BBL 13 opens with Brisbane Heat vs Melbourne Stars

The opening fixture of BBL 13 promises to be an absolute belter at the Gabba, as Brisbane Heat take on the Melbourne Stars. 

Both sides are amongst the favourites to go well throughout the competition this year and all of the biggest Australian online betting sites are on board for the latest installment of BBL action. 

Fresh off the back of Australia’s triumph at the ICC 50-over World Cup, domestic T20 action should once again grip Australia through the festive period and into 2024, giving plenty of betting opportunities to cricket punters. 

The opening night of BBL 13 promises to be a stunner, with the Brisbane Heat playing host to the Melbourne Stars. 

With plenty of international and domestic stars on show, it should be a cracker at the Gabba – with both sides chasing early points on the board. 
 
Brisbane Heat 

Following a run to the finals series last year, much is expected of the Brisbane Heat here in BBL 13, across many betting apps. 

Led by the talismanic Usman Khawaja, Heat have a side packed with talent and there are match winners everywhere you look within the roster. 

In the batting department, Englishman Sam Billings offers run accumulation, whilst Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne are two of the best batters in world cricket. 

Michael Neser has become a genuine all-rounder, to accompany his deadly pace bowling, whilst Spencer Johnson’s pace and Mitchell Swepson’s spin, will be plenty for the Stars to deal with here. 
 
Brisbane Heat Predicted Line Up 

• Usman Khawaja © 
• Matt Renshaw 
• Colin Munro 
• Marnus Labuschagne 
• Paul Walter 
• Sam Billings (WK) 
• Jack Wildermuth 
• Michael Neser 
• Spencer Johnson 
• Xavier Bartlett 
• Mitchell Swepson 

Melbourne Stars 

Having never won the BBL, there is always an air of expectation around the Melbourne Stars and that remains this season. 

A side with a passionate following and some excellent players, for whatever reason, things haven’t really clicked for the Melbourne Stars and they will be hoping to put that right in BBL 13. 

Glenn Maxwell will be tasked with plenty of the heavy lifting within this Stars team, fresh off his World Cup heroics and he will be joined by Englishman Harry Brook, who has been in stellar form over the past 12 months. 

With the bat, Joe Burns and Hilton Cartwright will be looking to keep things ticking, whilst Marcus Stoinis will once again captain the side. 

Sam Harper is a very handy wicket keeper batsman, whilst Usama Mir and Haris Rauf come from Pakistan with excellent reputations in T20 cricket. 
 
Melbourne Stars Predicted Line Up 

• Marcus Stoinis © 
• Joe Burns 
• Sam Harper (WK) 
• Hilton Cartwright  
• Harry Brook 
• Glenn Maxwell 
• Beau Webster 
• Usama Mir 
• Nathan Coulter-Nile 
• Haris Rauf 
• Scott Boland 

• This will be the 17th meeting between Brisbane Heat and Melbourne Stars – with Heat leading the H2H 9 wins to 7. 
• Brisbane Heat won BBL 02 in 2013, whilst Melbourne Stars have never tasted BBL glory. 
• Heat reached the playoff series in 2023, Stars last reached the finals back in 2020. 
• Both sides won their opening fixtures in BBL 12. 

Some of the very best in the business will take to the field at The Gabba for the opening game of BBL 13 and there is plenty for punters and betting sites alike to look out for. 
 
Here are they key men for both sides: 
 
Brisbane Heat: Michael Neser 

Australian international Michael Neser is a T20 specialist, having travelled the globe to fine tune his trade and he is generally box office wherever he goes. 

Being able to influence the game with both bat and ball is the USP for Neser and he will want to get his BBL campaign off to a flyer. 
 
Brisbane Heat: Glenn Maxwell 

A man that needs no introduction, Glenn Maxwell returns to domestic cricket – having been hugely influential in winning the ICC World Cup for Australia in India last month. 
Few cricketers in the world are more enigmatic than Maxwell but he looks to be full of confidence currently and plenty of old and new betting sites will be cautious when it comes to the potential impact he could have on both this game and BBL 13 as a whole.

The opening night of a Big Bash season is always compelling viewing, and it promises to be absolutely no different in BBL 13. 

Beginning at the Gabba is the perfect backdrop for another high-octane campaign and in the Brisbane Heat and the Melbourne Stars, two sides who have points to prove face off. 

With players on both sides having played so much cricket lately, this is a tough one to call, with individual performances potentially being decisive. 

By that token, the Melbourne Stars have some key men in great form – Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis being two – and if those two all-rounders fire, the Stars could get off to a winning start. 
 
Prediction: Melbourne Stars to win the match @ 2.1 with PlayUp. 

Cricket betting enthusiasts will be chomping at the bit with the return of the Big Bash creating plenty of traction with Aussie bookmakers. 

BBL 13 kicks off with a tasty encounter between the Brisbane Heat and the Melbourne Stars, with both sides looking to get their respective campaigns off to a winning start.