The 2025-26 Ashes series predictions, team news, betting tips and odds: Bazball set for ultimate test

2025-26 Ashes dates, schedule, start times & TV info 

November 21-25: First Test, Perth (starts 2.30am)
December 4-8: Second Test, Brisbane (Day-night match, starts 4.30am)
December 17-21: Third Test, Adelaide (Starts midnight)
December 25-29: Fourth Test, Melbourne (Starts 11.30pm)
January 3-7: Fifth Test, Sydney (Starts 11.30pm)

TV: Live coverage on TNT Sports 1

2025-26 Ashes betting tips & predictions

Best bets

Australia to win 3-1
2pts 15-2 bet365, BoyleSports

Australia to win 3-2 
2pts 7-1 Paddy Power

Travis Head top Australia series runscorer
2pts 4-1 Paddy Power

Zak Crawley to score more series runs than Usman Khawaja
5pts 13-10 bet365

Ben Stokes top England series wicket-taker
1pt 5-1 Paddy Power

Jamie Smith to score fastest series fifty
1pt 8-1 BoyleSports

2025-26 Ashes series preview

English cricket fans will be up at 2.30am on Friday to watch the first ball of the 2025-26 Ashes, hoping for a dream start rather than a rude awakening in Perth. 

England have lost the last three series in Australia by 5-0, 4-0 and 4-0 scorelines but they have a clear gameplan and plenty of confidence under captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum.

Bazball sceptics might suggest that if England were half as good as they think they are, the Ashes urn would already be back in their possession.

They certainly talk a good game for a team who have lost 14 of their 41 Tests under McCullum, failing to beat Australia and India at home in 2023 and 2025.

But England needed to take a fresh approach to Ashes tours and their runscoring rate and fast-bowling threat will worry the hosts.

Since Stokes and McCullum took charge, they have scored at 4.56 runs per over – compared to 2.75 in their previous 145 years of Test cricket – and pacemen Jofra Archer and Mark Wood are capable of matchwinning spells.

The absence of injured Australia captain Pat Cummins and star fast bowler Josh Hazlewood, for at least the first Test, will narrow the gap between the old rivals.

And, with the exception of Ashes run-machine Steve Smith, Travis Head and wicketkeeper Alex Carey, Australia's batting unit has questions to answer.

The hosts are 8-13 to win the series against 2-1 England but splitting stakes between 3-1 and 3-2 Australia victories looks the best strategy.

Inconsistent England may come up short in an epic series

The Aussies play a less flashy brand of cricket than England but they are more ruthless, reaching the last two World Test Championship finals and beating India 3-1 in 2024-25.

England's highlights reel will always trump Australia's but winning a five-Test series down under requires the grit and consistency that Stokes's men have rarely shown.

They have suffered humiliating home defeats against South Africa at Lord's and Sri Lanka at The Oval, also losing to New Zealand after enforcing the follow-on in Wellington in February 2023.

England had to come from 2-0 down to draw the home Ashes series later that year and they let India off the hook a couple of times this summer.

They traded at 1.07 on Betfair in the draw at Old Trafford and India hit 12-1 in-play on day four of the final Test before claiming a dramatic six-run win.  

Most of England's best work has been done on flat pitches but Australian wickets, both for domestic and international fixtures, have become far more bowler-friendly in recent seasons.

The second Test in Brisbane is a day-night game – the Aussies have a formidable record with the pink ball – while Nathan Lyon is a class apart from England's spinners so Stokes's men may come up short in their pursuit of Ashes glory.

Travis Head starred in his limited appearances during the last AshesCredit: AFP via Getty Images

Back Head to shoulder runscoring burden for Aussies

Australia's middle-order dynamo Travis Head had a quiet start to the home summer but he loves the big occasion and goes well fresh.

The left-hander comes in at number five, well away from the new-ball threat, and was the leading runscorer in the 2021-22 Ashes despite playing only three of the five Tests.

He also topped the charts in last season's series against a top-class India attack and scored matchwinning centuries against the Indians in the WTC and World Cup finals in 2023.

Opener Crawley primed to outshine veteran counterpart

Jibes about the advanced age of the Australia team may come back to bite England but home opener Usman Khawaja, who turns 39 on December 18, is undoubtedly under pressure.

Backing Zak Crawley to outscore Khawaja looks a great bet as the veteran made only 184 runs in ten innings against India and averaged 19.5 in July's three-Test series in the West Indies.

Khawaja was dismissed for nought and six in June's WTC final defeat to South Africa at Lord's and England's management believe Crawley will shine in Australian conditions.

At 6ft 5in, he is equipped to handle the extra bounce. He made an excellent 77 in Sydney on the disastrous 2021-22 tour before racking up 480 runs at an average of 53.33 in the 2023 Ashes.

England skipper Stokes has crucial role in bowling attack

The top series wicket-taker markets are treacherous given both teams' injury problems but skipper Stokes is an eye-catching price to be England's top bowler.

He returned to bowling action in June, taking two wickets in three hostile overs against Zimbabwe, and was superb against India, claiming 17 scalps in four Tests.

While England's other bowlers are rotated and rested, Stokes is the first name on the teamsheet – fitness permitting – and his short, sharp spells could cause problems for the Aussies.

Only Stuart Broad took more wickets for England than Stokes's 15 in his debut series in 2013-14 and, having claimed 6-50 in the warm-up game against England Lions, he could play a key role with the ball.

Expect some explosive innings from Jamie SmithCredit: Getty Images

Swashbuckling Smith could race to speedy half-century 

The contrast in styles between Australia and England is epitomised by the batting of rival wicketkeepers Carey and Jamie Smith.

The Aussie is an unflappable, underrated Test batsman while Smith's explosive hitting has earned him a promotion to open the batting in white-ball cricket.

The Surrey man looks a nice price to score the fastest series fifty as England will aim to give him a platform to attack tiring bowlers and, like Crawley, he is a fearless player of fast bowling.

Smith scored 184 not out and 88 in July's defeat to India at Edgbaston, at a strike-rate of 88.88 runs per 100 balls, and smashed 67 off 50 balls against Sri Lanka at The Oval in September 2024.

2025-26 Ashes squads

Australia

First Test squad: Steve Smith (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster.

England

Ben Stokes (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue, Mark Wood.

2025-26 Ashes betting odds

Sign up with bet365 to bet on Australia vs England in the 2025-26 Ashes. Here are the latest odds for the five-Test series.

Odds correct at time of publishing

Want more top sports betting advice? Make sure you take a look at Racing Post Sport's tips for more of the latest picks from our experts.

Read more:

Pace will be key as England bid to join Ashes immortals — but tourists' hopes rest on the shoulders of Joe Root  

Ashes FAQs

How can I watch the 2025-26 Ashes series?

Viewers in the UK & Ireland can watch every ball of the 2025-26 Ashes on TNT Sports.

Where is the 2025-26 Ashes series being played?

The 2025-26 Ashes are being held in Australia and the five Test matches take place in Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.

Who are the favourites to win the 2025-26 Ashes?

Australia are 8-13 favourites to win a third consecutive Ashes series on home soil with England 2-1 to claim their first series success down under since 2010-11.

Why is it called the Ashes?

The term 'Ashes' was first coined after England lost to Australia at The Oval in August 1882.

A journalist for the Sporting Times wrote a mock obituary of English cricket following the defeat which said that "the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia". 

The notion captured the imagination of the sporting public and England captain Ivo Bligh vowed to return home with "the ashes" on their tour to Australia that winter. 

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