Mitchell Starc Australia Cricket World Cup 2015
Australia's Mitchell Starc is favored to top bowler in the 2015 Cricket World Cup. Reuters

Odds makers have pegged co-host country Australia as the favorite to claim the 2015 Cricket World Cup, but fellow semifinalists India, South Africa, and New Zealand are well within striking distance.

Australia is currently a 5/4 favorite to win the tournament for the first time since 2007, when they snatched the last of three straight titles, according to odds compiled by Bovada.lv.

South Africa is next up at 11/4, followed by defending champion India at 3/1 and New Zealand at 4/1.

Despite a defeat and a second-place finish in Pool A play behind rival co-host New Zealand, Australia survived a brief scare against Pakistan to win their quarterfinal at the Adelaide Oval last Friday by six wickets.

The South Africans also ended Pool B play in second place behind India, having lost to the defending champion as well as Pakistan. But they finally won their first World Cup knockout match, when coasting past 2011 finalists Sri Lanka in the quarterfinals courtesy of a nine-wicket victory.

New Zealand powered through pool play largely unscathed, winning all six matches, including the opening 98-run win over Sri Lanka. Seeking its first World Cup title, New Zealand displayed excellent strategy with its lineup and bowling, while only being severely tested by neighbors Australia.

Meanwhile, India is hoping for its first back-to-back trip to the finals. Much like New Zealand, India relied on its stellar batting to top Pool A undefeated, but also had some surprisingly impressive performances form their bowling attack.

New Zealand could make a big surge in the finals behind batsman Martin Guptill, who’s favored at 10/11 to be the top batsman of the tournament. Guptill set a new World Cup record with a score of 237 not out in the quarterfinals against the West Indies.

But Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara is close behind at 13/8 odds, followed by South Africa’s AB de Villiers at 4/1, with the latter still capable of moving up should he guide his squad into the finals.

Australia’s Mitchell Starc and New Zealand’s Trent Boult are also the current favorites to be tabbed as top bowlers at 5/4 each.