match, here are our top SA vs WI Test cricket betting predictions ahead of Tuesday’s game:

First Test to Be a Draw @ 8.00 (7/1)

This bet goes against the bookies’ predictions, but it seems like the logical move. South Africa are playing at home and have only lost to the West Indies three times in 30 Tests, so it’s hard to see them losing. On the other hand, the West Indies have been playing some good cricket and come into this series with all the momentum compared to South Africa.

With a batter-friendly pitch expected to be served up at Supersport Park, and the threat of rain in the latter days of the Test, we say that this first Test could stumble its way to a draw. With odds of 8.00 (7/1), it’s the best wager to make on the result of this match.

Temba Bavuma to Be South Africa’s Top Scorer @ 5.50 (9/2)

There’s been a lot of talk about Temba Bavuma’s form with the bat of late, particularly in white-ball cricket. However, the reality is that the South African captain was the best of the lot in their dismal tour of Australia. His scores that series read 38, 29, 1, 65, and 35 – not incredible scores on their own, but considering that South Africa were routinely scoring less than 200 per innings, he was a comparatively strong performer.

With a little confidence and momentum under his belt, expect Bavuma to be even stronger in home conditions. At 5.50 (9/2), he’s an excellent bet to be South Africa’s top scorer.

Gudakesh Motie to Be West Indies Top Wicket Taker @ 5.50 (9/2)

Young spinner Gudakesh Motie had a blinder of a series in Zimbabwe: Two Tests, 19 wickets. Though he was against some reasonably soft opposition, the caliber of Zimbabwe and South Africa’s batting isn’t as far apart as some would like to think.

While Motie may well not replicate his figures of 7/37 that he took in Zimbabwe, there’s no denying that he’s in hot form and should make hay against the South African batters late in this Test. Those who aren’t convinced that Motie will be able to sustain his momentum should back Alzarri Joseph instead. Joseph’s odds of 3.50 (5/2) aren’t quite as lucrative as Motie’s, but the fast bowler will surely benefit from the pace of South Africa’s pitches.