England wrapped the series win on Sunday, beating Sri Lanka by six wickets to take an unassailable 2-0 lead. With the third and final T20I taking place on Tuesday, 3 February, we’re looking ahead to see the latest from the betting markets and ultimately, sniffing out that elusive value.
The T20 World Cup is right around the corner, and Brendan McCullum will be pleased with how his side has played over these two games. The batting lineup looks strong, and the depth of spinners with Will Jacks, Liam Dawson and Adil Rashid has offered them control in the middle overs.
It feels like the team pretty much picks itself, but one spot still up for debate will be surrounding the fitness of Ben Duckett and if Tom Banton’s recent form will be enough to dislodge the left-hander. Banton batted beautifully on Sunday, anchoring the innings with 54 from just 33 balls. Another good innings on Tuesday and the selectors will have a big call to make for England’s opener against Nepal on Sunday, 8 February.
Sri Lanka vs England Betting Tips
We’ve trawled the best online betting sites to see where the value is ahead of the third T20I and found bet365 top dog, paying 9/2 on this tidy 3-fold.
| Market | Bet | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Batter Milestone | Kusal Mendis 20+ Runs | 4/6 |
| Batter Milestone | Tom Banton 20+ Runs | 5/6 |
| Highest Individual Score | Under 73.5 Runs | 5/6 |
| Total Odds | 9/2 |
*Odds correct at 11:30 GMT on 02/02/2026. Odds subject to change.
No Expiry Date
Bet 1: Kusal Mendis to Score 20+ Runs
There was a point in Friday’s game where Kusal Mendis and Kamil Mishara were plotting Sri Lanka’s route to a score of 200+. The pair put on 50 from 5.3 overs and looked in fine form, with Mendis taking the game to the English bowling attack.
His wicket proved to be a game-changer, as Sri Lanka added just 81 more runs for the second half of their innings. It was, however, yet another classy innings from Mendis, who ended up with 32 from 17 balls, backing up his 37 from the first T20I.
His consistency over the last two years has been exemplary, and while he’s somewhat overshadowed in the T20 arena by the likes of Pathum Nissanka and Thisara Perera, for us, Mendis is still the best in that team.
The wicketkeeper-batsman has scored 20+ runs in five of his last seven T20I innings and each of his last three. He’s proved a thorn in England’s side thus far and is priced at 4/6 for 20+ runs in the final game of the series, which looks a good value bet.
Bet 2: Tom Banton to Score 20+ Runs
If Tom Banton can string another innings together before England face Nepal in the opener of the T20 World Cup, he’s going to cause a serious headache for the selectors to decide whether they keep him in or opt to bring back Ben Duckett, assuming fit.
The Somerset hitter batted superbly in the second T20I, anchoring the middle-order with a controlled, but powerful 54 from 33 balls. What was most impressive was that, when Harry Brook came in and started carving the Sri Lankan attack to all parts of the ground, he just made sure to keep the skipper on strike, rotating as needed, but not without the odd boundary of his own.
It's this sort of maturity and match awareness that England have been lacking. It might not be a bad time for Duckett to take a rest, and with Jos Butler more than capable of stepping in to open, Banton adds even more depth to an already explosive batting lineup. Odds of 5/6 to get his third score of 20+ is our second pick.
Bet 3: Highest Individual Score – Under 73.5 Runs
It’s a trio of battling-related markets for the third T20I, and this is an interesting option that caught our eye. The bookies have set the line at over/under 73.5 runs for the highest individual score from a batsman on either team.
Initially, the number looked high, and after further digging, it appears to be the case.
Over the last two years, the teams have played 80 T20Is combined. Throughout those games, a score of 73.5 runs or more has been scored just 18 times. In terms of implied probability, that’s just 22.5% or, in betting terms, odds of around 7/2.
Some of the best cricket betting sites offer under 73.5 at odds of 5/6 (54.5%), which looks like staggering value given that it’s landed in 77.5% of games. There’s often more to it than that with cricket, but even if we were to move the needle to compensate for form, ground, weather, etc., we’re still massively in a +EV scenario here.
