Trent Rockets vs Northern Superchargers Prediction: Backing star man Rehan to fire again at 4/1

Rockets head into Saturday’s Eliminator at the Oval with momentum after a three-wicket win over Phoenix, while Superchargers slipped to the Originals in their final group stage outing. Sky Sports Cricket for this one with first ball set for 18:00 (weather permitting).

Dan Thomas assesses who is best placed to get through to Sunday’s final against the Invincibles and the best bets as he brings us his Trent Rockets vs Northern Superchargers Predictions… 

*You can check out all of our Cricket Odds over at betfred.com

Superchargers splutter at Headingley 

Superchargers were outgunned by Manchester Originals on Tuesday; 139/8 proved light as Jos Buttler (70) and Rachin Ravindra (47 not out) saw the chase home with 16 balls to spare.  

Veteran Samit Patel was the only Superchargers batter to really get on top of the Originals bowlers, top-scoring with 42 and, while the opening bowlers removed Phil Salt and Ben McKinney quickly, the Manchester middle order wrapped up the win with ease.  

Across the campaign, Zak Crawley has been the standard-bearer at the top, scoring 280 runs - the third highest of the tournament - with Harry Brook and David Miller offering power through the middle. With the ball, Matty Potts and Adil Rashid give Superchargers control in both phases, and Jacob Duffy's hit-the-deck pace has added bite.  

Rockets spin to win again 

Rockets' last tune-up ahead of the Eliminator was far tighter than it should have been after they restricted Birmingham Phoenix to just 111, with Rehan Ahmed taking 3/15 with the ball.  

Ahmed's brisk 37 took Rockets to 66/1 but after he fell to Liam Livingstone, the hosts collapsed, losing a further five wickets for just 50 runs, and they just about crept over the line on the penultimate ball.  

The two low scores illustrated what a struggle it has been to bat fluently at Trent Bridge this campaign, with slow, spinning tracks requested by coach Andy Flower. It has worked; Rockets won all four home matches with their various spin options coming to the fore - but it's not exactly ideal preparation for the Oval.  

Ahmed has been the star man for Rockets across the tournament, with 189 runs and 10 wickets, while Joe Root has shown his class, with 228 runs.  

Pitch & conditions 

Along with Headingley, the Oval has been the best betting track in this year's Hundred, with only Manchester Originals failing to break 140 in the first innings, and the Invincibles smashing 226 against Welsh Fire. There has been pace and carry for the seamers, but spin has been important for control in the middle orders.  

Having not seen a single weather affected match all month, unfortunately rain is in the air in south London on Saturday evening, meaning a reduced innings is likely.  

Key odds  

The odds-makers can't split the teams here, with both available at 10/11. Rockets have been the more consistent performer across the tournament, finishing in second, but the Superchargers line-up is more suited to the Oval track. We lean towards Brook's men because of their batting power, but there's no edge at the prices.  

Root is 3/1 favourite to top score for Rockets, with opening partner Tom Banton at 10/3 and the in-form Ahmed at 4/1. For Superchargers, skipper Brook heads the market at 3/1, with Crawley at 7/2 and opening partner Dawid Malan at 4/1. With rain around, the winner is likely to come from the top of the order. 

*You can check out all the latest and live Trent Rockets vs Northern Superchargers Odds over on betfred.com

Best Bets 

Rehan Ahmed has been in wonderful form throughout the competition and has been consistently undervalued by the traders. There is real momentum behind the all-rounder and with him set to bat at #3 rather than the #7 he's been carded to come in at times, along with a shortened match in prospect, happy to take the 4/1 on Ahmed to double up and be a winner for this bet just like he was last time out.

We'll top up by backing Crawley to beat his runs line of 21.5. The England opener has been in fine form across the tournament and the Oval pitch suits his ability to hit the ball on the top of the bounce.  

Dan Thomas 2025 Cricket P/L:

• Staked: 33pts 
• Returned: 26.33pts 
• P/L: -7.67pts 

Find more Cricket Betting Tips here at Betfred Insights