2018 AFL Round 16 Betting Tips
Round 16 of the 2018 AFL season kicks off Thursday night with a blockbuster duel at the SCG between the Swans and the Cats. The exciting action doesn’t stop there, as there are many other great games to follow all weekend. So without further ado, here’s my betting preview and tips for AFL Round 16!
Sydney Swans vs Geelong Cats (Thursday, 7:20PM AEST)
Sydney and Geelong will kick off the Round at the SCG in a big game for both teams. The Swans fell short against the Tigers last weekend and are now in fourth place joining three other teams on 10 wins and 4 losses for the season. Meanwhile, the Cats lost a nail biter to the Dogs last weekend, which put a roadblock in their top 4 aspirations.
The head-to-head record between these sides since 1980 reads comfortably in favour of the Cats (40-27), although the Swans have won 4 of their last 5 meetings, which have all been played in Victoria.
The inconsistency of Geelong this year makes it extremely hard to have any confidence in them. Coupled with the fact that Sydney has had the wood over them recently, I can see the Swans running out winners in a low scoring affair.
TIP: Swans win by 1-39 – $2.20 at Sportsbet
Richmond Tigers vs Adelaide Crows (Friday, 7:50PM AEST)
Richmond and Adelaide feature in this weekends Friday Night game in a Grand Final replay. The Tigers are sitting pretty at the top of the ladder and a game clear of the second placed Magpies, while the Crows are struggling to cope with injuries and are currently sitting just outside the top 8.
The all-time head-to-head record between these sides is in favour of the Crows by a considerable margin (24-13). The Crows have also won 5 of their past 6 meetings with Richmond. Unfortunately for them the one they lost happened to be the 2017 Grand Final.
The Tigers have won 16 straight at the MCG and are 9-0 at the venue this year. I expect that trend to continue this weekend against the Crows.
TIP: Tigers at the line (-29.5) – $1.92 at Sportsbet
Melbourne Demons vs Fremantle Dockers (Saturday, 7:40PM AEST)
Melbourne and Fremantle will head to Darwin in Round 16 for their clash at TIO Stadium. The Demons have found themselves in a mid-season rut after losing their past 3 games and drifting down to seventh on the ladder. Their opposition this weekend aren’t travelling too well themselves, sitting in 13th position with just 6 wins to their name.
Melbourne have been a poor side for the majority of time Fremantle have been in the lead, which has lead to the Dockers holding a 22-14 head-to-head record. The Dockers have also won 8 of their past 9 games against Melbourne, although they were a much stronger team in past years than they are now.
The Demons find themselves in a must win game this weekend, whereas the Dockers season is already over and they’ll be without skipper Nat Fyfe for an extended period. For these reasons alone I see the Demons covering the line comfortably.
TIP: Demons at the line (-38.5) – $1.92 at CrownBet
Essendon Bombers vs Collingwood Magpies (Sunday, 3:20PM AEST)
Essendon and Collingwood will face off for the second time this season in a huge Sunday twilight game at the MCG. The Bombers are fighting to resurrect their season and make a push for the top 8, while the Magpies are sensationally sitting in second position after a huge couple of months.
The history between these sides goes a long way back so the head-to-head tally can be misleading. But in the last 10 games both sides have managed 5 wins each, which shows just how close the battles between these sides are, regardless of their ladder position at the time.
It’s a huge game for both clubs so I expect it to right down to the wire. However, the Magpies have shown a greater ability to close out games, so I’ll give them the nod in this one.
TIP: Magpies win by 1-39 – $2.15 at CrownBet
