Tough week for BYB and followers in Round 7 of the AFL but we’ll be looking to bounce back this weekend as the AFL offers a fantastic five game slate on Saturday headlined by the Adelaide Showdown which gets underway at 7.40.
We’ll be focusing on the Saturday slate in today’s article but make sure you head to our AFL Tips page for all of our Round 8 content and betting tips.
AFL Round 8 Saturday Betting Tips
Western Bulldogs vs Brisbane Lions (Marvel, 1.45pm)
After losing four games on the spin, the Western Bulldogs captured a season defining win over the Richmond Tigers at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night. After a tight first quarter, the Dogs piled on 13 goals to just four in the remainder of the game to cruise home to a 47 point win. Converted forward Aaron Naughton was fantastic in the win, taking 14 marks and nearly tying the record for the most contested marks in one game with 9. He also piled on 5 goals while skipper Marcus Bontempelli was fantastic with 27 touches and three goals.
The Lions made it two wins in a row on the weekend as they downed the Sydney Swans at home by 22 points. The Brisbane forward line looked in sync as Charlie Cameron, Eric Hipwood, Hugh McCluggage and Daniel McStay combined for eight goals. The Lions now move to 5-2 on the season and currently sit in fourth place on the ladder.
If this game was being played last week, we’d have no problem tipping the Lions to win, however, the Western Bulldogs win over Richmond on the weekend was impressive and they play Marvel Stadium extremely well. The Dogs start as 7.5 point favourites here, which we like considering they have won their last three against the Lions by at least 14 points.
Western Bulldogs -7.5
$1.90
Carlton Blues vs Collingwood Magpies (MCG, 1.45pm AEST)
The Blues have not lost six of their opening seven games of the season after being decimated to the tune of 58 points by the Kangaroos on Sunday. The Blues only win of the season so far came over a lacklustre Western Bulldogs side in Round 5 and while they have shown some promise, their consistency is a massive issue. Patrick Cripps continues to put the team on his shoulders in the losses as he racked up 26 touches and two goals against the Roos.
The Magpies earned a 39 point win over the Power on Friday night, making it four wins on the trot and moving into second place on the ladder. The Pies small forwards were dominant in the win as Jaidyn Stephenson and Jamie Elliot slotted seven goals between them.
Hard to see the Blues even coming close on Saturday. Collingwood have looked like arguably the best team in the league throughout the last month and their midfield is on another level. Considering the Blues were punished by the Roos on the Sunday, we think the 42.5 point line is not enough here, especially given the five day break for the Blues.
Gold Coast Suns vs Melbourne Demons (Metricon, 4.35pm AEST)
The Demons captured a great win over the Hawks on the weekend, just their second of the season, by 5 points. James Harmes was fantastic in the win, racking up 31 touches and booting a goal while Clayton Oliver also had 30 disposals. The Demons now move to 2-5 on the season and currently sit 16th on the ladder.
After a hot start to the season, the Suns have lost their last three games in a row and currently sit 14th on the ladder. They have an incredibly tough run to come with games against the Demons, Power, Cats and Giants in the next four rounds. The one positive for the Suns is that their injury list looks quite good at the moment. Lachie Weller, and Corey Ellis are expected to return this week while Callum Ah Chee and Sam Fletcher are only a few weeks away.
The Dees start as 19.5 point favourites on the road and it’s hard to look past their record against the Suns. They have won their last three against the Suns by an average of 66 points including a massive 96 point win at the MCG in Round 20 last year. They might be a little inconsistent at the moment but 19.5 seems a little low for the Dees.
St Kilda Saints vs West Coast Eagles (Marvel, 7.25pm AEST)
The Saints are holding onto their spot in the top eight by the thinnest of margins after losing their last two games in a row. They were belted by the Giants on the weekend in Canberra but will be thankful to be back at Marvel Stadium this weekend. Mature aged recruit, Matt Parker, has been a revelation for the Saints and was fantastic again on the weekend, kicking 2 goals and applying great pressure in the forward line.
To say the Eagles season has been inconsistent to date would be an understatement. They lost their first game of the year to the Brisbane Lions by 44 points and won their next three games over tough opposition in the Giants, Magpies and Dockers, however, they then beaten by the Power and Cats by a combined 100 point margin before defeating the Suns in Round 7. They have had a tough start to the season, with six of their seven games coming against current top eight teams, and their run gets a little easier from here with games against the Saints, Demons, Dogs and Swans over the next five rounds.
Tough game to call here given the Eagles inconsistency of late. The total point line of 164.5 seems a little low after the Saints got into a shootout with the Giants on the weekend. Perfect conditions at Marvel should promote scoring as well.
Total Points OVER 164.5
$1.90
Port Adelaide Power vs Adelaide Crows (AO, 7.40pm AEST)
The first Showdown of the year headlines the Saturday slate and both the Crows and Power come into the game with a lot of uncertainty surrounding them. The Crows started the season by winning just one of their first four games, however, they have since won their last three in a row, albeit over fairly unflattering competition in the Suns, Saints and Dockers. They’ll get a real test over the few weeks as they face the Power, Brisbane away and West Coast.
Port Adelaide boast four wins through their opening seven games, however, three of those wins have come against bottom four teams. They did capture a fantastic in in Perth against the Eagles but conditions favoured them in pouring rain. The Power were comfortably handled by the Magpies on Friday night in Round 7 to the tune of 39 points.
This will be a great chance for the Power to make a real statement about their season. They were super competitive against Brisbane on the road and at home against Richmond, however, they lost both games. They have only been comfortably beaten once this season, which was in Round 7, and the Adelaide Showdowns are generally pretty tight battles. We like the Power with the 6.5 point head start here.
