2022 AFL Round 18 Betting Predictions
Round 18 features two Saturday night top 8 battles as the Cats play the Blues and the Dockers host the Swans in Perth.
Western Bulldogs (10th) vs St Kilda Saints (9th)
The Dogs should be desperate for a win on Friday night after another disappointing effort in Sydney last week. They went down 120-67 as all aspects of their game were poor. However, they do enjoy playing at Marvel and with a finals spot up for grabs, that should motivate their squad.
The Saints are coming off a 41 point loss at this venue against the Dockers and as a result, this is a must-win clash. They're still 1 win ahead of the Dogs so a victory would give them a nice gap on the ladder. If they can look at the Swans gameplan last week, the Saints should have success when they move the ball forward.
Both sides have allowed 90+ pts in their last 2 games and the Marvel stadium factor should mean this is a high scoring affair between two desperate teams to reach the top 8.
Stadium Record
The Dogs are 5-1 in their last 6 at Marvel. St Kilda are 5-3 at Marvel this season.
Head to Head Record
The Saints are 3-1 in the last 4 meetings.
Best Bet
Adelaide Crows (15th) vs Collingwood Magpies (6th)
The Crows were poor last week in their 86-54 loss against the Hawks as their defence couldn't stop the Hawks forward line. This is a tough challenge against the in-form Pies but it's all about getting games into their younger players at this point.
The Pies survived the ultimate scare on Saturday as they held on to beat the last placed Roos by 8 points. While they don't travel interstate often, they do have a good record at the Adelaide Oval. So with a potential top 4 spot up for grabs, the Pies should be fired up. Especially in Pendles 350th game, all at Collingwood.
Collingwood are 7-0 ATS against the Crows and have won their last 7 games this season. With Pendles playing his 350th, the Pies shouldn't have much trouble this week.
Stadium Record
Adelaide are 1-4 in their last 5 at home. Collingwood are looking for a 5th straight win in Adelaide.
Head to Head Record
The Pies are 5-0 against the Crows since 2018.
Best Bet
Greater Western Sydney Giants (13th) vs Brisbane Lions (4th)
The Giants come off kicking just 29 pts against the Power last week in Adelaide. They also have a poor record in Canberra and the Lions will come out firing after last week. So the Giants will need to be switched on early.
The Lions suffered a close loss against the Bombers at the Gabba on Sunday. But they were struck by the covid / injury bug and should be able to get some experience back into the side this week.
There's more to play for in terms of finals for the Lions and they should get some of the best 22 back this week. GWS also has a poor record in Canberra and Brisbane should take full advantage.
Stadium Record
GWS have lost 6 of their last 7 in Canberra. Brisbane are yet to play at this venue.
Head to Head Record
The Lions are 3-0 against the Giants and beat them by 14 points in Round 11.
Best Bet
North Melbourne Kangaroos (18th) vs Richmond Tigers (8th)
It's been an interesting week for the Roos. They almost pulled off an upset win over the Pies on Saturday. Despite that performance, David Noble has been sacked. It really sums up how North are travelling and hopefully the players can continue the momentum from last week.
The Tigers will be disappointed to lose after the siren against the Suns but they're still in the top 8. So they'll need a percentage boosting win over the last placed Roos.
Bolton was brilliant last week with 3 goals despite the loss and he gets a favourable matchup against the Roos backline.
Stadium Record
North have lost 5 straight at Marvel. Richmond has lost 4 of their last 6 at this venue.
Head to Head Record
The Tigers have won 4 of the last 5 meetings.
Best Bet
Carlton Blues (5th) vs Geelong Cats (1st)
The Blues thumped the Eagles in Perth 116-53 and they should be ready for the top of the table Cats. Their forward line is the key agianst the Cats backline and Jacob Weitering made a successful return from injury. So that'll help their defence against the likes of Hawkins and Cameron.
The Cats made a statement last Thursday with a 91-63 win over the Demons and now sit atop the ladder by percentage. The victory will likely help them deal with the Blues pressure and the extra few days rest is an advantage.
Geelong have the wood over Carlton with 11 wins in the last 13 meetings. Carlton are also coming off a Sunday trip from Perth and Geelong played at home on Thursday. So this likely give the Cats an advantage in the second half on their way to a 1-39 victory.
Stadium Record
Carlton are 4-2 at the MCG this year. Geelong are 7-1 at the MCG since 2021.
Head to Head Record
The Cats have won 4 of the last 5 meetings.
Best Bet
Fremantle Dockers (3rd) vs Sydney Swans (7th)
The Dockers got the job done over the Saints last week and sit 3rd on the ladder. They've been tough to beat at Optus this season and also have a good record against Sydney on their home turf.
The Swans got back on track with an impressive 120-67 win over the Dogs and will head to Perth with confidence. However, their record away from home this year isn't great and will need to bring last week's gameplan to overturn that.
Freo enjoy playing at Optus Stadium, especially against the Swans. However, it should be a tight battle with the home side just getting the job done by 1-39.
Stadium Record
Freo are 7-2 at Optus this season. Sydney are 3-3 at this venue.
Head to Head Record
The Dockers have won the last 3 against Sydney in Perth.
Best Bet
Hawthorn Hawks (14th) vs West Coast Eagles (17th)
The Hawks recorded a nice win over the Crows at Marvel last week 86-54. This is another winnable game for the young Hawks and their forward line should have plenty of success against the reeling Eagles.
The Eagles are coming off a tough loss against the Blues at home and will look to respond against the Hawks. They do have a good record against Hawthorn but will need to improve defensively.
West Coast gave the Tigers a tough battle at the MCG a few weeks ago and they've covered in 7 of their last 9 at this venue.
Stadium Record
Hawthorn have lost 5 of their last 6 at this venue. West Coast are 1-4 at the MCG since 2019.
Head to Head Record
The Eagles are 4-1 in the last 5 meetings since 2018.
Best Bet
Melbourne Demons (2nd) vs Port Adelaide Power (12th)
The Dees are looking to bounce back after a disappointing 91-63 loss against the Cats in Geelong. This clash will also be tougher without the injured Clayton Oliver as he will miss with a thumb injury. However, Gawn and Jackson made a successful return from injury last week and should be able to dominate the Power in the stoppages.
The Power thrashed the Giants last week to keep their top 8 hopes alive. But they'll need a few upsets to get there, starting with Melbourne this week.
The Under has a good record between these two sides at 8-0. Melbourne haven't conceded over 70 pts to a bottom side in their last 4. Meanwhile, the Power's backline allowed just 29 pts last week.
Stadium Record
Melbourne holds a 4-6 record at this venue since 2010. Port are 2-2 at this venue since 2011.
Head to Head Record
The head to head is locked at 4-4 since 2016.
Best Bet
Essendon Bombers (16th) vs Gold Coast Suns (11th)
The Bombers are finished off the season nicely with back to back wins over the Swans and Lions. They should be confident of a 3rd straight win at home against the Suns. They've dominated the Suns in this head to head and Peter Wright will be fired up to face his former team.
The Suns are still a chance of finals after a thrilling comeback against the Tigers on Saturday afternoon. They stormed home with 6 goals in the last quarter and Noah Anderson nailed a set shot after the siren. So they'll look to continue the momentum on Sunday in Melbourne.
The market is saying this will be a close affair and it's pretty hard to pick a winner. The Suns want to play finals but the Bombers are playing well now after 2 wins over top 8 sides. So we like the storyline of Peter Wright against his former team to kick 3 goals. He's kicked 15 goals in his last 4 games as well.
Stadium Record
Essendon are 8-3 in their last 11 at Marvel. Gold Coast have lost 6 of their last 8 at this venue.
Head to Head Record
The Bombers have a great 9-1-2 record against the Suns.
Best Bet
