Sportsbet Blog

There are only three games on for the remaining of round thirteen but I don’t think it will be a non eventful weekend of footy.

Friday night sees long awaited grand final rematch of the Saints and the Cats also being 1v2 on the ladder.

Another great game will be  the Swans V the Pies on Saturday night. Can the Pies get their year back on track away from home?

Best bet of Round 13 (week 2)

This week I like Geelong to win between 1-39 points paying 2.22 at Sportsbet. Although the bookies are expecting a score blowout I think it may be closer than they think.

St Kilda V Geelong Friday Night at the MCG

Tip: Geelong

Odds: St Kilda 3.50 Geelong 1.38

Although the Cats look far too strong for St Kilda my prediction is a 2 or 3 goal winning margin to Geelong.

The Saints will close the game down and should work for most of the night but the potency of the cats will show through and get the win.

Keep an eye on Brendon Goddard. I think he will play a mixed roll throughout the match with both time up forward and down back.

Geelong are nearly unbackable with the short odds of 1.38 so add them with your other bets for a boost to your multi bets.

Sydney V Collingwood Saturday Night at ANZ Stadium

Tip: Collingeood

Odds: Sydney 2.36 Collingwood 1.72

The Pies are desperate for a win away from home with a few cracks showing in their game in the past few weeks.

The game will be won in the contest possessions and the Pies on paper match up far better then the Swans and should lead in this stat which more times than not lead to a win.

Darren Jolly has been stuck in a bit of average form lately but will likely have a big game for the Pies in the ruck playing against his old club for the first time.

The Pies should cover the even line of -10.5 points easily, so stick with that and take home the handy $2.00 odds.

Adelaide V Melbourne Sunday at AAMI Stadium

Tip: Adelaide

Odds: Adelaide 1.65 Melbourne 2.48

If this match was in Melbourne I would be all over the Dee’s but being in SA I think their youth will struggle away from home.

Adelaide does have a few injury worries with Bock and Vince likely to play but not at 100%.

I’m tipping their other senior players will step up this week and keep the dreaded wooden spoon worries away, at least for now.

See week 2 of the spit round here

Although a short week, round 13′s split round has some interesting games that could shake up the top 8.

The game of this week is Hawthorn V Essendon on Friday night. It will be a massive test for the Hawks as they try to continue their 5 game winning streak.

Best Bet of Round Thirteen

I’ve been on a bit of a roll lately picking some winners with decent odds including the Saints by under 39 last week at $2.80, lets see if I can continue the good run.

This week I’m going with the Lions over the Tigers by 40+ points paying $3.35 at Sportsbet.

Hawthorn V Essendon Friday Night at the MCG

Tip: Hawthorn

Odds: Hawks 1.63 Bombers 2.54

Don’t discount the bombers on Friday night. I think they will bring it up to the Hawks in a fairly close game. Although my prediction is the Hawks will get the points, they may be getting a bit ahead of themselves so don’t bet heavily on this one.

I’m tipping the Hawks to win by under 39 points paying $2.30 at Sportsbet here

Carlton V Fremantle Saturday at Etihad Stadium

Tip: Carlton

Odds: Carlton 1.73 Freo 2.34

Freo were disappointing last week against a gallant St Kilda side over in the West. At times the Dockers looked lost so I think they will struggle in Melbourne against a quality side in the Blues.

Keep an eye on Judd, he is due for a big game after some average matches well below his standards.

Brisbane V Richmond Saturday night at the Gabba

Tip: Brisbane

Odds: Brisbane 1.46 Richmond 3.10

The bookies have given Richmond alot of respect giving them odds of 3.10 over at the Gabba. I’m tipping the Lions to get their year back on track and smash the Tigers.

Fev is now the lone hand up forward for the Lions for the next four weeks with Brown out injured. I expect this to encourage Fev to step up and show Jack Riewoldt how it is done.

Make sure to add them to your multi bets.

North Melbourne V Port Adelaide Sunday at Etihad Stadium

Tip: North Melbourne

Odds: North Melbourne 1.42 Port 3.35

With a potential top 8 spot on the line if they get a win over Port I think the Kangaroos will win comfortably. The Roo’s have gone under the radar with good wins over the Lions and Blues. They have shown they have a classy defense to hold back some of the leagues best.

Port have struggled to play a full four quarters of football and after five straight losses and look all but gone.

If your looking to bet on this match I’m taking North at the $2.00 even line of 22.5 points. I think they will get the line easily early in the match.

West Coast V Western Bulldogs Sunday at Subiaco Oval

Tip: Western Bulldogs

Odds: West Coast 3.30 Bulldogs 1.41

The Bulldogs will be out to get a big win and boost their chances for a top 4 finish to the season.

All the negative press about John Worsfold will make the job all the more difficult for the Eagles who were embarrassed in a massive loss to bottom of the ladder Richmond last week.

My prediction is the Bulldogs to win but not in a blow out so it might be worth loading up on the Bulldogs to win by over 15 points paying a short but safe $1.65 at Sportsbet.

Round 12 has a couple of flip a coin type games and could go either way. Although it may not be much of a spectacle, the West Coast v Richmond game will be a tough game to pick along with Port v Sydney over in AAMI Stadium, if we tip truly on both these games it could go a long way to winning the tipping comps.

The Match of round 12 is 3rd V 4th on the ladder in the Saints and Fremantle. Both clubs need the win to keep the buffer from the rest of the 8 who are nipping at their feet.

Bets Bet

Congrats to everyone who took last weeks best bet, we just covered the margin by 2 points taking the win.

Round 12′s bets bet is St Kilda to win between 1 and 39 points. I’m confident the Saints will do the job over in the west and at $2.80 there’s a nice amount to take home.

North Melbourne V Carlton Friday Night at Etihad Stadium

Tip: Carlton

Odds: North Melbourne 4.10 Carlton 1.32

The Blues are eying off a top 4 position and North wont get in their way.

North may match Carlton in the first half but the usual second half fade out will come back into their game ending their chances.

My prediction is Carlton by 25 points.

Hawthorn V Adelaide Saturday at Aurora Stadium

Tip: Hawthorn

Odds: Hawthorn 1.44 Adelaide 3.15

The Hawks are on fire at the moment and will easily account for the Crows. Hawthorn have a true home ground advantage in Tazzy which will hinder the Crows even more as they struggle on the road.

My prediction is the Hawks to win by over 39 points paying $3.20 at Sportsbet

Essendon V Geelong Saturday night at Etihad Stadium

Tip: Geelong

Odds: Essendon 4.60 Geelong 1.26

It will be interesting to see how the Cats perform for their first game at Etihad stadium this year. If the past season is anything to go by Essendon are in for a bit of trouble.

Jimmy Bartel has averaged an amazing 120 super coach points over the past four years at Etihad stadium which shows the domination Geelong have had at the ground.

Geelong will make it six wins in a row over the Bombers by a large margin, so take the the 40+points paying $2.30 at Sportsbet here.

Port Adelaide V Sydney Saturday night at AAMI Stadium

Tip: Sydney

Odds: Port Adelaide 1.92 Sydney 2.04

A hard game to tip but my prediction is Sydney will take the points in South Australia.

Port Adelaide were playing a good brand of footy at the start of the season but lately have looked unorganised and easy to exploit.

Keep an eye on Jude Bolton for Sydney. He will be the key to the match as he played well against Port (29 disposals last time they met) as well as in the wet as the forecast has predicted.

With odds of $2.04 I think Sydney is well worth a bet and a odds booster for your multi bets

Richmond V West Coast Sunday at the MCG

Tip: West Coast

Odds: Richmond 1.94 West Coast 2.04

The bookies have given Richmond a lot of respect installing them as favourite to win but I think they have it wrong.

The Tigers are stuck on the bottom of the ladder for a good reason and West Coast have shown some good form in the past few rounds including matching it with league leaders Geelong last week for most of the match.

I’m tipping the Eagles to win between 1 and 39 points paying $2.50 at Sportsbet

Western Bulldogs V Brisbane Sunday at Etihad Stadium

Tip: Western Bulldogs

Odds: Western Bulldogs 1.31 Brisbane 3.90

Brisbane will be troubled down back with Maguire and McGrath both out with injury so expect a big game from Barry Hall. I think he will be the difference between the clubs with both Fev and Brown yet to play at their potential up forward.

Shaun Higgins is out for the Doggies but key player Robert Murphy is set to return and slip back into his position so expect a big game from him.

Fremantle  V St Kilda Sunday at Subiaco Oval

Tip: St Kilda

Odds: St Kilda 2.36 Fremantle 1.71

It will be a huge test for the Saints to win on Sunday over in the West. Freo on form look the goods but the Saints know their way around Subiaco Oval well and have a good record over there.

I expect the Saints to step up a notch and force their game style onto the Dockers. This should be enough to get them over the line in a low scoring match.

Melbourne V Collingwood Monday at the MCG

Tip: Collingwood

Odds: Melbourne 5.90 Collingwood 1.19

Collingwood will be to strong and will easily get the win. They will be looking at scoring quickly and getting the important percentage booster which could be the difference of a top 4 spot this season.

Dane Swan was one of the game winners in last weeks defeat over the Bulldogs, he had plenty of perfect disposals so expect another big game from him.

This weeks match of round 11 is the blockbuster against Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs, both clubs have struggled with form lately so a win here could be the start of a form turn around.

Another interesting game is Sydney V Essendon at the SCG. It is the hardest game to tip in round eleven so it will be an important game to make sure a correct tip is made to ensure a top score in round 11.

For all the hardcore tippers out there the Centrebet 2010 World Cup Tipping Competition is now open. There is $10,000 up for grabs and its free to play. See the Centrebet Tipping site here for more info or to join the competition.

Best Bet

This week I’m taking a more conservative approach to this weeks bet after my multi bet disaster last week.

Take Sydney to win at the even $2 line of -7.5 points. I think the Swans will be able to cover the points here and get us a win.

Richmond V St Kilda Friday Night at Etihad Stadium

Tip: St Kilda

Odds: Richmond 7.60 St Kilda 1.14

The Saints will be going into this game with an attacking mindset to fully test their new forward structure.

St Kilda have some big matches coming up including Freo and Geelong so getting the attacking side of their game going as will as they can will be a priority so expect a full four quarter effort from them.

Carlton V Melbourne Saturday at the MCG

Tip: Carlton

Odds: Carlton 1.42 Melbourne 3.35

The Blues small forwards will do the job for them on Saturday and I think Melbourne will struggle to get easy possessions in their back line.

Melbourne have shown they can play some good football but the experience of Carlton will be to much for them.

Andrew Carrazzo will be one to keep an eye on. Last week he stared keeping Shannon Hurn quiet but I expect him to play a more hands on roll and rack up a high number of touches.

Adelaide V Fremantle Saturday at AAMI Stadium

Tip: Fremantle

Odds: Adeliade 3.20 Fremantle 1.44

Fremantle wont have any trouble getting past the Crows on Saturday.

They are playing a great brand of footy at the moment making life tough for the top teams let alone Adelaide who sit second last on the ladder with 2 wins.

Adelaide will find it very hard to match up on Freo as they have a perfect mix of height and speed all around the ground. My prediction is Freo to win be over 40 points paying $3.50 at the moment with Sportsbet.

North Melbourne V Brisbane Saturday Night at Etihad Stadium

Tip: Brisbane

Odds: North Melbourne 2.52 Brisbane 1.64

There plenty of value for the Lions at 1.64 and think they will get a comfortable win.

The Roos have lost their three of their last four and Brisbane found some for last week with a shock win over the top 4 side in Collingwood.

If the Lions can build on the form they showed last week I’m tipping them to win by at least 30 points.

Keep an eye out for the big man Jonathan Brown, he loves to play against North and has averaged 3 goals against them in the past.

West Coast V Geelong Sunday at Subiaco Oval

Tip: Geelong

Odds: West Coast 7.40 Geelong 1.14

The bookies have Geelong at short odds this weekend at 1.14 but I think its just about right. Geelong has to many star players in their midfield that will open up the game and expose the youth of the Eagles.

My prediction is Geelong by 36 points so take them to win between 1 and 39 points paying 2.35 at Sportsbet.

Sydney V Essendon Sunday at the SCG

Tip: Sydney

Odds: Sydney 1.80 Essendon 2.22

This is a very hard game to tip with both clubs showing signs of greatness this season. I’m sticking with Sydney again this week, if the game was played in Melbourne it may have been a different story but the home ground advantage will be too tough for the young Essendon team.

Daniel Hannebery could be the difference for the Swans after his impressive 25 disposals including three goals in their narrow loss to the Hawks last week.

Hawthorn V Port Adelaide Sunday at the MCG

Tip: Hawthorn

Odds: Hawthorn 1.45 Port Adelaide 3.15

Even though Buddy has been rubbed out for this weekend the Hawks look like they have their act together and have enough depth in the team to get the points. They are ready to make a charge for a top 8 spot and will easily overcome Port.

Star recruit Shaun Burgoyne will be one to keep an eye on, he played a handy roll in the Hawks win over the Swans and I think he will improve again this week.

Collingwood V Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium

Tip: Collingwood

Odds: Collingwood 1.77 Western Bulldogs 2.26
With both teams going into this game with some problems its made it a hard game to tip.

I’m sticking with the Pies this week as I think if they drop a 3rd game in a row alarm bells will start ringing for the club.

The Aker dramas this week may take a toll on the Bulldogs who need to go back to basics after a disappointing loss to Essendon that included many simple errors.

Take the Pies at the even $2.00 line of -9.5 points.

This weeks round 10 games are pretty straight forward which makes footy tipping pretty easy this week. The match of Round ten is Friday nights Essendon V Bulldogs, both teams are playing exciting footy at the moment so its set to be a great game.

Best Bet of Round 10

This week I’m going all out and taking a 8 leg multi. Take all my footy tips below in a multi bet and you’ll get odds of around $3.70.

Essendon V Western Bulldogs Friday Night at Etihad Stadium

Tip: Western Bulldogs

Odds: Essendon 3.50 Bulldogs 1.38

The Bulldogs are looking very strong at the moment and have good form leading into this match after a 60 point demolishing of North last week.

Essendon will play their usual running game and it may pay off, but I think their forward line is where it will come unstuck and the Doggies will rebound quickly.

Barry Hall will be in the spot light Friday night but this time it will be his opponent that the umpires will be keeping a close eye on after the fiasco last week, one wrong move and Barry will be lining up for goal.

Geelong V Melbourne Saturday at Skilled Stadium

Tip: Geelong

Odds: Geelong 1.07 Melbourne 13.00

Skilled Stadium has become a hoodoo for all clubs when they play Geelong there and Saturdays game will be no exception. They play a brand of football that is very hard to defend and attack, they seem to go up a notch when playing in Geelong.

Expect them to stamp out Melbourne early and finish with a 60+ point win. The 60 point + margin is paying $2.25 at the moment, checkout the Sportsbet site here for the latest odds.

Port Adelaide V Richmond Saturday at AAMI Stadium

Tip: Port Adelaide

Odds: Port 1.21 Richmond 5.40

Although Richmond have lost they have played some “ok” footy in the past two weeks so this may be a danger game for Port, and my multi bet.

My prediction is that Port will win but it wont be a blow out like the bookies are expecting.

Jack Riewoldt will be one to lookout for after kicking 10 goals 2 behinds for Richmond over the past fortnight.

Brisbane V Collingwood  Saturday Night at the Gabba

Tip: Collingwood

Odds: Brisbane 4.20 Collingwood 1.29

On paper this should be an even game with the two spear heads at Brisbane and experience all over the ground at the Pies, but Fev and Brown are yet to hit there full potential together this year making life hard for the Lions.

My prediction is Collingwood will bounce back after their disappointing loss to Geelong and continue their near perfect start to the year.

Jed Adcock is a massive out for the Lions, he fractured his foot in last week game and will be out for many weeks.

St Kilda V Adelaide Saturday Night at Etihad Stadium

Tip: St Kilda

Odds: St Kilda 1.24 Adelaide 4.80

The Saints look as though they have woken up and got back in the swing of things after an impressive win over the Eagles last week in WA. They played sharp footy and the team looked comfortable in their positions which they have lacked for a few weeks.

Expect them to put the squeeze on the Crows early in the game then open the game up in the 2nd half to get away to a winning margin.

If your looking at betting on this match take St Kilda’s winning margin to be between 1-39 points paying $2.15 at Sportsbet. It will be another low scoring game under 39 points looks likely.

Hawthorn V Sydney Sunday at the MCG

Tip: Hawks

Odds: Hawks 1.35 Sydney 3.65

Everyone is back on the Hawks bandwagon including the bookies with the short odds of 1.35 for them to win.

Their win last week had glimpses of 2008 in it so if they can replicate that they should have another win on Sunday.

You might be thinking $3.65 sounds pretty good for a Sydney win? Think again, key players Tadhg Kennelly and forward Daniel Bradshaw will be out this week due to injury and they are still without Craig Bolton (achilles), Craig Bird (foot), Mark Seaby (ankle) making this game a very had task for them. Stick with the Hawks.

Carlton V West Coast Sunday at Etihad Stadium

Tip: Carlton

Odds: Carlton 1.22 West Coast 5.30

If West Coast can’t win at home I don’t give them much hope against the Blues in Melbourne. They faded out in last weeks 35 point loss to St Kilda, something they are not usually known so there might be some worrying times ahead for the Eagles.

Carlton will be eager to bounce back after the shock loss to the Hawks, keep an eye on Chris Judd again this week after a game high 30 possessions last week including 19 kicks.

The Eagles will again be without Darren Glass who is suffering an abdominal injury

Fremantle V North Melbourne Sunday at Subiaco Oval

Tip: Fremantle

Odds: Fremantle 1.15 North 7.00

Freo will out class North all over the field Sunday afternoon as they continue their great start to the season.

They currently sit equal 1st on the ladder behind the Pies and Geelong on percentage but a big win here could see them take 2nd spot so expect the Dockers to play the game out right to the end.

Freo’s Nathan Fyfe is this weeks AFL Rising Star after his 23 disposals against Sydney last week so expect another good game from him.

On a side note, Matthew Pavlich is now the outright leader of the AFLCA champion player of the year award. Today might be a good time to get on him for the Brownlow Medal, his paying a handy $21 at the moment but is sure to shorten over the next few weeks with a some very winnable games over the next month.