The AFL ladder was turned on its head completely last weekend with a number of surprise results and the fight for positions in both the top four as well as the top eight is now extremely competitive.
Amazingly, the Western Bulldogs now sit inside the top four and can secure themselves a double chance in the finals if they keep on winning, while the likes of the Sydney Swans and the Richmond Tigers need their rivals to lose to be any chance of a top four finish.
We are set for another intriguing round of action this weekend and we have analysed every single game to come up with the best betting plays of the round.
The Swans are currently clear favourites to beat the Magpies this weekend, but we are offering the inflated odds of $2 for the Swans to return to winning form on Friday night.
Sydney Swans vs Collingwood Magpies
Friday, August 14 – 7:50pm AEST – SCG
The Sydney Swans looked like they had overcome their recent woes with a big win over Adelaide, but they came plummeting back to earth with a surprise loss to Geelong that has pushed them outside the four. This is basically must win for the Swans if they want to finish inside the top four and they need a better effort from the likes of Daniel Hannebery and Lance Franklin if they are going to do so. Collingwood finally ended their losing streak with a comfortable win against Carlton, but they face a much stiffer test against the Swans. The Magpies have been using the tail end of this season to blood some players for the future and there are some promising signs for the club, but it won’t be enough to win this weekend. The Swans will get the four points and look a good bet to beat the line of 16.5 points.
Essendon Bombers vs Adelaide Crows
Saturday, August 15 – 1:45pm AEST – Etihad Stadium
Adelaide scored a massive win over Richmond last weekend to maintain their finals chances and they have an excellent opportunity to make it two wins on the trot. The Crows dominated Richmond in most key metrics last week and if they produce a similar performance they will prove far too good for the Bombers. Essendon continued their hapless run of form with a poor effort against the Greater Western Sydney Giants last week and they really do not have anything to play for heading into this encounter. The Crows look like a very safe bet at their current quote of $1.27 and they should be included in all AFL multi bets this weekend.
North Melbourne Kangaroos vs St Kilda Saints
Saturday, August 15 – 2:10pm AEST – Blundstone Arena
North Melbourne have come from absolutely nowhere to solidify a position in the top eight and they will make the trip to Hobart full of confidence. The decision to take home games to Hobart has proven both an on and off field success for the Kangaroos and they look likely to score their sixth straight win at the venue. St Kilda continue to play competitive football and they gave it a crack against the Dockers last week, but they have struggled in front of goal in the past month and it is tough to see them scoring enough points to be competitive in this fixture. The Kangaroos are a safe bet to maintain their winning form, but the line of 29.5 points looks a touch on the excessive side and I will like be sitting out of line betting for this encounter.
Port Adelaide Power vs Greater Western Sydney Giants
Saturday, August 15 – 4:35pm AEST – Adelaide Oval
Port Adelaide fell out of finals contention with their disappointing loss to the Western Bulldogs last week, but the Greater Western Sydney Giants still have the chance of playing finals football. The Giants have handled the season-ending injury to Shane Mumford better than most experts expected and it is a credit to the culture that has been built at the young club that they are still in finals contention. As good as the Giants have been this year, it will likely be Port Adelaide that decide the outcome of this game. The Power have shown glimpses of their best in 2015, but they were awful last week and now have very little to play for. Because of this, the $1.40 on offer for the Power is far too short and the Giants are the value bet of the day at their price of $2.95.
Geelong Cats vs Hawthorn Hawks
Saturday, August 15– 7:20pm AEST – MCG
This has been one of the biggest rivalries in the AFL in the past decade, but Geelong face a tough assignment against their rivals this weekend. The Cats have been very good in recent weeks and they did well to beat the Swans at home, but Hawthorn are another level and Geelong no longer have the midfield talent to match it with their rivals. The Hawks bounced back from their loss to the Tigers to score a comfortable win over West Coast last weekend and when they play at their best, there is nobody in the competition that can match it with the Hawks. We expected Hawthorn to come out firing on Saturday night and they are a good bet to beat the line of 27.5 points.
Brisbane Lions vs Carlton Blues
Saturday, August 15 – 7:20pm AEST – The Gabba
The wooden spoon and the number one draft pick in the 2016 AFL draft will both be on the line when the Brisbane Lions host Carlton on Saturday night. The Lions produced one of the best performances in recent months against the Gold Coast Suns last weekend, but they were still unable to get the job done. They will still take confidence into this clash and a similar performance should be enough to see off the Blues. Carlton gave it a crack against their arch rivals Collingwood last weekend, but composure at key moments left them down. Both teams will be desperate to avoid the wooden spoon and this could actually be one of the most interesting games of the weekend, with the Blues offering a little bit of value at their current quote of $2.
Richmond Tigers vs Gold Coast Suns
Sunday, August 16 – 1:10pm AEST – MCG
Richmond pulled a Richmond and went down to Adelaide last weekend and they now face a danger game against their bogey side the Gold Coast Suns. Gold Coast have won three of their four meetings with Richmond, including round one last year, and on a number of occasions they have jeopardized the finals chances of the Tigers. However, this is the first time that the two sides have met at the MCG and it would take a particularly poor effort from this Tigers side to give up the four points – although we have seen them do it before. The Tigers seem a touch on the short side at their current quote of $1.20 and the best play in this game is to back the Suns to beat the line of 30.5 points.
Western Bulldogs vs Melbourne Demons
Sunday, August 16 – 3:20pm AEST – Etihad Stadium
The amazing season of the Western Bulldogs continues and they can solidify their place in the top four with a win over the Demons this weekend. The Bulldogs have been completely transformed under Luke Beveridge and it is tough to see them dropping the four points in this game. The Demons managed to score a big win over the Bulldogs in round 8, but they have been very inconsistent throughout 2015 and they have lost their past 21 matches at Etihad Stadium. Jesse Hogan continues to play well and he has the skillset to trouble the Western Bulldogs, but the $4.60 odds on offer for the Demons look about right and this game really doesn’t appeal a great deal from a betting perspective.
Fremantle Dockers vs West Coast Eagles
Sunday, August 16 – 4:40pm AEST – Domain Stadium
This is the game of the round and one of the most important Western Derbies in history. The Dockers have flown under the radar somewhat in the last month, but they still sit a couple of games clear at the top of the ladder and a win here will be enough to see them claim the minor premiership. The West Coast Eagles received their big test against Hawthorn last week and they did not pass, so another loss to a top four rival would completely kill their confidence heading into the finals. Fremantle dominated the previous meeting between these two sides this season and they have won the past five Western Derbies, so they are deserving favourites heading into this encounter and they look a great bet to beat the line of 11.5 points.
Don’t forget about our $2 Friday Night Football Special! We’re offering a whopping $2 for the Tigers to roll the Crows this Friday night.