Sportsbet Blog

The celebrity/pro footy tips this week have gone against the bookies with all but Sam Lane tipping North Melbourne to beat the Saints on Sunday afternoon and the Bulldogs to beat Melbourne on Friday night. For this reason I’m sticking with Sam’s tips this week.

Make sure to checkout out resident AFL Pro’s tips here for round 15.

Sportsbet have a free competition running. When you pick the winning side and the margin they win by you get $500! See more info on the Friday $500 comp here.

Our prediction for the Sportsbet Friday 500 competition this week is to follow the three of the six pro tippers who have picked Melbourne to win by 18 . For more info on the Friday 500 comp see the Sportsbet site here.

Caroline Wilson	Robert Walls	Garry Lyon
Melbourne 18	Melbourne 18	Melbourne 13
Carlton 12	Carlton 12	Carlton 20
Fremantle 30	Fremantle 30	Fremantle 30
Geelong 60	Geelong 60	Geelong 15
Sydney 24	Sydney 24	Sydney 16
Brisbane 12	Brisbane 12	Brisbane 27
Collingwood 12	Collingwood 12	Collingwood 11
North Melbourne 12	North Melbourne 12	North Melbourne 10
Matthew Richardson	Dennis Cometti	Samantha Lane
Melbourne 18	Melbourne 6	Western Bulldogs 18
Carlton 22	Carlton 18	Carlton 26
Fremantle 31	Fremantle 33	Fremantle 10
Geelong 29	Geelong 37	Geelong 40
Sydney 10	Sydney 11	Sydney 12
Brisbane Lions 17	Brisbane 2	Brisbane 8
Collingwood 21	Collingwood 35	Collingwood 6
North Melbourne 8	North Melbourne 1	St Kilda 7

Round 15 of the 2011 AFL footy season promises to make your footy tips tricky this round. Below you will find all your footy tips, predictions, match previews and latest odds to help make the right choice.

The Bulldogs will have another mini final when they face Melbourne at Etihad stadium Friday night to kick off the round. I am really looking forward to the Richmond vs. Carlton game on Saturday afternoon and the 2nd Vs. 3rd Blockbuster Sunday between Collingwood and Hawthorn before the round concludes with another must win between North Melbourne & St Kilda at Etihad.

Best Bet of Round 15 for me is the Brisbane Lions between 1-39 which is paying 2.25 at Sportingbet.

Checkout the pro/celebrity tips for round 15 here

Western Bulldogs V Melbourne Friday night at Etihad Stadium

This is another must win for the Dogs as they look to win their third in a row. Adam Cooney was brilliant last week getting the Dogs out to a big lead in the first half before they took their foot off the gas in the second half but still won comfortably.

The Demons are in the eight after their big win against the Tigers last week. Number one draft pick Jack Watts is starting to show Demons fans why Melbourne rate him so highly and hopefully he can continue his good form for the rest of the season.

In what could be a high scoring game I think the demons can get the points to cement their spot in the eight.

Tip: Demons by 21 points

Odds: Bulldogs 2.04 Demons 1.79

More often than not Friday night footy starts with a goal as first scoring play, this looks good at $3.50

Richmond V Carlton Saturday at the MCG

Both teams are coming off losses in Round 14. The Tigers were gutsy against Melbourne but could not find a consistent goal kicker up forward. They will recall Jake King after a one week ban and may look to include midfielder Shane Tuck after some good form in the reserves in recent weeks.

Carlton were expected to win last week but were confronted by a West Coast team full of confidence. Full back Michael Jamison will be missing for the next month with a knee injury and the Blues may welcome back Jarred Waite, Ed Curnow, Nick Duigan & Brock McLean.

Tip: Blues by 17 points

Odds: Tigers 4.00 Blues 1.25

At $24 the qtr. by qtr. leaders of Carlton/Richmond/Carlton/Carlton looks very appealing to me

Fremantle V Gold Coast Saturday at Patersons Stadium

The Dockers were slow starters last week against Brisbane but got the points in the end with skipper Matthew Pavlich leading from the front. They will again be without All Australian ruckman Aaron Sandilands after he reinjured his foot.

The Suns fought the game out to the end last week and only went down by 22 points when it could have easily been another 80 point blowout. They will go into this game as heavy underdogs again and will need everyone to play the game of their life to get the points here. Brandon Matera & Trent McKenzie should be additions to the side as the Gold Coast will continue to rest young players throughout the season.

Tip: Dockers by 67 points

Odds: Dockers 1.10 Suns 7.25

Fremantle to win between 60-69 is a risky bet but at $9.00 could be worth putting a few dollars on

Essendon V Geelong Saturday night at Etihad Stadium

Five weeks ago many would have pencilled this in as a Blockbuster against top four sides. The Cats are still undefeated but since then Essendon have lost 5 in a row and look to be lost out on the field.

Will the acquisition of Bomber Thompson from Geelong over the summer help Essendon here? Maybe a little, but they will need a lot more to go right if they are to get close to the Cats.

Watson, Lonergan & Myers are out for Essendon with injuries and the Cats will likely recall Bartell, Ottens, Kelly, Stokes, Hunt & Vardy. Enough said.

Tip: Cats by 46 points

Odds: Bombers 7.50 Cats 1.09

Essendon got away to a flyer against the Hawks with a goal inside 20 seconds, if they can repeat this against the Cats and score the opening Goal before any other score it is paying a healthy $4.50 at Sportingbet.

Sportingbet give you a massive $150 free bet just for depositing $30 and using the promo code BETFREE when joining! See more details on the Sportingbet site here.

Adelaide V Sydney Saturday night at AAMI Stadium

The Crows showed some good signs late against Geelong last week which will please their coaches and fans. David MacKay and Richard Tambling are possible call ups at the expense of Henderson, Schmidt, Jaensch & Symes.

The Swans showed against Collingwood that they can still match it with the best only falling short by a goal. Their never say die attitude keeps them in every game. Goodes, Bolton & McViegh will lead from the front as they should get the points against the Crows.

Tip: Swans by 35 points

Odds: Crows 2.95 Swans 1.40

Adelaide/Sydney/Sydney/Sydney quarter by quarter leaders is paying $8.50 in this one.

Brisbane V Port Adelaide Sunday at the Gabba

This will be the only game of the Round that will not any effect on the rest of the competition. Both teams are desperate for a win for their fans and will come out firing.

The Lions with home ground advantage will prove too strong for Port Adelaide.

Tip: Lions by 28 points

Odds: Lions 1.40 Power 2.95

It’s a 50/50 bet at $1.95, choose either even or odd for the total score of the match combined.

Collingwood V Hawthorn Sunday at the MCG

This will be an absolute ripper. Second Vs. Third on the ladder and a possible finals preview. Expect a huge crowd at the MCG on Sunday.

Collingwood let a 5 goal lead slip against Sydney and found themselves trailing in the last quarter before rallying to win by a goal. Alan Didak will miss a couple of weeks through injury but the Pies could welcome back premiership stars Darren Jolly & Brent Macaffer.

The Hawks blew away Essendon last Friday night without spearhead Lance Franklin who will come back in after his one match ban. They will be without Jordan Lewis for 2 weeks through suspension, while Cyril Rioli & Brad Sewell have been added to the Hawks ever growing injury list.

Tip: Pies by 12 points

Odds: Magpies 1.31 Hawks 3.50

The Hawks have had some big first halves this year and the Magpies are the dominant team in finishing games, The Hawks halftime leaders/Collingwood full time leaders is paying a healthy $6.80

North Melbourne V St Kilda Sunday at Etihad Stadium

The Roos are one of the form teams of the competition in the last month and will need another win to stay in touch with the top eight. Drew Petrie is in All Australian form and their younger players are starting to stand up.

After a week off with the bye St Kilda will come back refreshed and ready for a second half push to make the eight. They will need their leaders to have a stellar second half to the season if they are any chance of finals. They will be forced to make at least one change with Justin Koschitzke out for 2 weeks through suspension.

Tip: Saints by 3 points

Odds: Kangaroos 2.00 Saints 1.82

The Halftime margin of St Kilda leading between 1-12 is paying $4.10 and could be worth looking at.

The round 15 game of the week is Carlton v Western Bulldogs. The winner will secure 5th on the ladder and potentially a game clear from the rest of the 8. It’s the first true “must win” game of the year and bound to be one of the best of the year.

Best Bet of Round 15

This week I’m loading up on Essendon to beat the Dees at 1.94. They are likely winners and there plenty of value at $1.94. Click here to see the latest odds for this bet.

Port Adelaide v Collingwood Friday night at AAMI stadium
Tip: Collingwood
Odds: Port Adelaide 6.60 Collingwood 1.17
The Pies have the wood over Port even at AAMI stadium winning their last three encounters.
The bookies have the odds about right for the pies at 1.17. My prediction they will win by 50 plus points so if your betting account is loaded up put a big chunk on them and take home the easy winnings.

Geelong v Hawthorn Saturday at the MCG
Tip: Geelong
Odds: Geelong 1.40 Hawthorn 3.40
The Cats will be out to have a big win to squash any hopes the hawks have of making 2010 theirs.
Geelongs midfield is much to strong to be held by the hawks and will dominate in that area, I expect their big name to lead the way to a comfortable Cats win.
The hand injury to star Sam Mitchell will only make the task harder for the threatening Hawks.

West Coast v Adelaide Saturday at Subiaco Oval
Tip: West Coast
Odds: West Coast 2.84 Adelaide 1.53
Although the Crows are back in town I think the trip to WA will be to much of them. They haven’t had a win away from home this season and have only taken the points over the eagles three times in their history when in the west.West Coast will be desperate for a win after hitting rock bottom of the ladder last week and if they can hold Kurt Tippett to a couple of goals I think they can get the job done.

Brisbane v St Kilda Saturday night at the Gabba
Tip: St Kilda
Odds: Brisbane 4.80 St Kilda 1.26
It is proven that when a certain player is in a team it can lift a team and the expected return of Nick Riewoldt will give that lift.
Kosi and Jason Gram are also expected to come back for the Saints giving them a full strength side.
The Saints will get a big win over the undermanned and out of form Brisbane side.

Richmond v Fremantle Saturday night at the Etihad Stadium
Tip: Fremantle
Odds: Richmond 2.74 Fremantle 1.57
The two surprise clubs of this year will go head to head in what could be one of the games of the year.
I think Jack Riewoldt will have a rare tough day at the office with the Richmond side likely to struggle to get a clean ball to their forward line. This is where I expect Freo to win the game and take the points.

Sydney v North Melbourne Sunday at the SCG
Tip: Sydney
Odds: Sydney 1.51 North Melbourne 2.90
I predict the Swans to bounce back in a big way and start to work their way back up the top 8.
They played a great 3 quarters against Richmond last week and dropped away in the last so expect a full four quarter game from Sydney.
Keep an eye on Mumford in the ruck, he has had a great season for the Swans and should do well this weekend against a weaker ruck combination in McIntosh and Goldstein.

Melbourne v Essendon Sunday at the MCG
Tip: Essendon
Odds Melbourne 2.04 Essendon 1.94
Although the Bombers have lost Fletcher and Pears in Defense for this match I think they will be fired up from the get go and take the win to quell the bad press they have had recently.
Melbourne were very disappointing last week against the Saints, they had the opportunity to take the game on but simple turnovers kept them out of reach. If they play a similar type of game again expect a big win for Essendon.

Carlton v Western Bulldogs Sunday at Etihad Stadium
Tip: Western Bulldogs
Odds Carlton 2.64 Western Bulldogs 1.59
Both these teams desperately need a win to keep any hope of a top 4 end to the season and will be going into the match as they would in a finals match.
I think the game will be won in the Carlton forward line with Bulldog Brian Lake taking ownership of majority of the time in defense.
If he can continue his usual form a think the Bulldogs will get the win in a tight match.

This weeks game of the round is Friday nights Bulldogs V Collingwood game which should be a great game to watch even for the neutral supporter. Another interesting game will be the Geelong against the Lions at the Gabba. Can Geelong keep their heads up even without some of their big names?

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Sports Bet of the Round

This weeks bet of the round is in a Carlton, Hawthorn and the Bulldogs in a multi bet. It will pay around $3.10 at Sportsbet who will also give you a $50 free bet on this weeks tip just for signing up with them.

Western Bulldogs V Collingwood Friday Night at Etihad Stadium

Tip: Western Bulldogs

Another Friday night football blockbuster that should see Etihad stadium full again. Surprisingly the Bulldogs have only beaten one top eight side this year so they will be out to prove that they are a genuine contender for the premiership. Collingwood will be out to do the same after only beating two teams in the top 8. Brad Johnson and Adam Cooney are in fine form for the Doggies and will be the key to winning the match.

If the Bulldogs play with their usual flare they will be too hard to stop and should win comfortably by around 30 points.

Sydney V Essendon Saturday at the SCG

Tip: Essendon

Jobe Watson and Mark McVeigh are expected to return for the big game in Sydney this weekend. They will be needed inclusions in what was a disappointing performance last week against the pies. The Swans are locking down the hatches to weather the storm after two of the teams greats Barry Hall and Micheal O’Loughlin left the team which will effect how they play the game. Sydney will try put up a fight but will run out of legs come the end of the game. The Dons by 24 points.

Carlton V Richmond Saturday at the MCG

Tip: Carlton

Carlton will get the points here over a unorganised Tigers side. The Blues showed they can play under pressure with a good come back performance last week against Freo getting their season back on track. Expect to see some good form from Fev as we start to get closer to the finals, he will need to step up and return to last years form if they want a chance of a top 4 position and a decent chance at a grand final birth.

Brisbane V Geelong Saturday Night at the Gabba

Tip: Geelong

The Cats have had a horrible seven days with their first loss to the season and a number of injuries that if not managed properly could shape the rest of the season. Darren Milburn, Harry Taylor, David Wojcinski, Cameron Ling and Steve Johnson will all be tested before the teams list is finalised. Brad Ottens injury is taking longer than first thought and will miss another 3 weeks or so. But that being said they still have the depth to be a near unstoppable team. Even though they are playing at the Gabba which Brisbane play well at, the Cats should have a easy win.

Gary Abletts looks to be on track to winning the Brownlow Medal this year with the odds getting shorter and shorter as the rounds go by. Its may be the right time to get a bet on with his price to win at $2.10 with IASbet.

Adelaide V Fremantle Saturday Night at AAMI Stadium

Tip: Adelaide

The Crows are likely to continue their five game winning streak against Freo this weekend. They are playing great footy at the moment and look to be peaking at the right time of the season. Brett Burton will be a massive inclusion and has put his hand up for selection with the Crows after nearly 12 months out of the game due to a knee reconstruction.

Matthew Pavlich is a 50/50 to make the Freo side which would be very costly if he cant recover from a calf injury in time for the game.

My prediction is the Crows by around 28 points.

Hawthorn V North Melbourne Sunday at Aurora Stadium

Tip: Hawthorn

I’m giving the Hawks one more chance to show what they are capable of. If they loose this one they might as well pack up shop and start playing the kids because they have a hellish run home with games against the Saints and Geelong to play in coming weeks. If Sam Mitchell doesn’t want another beer tipped over him again they better put on a better performance than last week for their record number of members. I think the loss may spark them into gear knowing now that there are alot of people looking at their results with interest. IASbet also think the Hawks will win and have set them at $1.51 to win.

You get a $100 free bet when betting only $50 at IASbet when using the promo code BFF100 on the signup page, this might be a good game to get a few dollars on Buddy Franklin to kick the first goal. Check out the latest odds here.

Melbourne V Port Adelaide Sunday at the MCG

Tip: Port Adelaide

Port will be desperate to keep in contention with the top 8 this weekend against a reinvigorated Demons side. Chad Cornes is a massive inclusion for the Power and will be sure to make his mark on the game.

The Melbourne forward line will need to be reshuffled after Colin Sylvia accepted a 3 week ban for striking West Coast’s Scott Selwood last weekend. This will be very costly for them and they will struggle to string 2 wins together on Sunday.

Port Adelaide by 30 points.

West Coast V St Kilda Sunday at Subiaco

Tip: St Kilda

Last week I dared to tip against my team the Saints and they come up with the good with what’s been called the greatest game of all time. It will be the last time I do that. St Kilda has still got the pressure that they showed early on in the season which has started to drop off a little until last week. They looked unstoppable and West Coast’s coach John Worsfold will find it very hard to find match ups all around the ground, especialy now that Dean Cox and Daniel Kerr look doutful for the game due to injury.

You might think that the Saints will blow the game out early but the Eagles caused one of the upsets of the year when they played last year in Perth easily accounting for the Saints. So if your looking to bet on this one I think Saints by under 39 would be a safe bet.