I will play the 2nd match today. Going to go with 2 plays.
10pts Bangalore to beat Mumbai 6/4 Sportingbet
This is Mumbai's debut in the Indian Premier League and it looks as though their captain Sachin Tendulkar will be fit to play after missing the last two tests for India with an injury. Bangalore have already played and been comprehensively thrashed by Kolkata and it's that match which I think is why Bangalore are as big as 6/4.
Mumbai have Harbhajan Singh and Robin Uthappa at their disposal who are Indian but then the side is a bit inexperienced. The international spaces will be filled by Sanath Jayasuriya, Shaun Pollock, Dilhara Fernando and likely to be Luke Ronchi the big hitting wicket keeper who gets the 4th spot. Lasith Malinga misses out with injury. Their batting looks strong but equally could be exposed.
Bangalore will have learnt from that 1st game where they walked straight into an inspired knock from Brendon McCullum. They are unlikely to encounter an innings like that again and take that innings out, the match wasn't too bad. Praveen Kumar and Zaheer Khan will open their bowling, both are India internationals with Jacques Kallis backing them up. Sunil Joshi looked tidy with his left arm spin. Shivnerine Chanderpaul will come into the side in place of Ashley Noffke who is injured and Chanderpaul will probably open as Bangalore can't open with Dravid and Jaffer in this sort of cricket. Kallis, Boucher and even Kumar can all play big innings.
I don't see this match being as one sided as the odds suggest. Tendulkar may play without being fully fit while Jayasuriya can be hit or miss. I'm sure Bangalore will perform better with the bat than they did the other night and I think they can edge a close one here.
1pt S.Pollock Top Mumbai Batsman 18/1 Boylesports
As we know Shaun Pollock is a big hitting batsman and with this match playing played under lights, it could be that a top order fails and if it's Mumbai's which fails then Pollock can come in and steal the top score. That said however, it's not beyond the realms that Sachin sticks Pollock in up the order at 3 or 4 to provide some fireworks with the bat. When he connects, these boundaries are unlikely to be big enough and Pollock looks a huge price wherever he bats. Small stakes only but well worth a bet.