There are five matches on Saturday in Round 20 but the best has certainly been saved until last. Adelaide and Port Adelaide will lock horns for the second time this season in Showdown 54. Check out our full preview and best bets for the match below.
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AFL Round 20 Preview & Betting Tips
Adelaide vs Port Adelaide
Saturday 7:40pm AEST, July 29th, Adelaide Oval
Home and away matches don’t get much bigger than this! Adelaide are in desperate need of a win to keep their finals hopes alive and will take on the force that has been Port Adelaide. Stakes are high for Showdown 54 and what a match this should be.
Adelaide’s bad fortunes continued in Round 19 when they lost a heartbreaker against Melbourne by four points (93-97). Their endeavour was there and they fought until the end but couldn’t overcome the odds on the road. They’ve now lost three in a row, all by less than three goals, and have slid to 13th spot on the ladder.
The Crows continue to put in strong performances without getting the desired result and have been labelled by many as the best 13th placed team ever. That won’t mean anything to them however and wins are now at an absolute premium if they’re any chance of playing in September.
Similarly, Port Adelaide didn’t do much wrong in their most recent clash against Collingwood but eventually lost a match that could’ve gone either way (83-85). They’ve now lost two in a row after going on an enormous 13-match win streak and are in danger of coughing up second spot on the ladder.
Regardless, the Power would be thoroughly pleased with their season to date and are still in the box seat to secure a home qualifying final – an outcome coach Ken Hinkley would be thrilled with considering the pressure he was under coming into the season.
With a fairly tough run home, the Power will be desperate to win Showdown 54, although the Crows will be just as, if not more desperate considering what’s at stake for them.
The Crows won the Showdown earlier in the year (Round 3) on the back of a blistering fourth quarter and will be confident they can achieve a similar result if they continue to play as they have been in recent weeks, albeit in mostly losses.
The line has been set at +12.5 from a Crows point of view and with their season on the line, I believe they’re more than capable of covering that and potentially winning the match. With that said, I’ll be backing them in to at least keep this one close.
Adelaide +12.5
$1.90 (2.5 Units)
Same Game Multi
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Adelaide +20.5 – I just can’t see how the Crows get blown out here. The Power have had some big games over the past few weeks and are sure to be feeling the effects.
Taylor Walker 2+ Goals – He loves big games and they don’t get much bigger than this. Tex is in fine goalkicking form and should be able to jag a couple here.
Zak Butters 25+ Disposals – Fresh off a 31-disposals performance against the Magpies. He’ll play the majority of the match in the midfield and knows how to find the footy.
SGM Odds: $3 at BoomBet
