Ashes: Best Odds & Betting Offers

Summer has at last arrived, and the Barmy Army will be hoping that it hangs around for this year’s Ashes as cricket’s oldest battle resumes.

With the first of five Tests, against arch-rivals Australia, starting on 10th July 2013 at Trent Bridge, it’s time to decide which Ashes betting markets to use all of the betting offers and free bets that bookies are giving away.

Ashes Betting History

Trent Bridge has hosted 20 Ashes Tests to date - England have won 4, Australia 7, and 9 were drawn; stats worth remembering when choosing how best to use bookies free bets.

In terms of Ashes betting offers, the best so far has to be one of BetVictor's offers that gives punters moneyback on losing outright bets if England lose any of the Test matches they bet on!

Ashes Odds: 'Outright Winner'

Australia, with 31 Ashes victories to England’s 30, are the more successful of the two nations - by a whisker. England have won the last two match-ups and are currently the bookies odds-on favourite as they head into this year’s back-to-back home and away series.

In terms of bookies offering the best Ashes betting odds; Bet365 offers odds of 2/5 on England winning the Ashes while Coral offering the best Ashes odds on Australia at 5/1.

Of course a draw is always on the cards, especially at Trent Bridge which has seen more draws than anything else. Betfred offer punters the best odds for the draw at 15/2 while Ladbrokes offers punters the opportunity to earn moneyback on losing bets if the Ashes are drawn.

Ashes Odds: 'Top Bowler/Batsman'

In the last series Australia were out-bowled by England, but this time around the contest looks to be a little more balanced.

Bookies have already set their Ashes betting odds with punters now asking themselves if Australia will be defeated by the skills of Jimmy Anderson or if England will fall to the searing pace of James Pattinson?

Anderson is favourite to become top bowler and Coral offer odds of 7/2 on him doing just that.

If you're going to use a free bet or two to predict who’ll be top batsman, then you'll want to know that Ladbrokes offer the best Ashes betting odds on Michael Clarke becoming Australia’s best hitter at 9/4, while Ladbrokes offer the best odds for Alastair Cook ending up as England's top batsman at 7/2.

Ashes Free Bet Offers

So, with both squads raring to go in the opening Ashes Test, it's time to pick the free bet offers you want to claim to make this years Ashes even more enjoyable. Some of the best include the fact that William Hill offers new members a free bet when they join.

The key dates for the rest of the 2013 Test series, and your chance to use some of the special Ashes betting offers bookies offer members, are June 18th for the second Test at Lords, August 1st for the third Test at Old Trafford, August 9th for the fourth Test at the Riverside Ground, with the final Test played at London’s Oval starting on August 21st.

Ashes Team News

To help you win more of the free bet offers you place and ensure you’re not out for a duck we've gathered some of the latest Ashes team news.

For England, batsman Kevin Pietersen and spinner Graeme Swann have both been included despite injury concerns, Nick Compton is out and Joe Root looks set to open the batting with captain Alastair Cook.

Just who’ll make up the Australian side is harder to predict, but it’s expected that the Aussies will go with a bowling attack of James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon and Pete Siddle.

It seems pretty certain that Watson and Chris Rogers will open the batting with maybe Cowan at three and Michael Clarke and Phil Hughes at four and five.

Either way, whoever is picked for the first Ashes Test at Trent Bridge on Wednesday, England look to have the more experienced line-up.