NZ vs PAK Match Prediction & Betting Tips - Dec 22, 2020

NZ vs PAK Match Prediction - Dec 22, 2020

New Zealand has won the T20 series against Pakistan with ease. It won the second match by nine wickets and never looked in any kind of bother. Now, it will look to end with another win and seal a 3-0 scoreline to keep the momentum firmly on its side.

Pakistan needs something special to compete and maybe even win this match. It has looked out of its depth so far and even some brilliance from Mohammad Hafeez could not help it get a win to its name.

Does Pakistan has the depth needed to change things up and actually give New Zealand a run for its money?

New Zealand vs Pakistan 3rd T20 2020 is going to be played at McLean Park, Napier on the 22nd of December 2020.

NZ vs PAK Team Previews

New Zealand

We had expected New Zealand to be stronger after the return of Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, and Kyle Jamieson to the playing eleven, and that was exactly what happened. There is just too much class and talent in these players to not make an immediate impact.

Boult and Jamieson actually did not pick up a wicket and were pretty expensive as well but Kane Williamson made an assured 57 not out that showed why he is regarded as one of the best batsmen in the world.

It was surprising to see Mitchell Santner be left out of the playing eleven but clearly, New Zealand thinks it can play just one out of Kyle Jamieson or Santner in the playing eleven.

Tim Southee picked up four wickets and was the pick of the bowlers while Ish Sodhi had a good outing as well. It will not be surprising to see some changes in the bowling lineup for this next match as Kane Williamson may look to try out a few more combinations in the build-up to the T20 World Cup 2021.

The batting is in great form with Tim Seifert leading the way at the top. There is plenty of depth and power to back it all up as well. A few more runs from Martin Guptill would be the only thing on Kane Williamson’s wish list at the moment.

New Zealand Playing 11

Martin Guptill, Tim Seifert, KS Williamson, Devon Conway, GD Phillips, James Neesham, Scott Kuggeleijn, Kyle Jamieson, TG Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult.


Pakistan

Pakistan tried to make a few changes to its batting order as it attempted to show more intent at the top. Haider Ali came out swinging but it currently looks like he is trying to hit every ball for a six. That is not a recipe for success and we hope he just backs his natural game in this last match.

Mohammad Hafeez is a T20 giant and he showed his class in the previous match as well. 99 not out, the second-highest T20 score by any Pakistani ever, was an exceptional performance and something that dragged Pakistan to a decent total.

We still think Pakistan was short of 25 runs but they at least had a shot.

Can you bank on such an inning in every single match? No, and the fundamental problems in the Pakistani batting are going to be exposed more often than not. An out of the blue change like pushing up Imad Wasim or Khushdil Shah may be something that helps turn the batting performance around.

As things stand, Pakistan is hopelessly outclassed by New Zealand on the batting front.

The bowling also did not have a good game in the previous match. Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf went wicketless while Wahab Riaz bowled just one over for 19 runs. Surely Pakistan is going to make a change and give Mohammad Hasnain a run in this next match.

Pakistan’s bowling is very dangerous but has been a bit ineffective against the New Zealand batting. That is a grave concern going into this match as a brilliant bowling performance seems the most likely way for Pakistan to get a win to its name right now.

Pakistan Playing 11

Mohammad Rizwan, Haider Ali, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Hussain Talat, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain.

NZ vs PAK Toss Prediction

The team that wins the toss is going to want to field first. New Zealand has won both its matches chasing and so that will be the preferred strategy for whoever wins the toss.

Read our guide on toss predictions to learn how we analyze and come up with our tips.

Pitch and Conditions

There is a slight chance of rain predicted for match day but all indications are that we should have an uninterrupted match to enjoy. The pitch in Napier is one of the slower ones in New Zealand and so Pakistan may enjoy that more than the previous venues so far.

The ball will still come on to the bat nicely but the extra bounce and zip are going to be absent.

The boundaries are also pretty decent sized and so the spinners will be able to make more of an impact.

NZ vs PAK Betting Tips

New Zealand has won all five of the T20 matches it has played in its home season so far and we think it has a great chance of making it six out of six. It holds a big advantage over the Pakistanis in the batting department and has also been able to negotiate their bowling attack with a fair bit of ease as well.

Pakistan’s underwhelming batting is just too weak to win consistently without Babar Azam.

Bet on New Zealand to win.

Our Favorite Bets

Team Highest 1st 6 Overs - New Zealand ($1.44) (ComeOn)

New Zealand has a great top-order that is firing on all cylinders right now. Martin Guptill, Tim Seifert, and Kane Williamson are all in decent form and strike the ball well. Pakistan, on the other hand, is without Babar Azam and is struggling to avoid the loss of early wickets.

We think the odds you are getting for this bet make it an absolute steal.

Total Match Maidens - Over 0.5 ($4.00) (Betway)

One maiden over from either team will win you an excellent 4x return on your stake. This is a risky bet, of course, because maidens are rare in T20 cricket. They are not even close to being impossible, though, and the quality bowlers on both sides make us very comfortable with the risk-reward ratio for this bet.

Take a punt and you could win big!

Today Match Prediction

New Zealand To Win the Match, 1.36

Bet Tip Here

Who will win NZ vs PAK

New Zealand 69.3% (810)
Pakistan 30.7% (359)
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