Round 21 of the 2019 AFL Premiership Season commences on Friday night with the Giants hosting the Hawks at UNSW Canberra Oval. This big clash will be followed by a five-game slate on Saturday and a three-game slate on Sunday.
Make sure you check out our AFL Tips Page for a bunch of content for Round 21 in the AFL including previews and tips for EVERY GAME.
AFL Round 21 Friday Night Betting Tips
GWS Giants vs Hawthorn Hawks (7:50pm AEST, UNSW)
The Giants are looking to keep their top four hopes alive with a win on Friday night, while the Hawks will be hoping to bounce back from a disappointing loss to the Kangaroos last weekend. It’s 5th vs 12th in a huge Friday night fixture.
GWS Giants
The Giants have been doing what all great sides do when they aren’t performing at their best. They’ve managed to grind out two really tight wins in consecutive weeks when they could’ve easily let them slip. Last weekend it was the Swans that came agonisingly close to victory against the Giants in the Battle of the Bridge. After leading for the majority of the day, the undermanned Giants looked gassed late in the fourth quarter, but managed to hold on to win by two points. Toby Greene was phenomenal again with 34 touches and two goals, while Jacob Hopper played a huge role with his 26 touches and three goals.
The Giants may have won consecutive games, but they’re still not quite inside the top four. They currently trail the fourth-placed Tigers by four points, which means the Giants destiny is out of their hands. They must continue to tick over the win column and hope that the Tigers slip up in one of their remaining fixtures.
Hawthorn Hawks
The Hawks came out all guns blazing in their Round 20 fixture vs North Melbourne on Friday night. They brought some fantastic intensity in the first quarter to kick the opening four goals, but unfortunately for them and their fans, that was when it all fell away. The Kangaroos dominated the game from quarter-time onwards to defeat the Hawks by a comfortable 22 points at Marvel Stadium. Mitchell Lewis was dangerous early on and finished with three goals from 16 touches, but James Worpel was his team’s best with 37 touches and five tackles.
The Hawks have now fallen short in two games in a row that they really couldn’t afford to lose. They currently sit in 12th position on the ladder with eight wins and 11 losses and now look destined to miss the top eight. Finals are still mathematically possible, but it would take one hell of a miracle.
History
These clubs have faced each other eight times since the Giants joined the competition in 2012. Hawthorn has recorded four wins compared to the Giants three, and there’s been one draw (R16 2017).
Last five meetings:
R8 2019 – Hawthorn (71) defeated GWS (38)
R15 2018 – GWS (95) defeated Hawthorn (84)
R16 2017 – Hawthorn (97) drew with GWS (97)
R16 2016 – GWS (158) defeated Hawthorn (83)
R6 2015 – GWS (108) defeated Hawthorn (98)
Key Betting Statistics
- The home team has never lost this fixture in eight attempts.
- GWS have scored 108, 158 and 95 in their three home matches vs Hawthorn.
- The Overs have been hit in all but one meeting between these clubs (R8 2019).
- The underdog has covered the line in each of the last seven meetings between these clubs.
Prediction
All in all, it’s a fairly tough game to predict with neither side playing at their best in recent weeks. The Giants have a whole host of injury concerns, while the Hawks are simply not a great team this year. Being at home does give the Giants the slight edge, especially when you consider the home team has never lost this fixture in eight attempts. In saying that, the line of 21.5 is a touch too high for our liking, so we’ll be playing the either team by 15 or less market at Sportsbet.
Either Team by 15 or Less
$2.88
