West Indies vs England prediction and ODI cricket betting tips: Livingstone can play a captain's role

Where to watch West Indies vs England

Live on TNT Sports 1 & discovery+, 6pm Thursday

Best bet

Liam Livingstone over 40.5 performance points
2pts 8-11 bet365

Shai Hope top West Indies batsman
1pt 10-3 bet365

West Indies vs England first ODI prediction

After suffering a recent Test series defeat in Pakistan, England are 4-7 to bounce back with victory in their One Day International series in the West Indies and they will be seeking some revenge after losing 2-1 in the Caribbean last December.

It is only a week on from that loss to Pakistan, which means the majority of England’s red-ball stars are absent, but it is still a strong side who are set to be led into battle under the captaincy of Liam Livingstone, who deputises with Jos Buttler still struggling with a calf injury.

England haven't played an ODI since being chinned 3-2 by Australia in an entertaining series at the end of September whereas the Windies are bidding to respond to a 2-1 loss in Sri Lanka only last week.

With Phil Salt, Will Jacks, Jordan Cox and Livingstone spearheading a high-class, explosive top order and a bowling attack consisting of Jofra Archer, Reece Topley, Sam Curran and Adil Rashid, the visitors should really win this well if everything clicks.

Conditions in the Caribbean can provide spinners plenty to work with, which offers Rashid supporters plenty of optimism in the leading wicket-taker market, but it may also be music to the ears of stand-in skipper Livingstone.

Livingstone should get plenty of bowling opportunities and he thrived when moved up the order against Australia in that late-summer white-ball tour.

In two Twenty20 appearances against the Baggy Greens, the Lancashire man took five wickets and racked up 124 runs, while in two of the final three ODI’s he finished with scores of 33 not out and 62 not out.

In last year’s defeat in the Caribbean, the two matches here at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Livingstone took four wickets while he chipped in with scores of 45 and 17, so there could be some value in backing him to go over 40.5 on the player performance.

Players are awarded one point per run, ten per catch and 20 per wicket, so the total looks well within Livingstone’s reach in this opening ODI.

Shimron Hetmyer has been handed a recall to West Indies' ODI squad, replacing Alick Athanaze in the only change from the side who toured Sri Lanka, but captain Shai Hope is likely to inflict the most damage.

Hope top scored for the Windies in two of those three ODI’s against England last December, producing an excellent unbeaten 109 here in Antigua in the opener before adding a knock of 68 in the second encounter also at this North Sound venue.

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