Sportsbet Blog

After a great season the NRL finals are finally here and we now have the opportunity to see some excellent rugby being played. Only the best have come this far and now a loss can result in a team’s season being over.

With all eight teams desperately wanting to take the NRL premiership, the first round of the NRL finals is bound to be a thriller. The 2009 NRL season was tough and many teams have been lucky to make it this far.

We will soon see who really has what it takes to win the 2009 NRL premiership.

Storm V Sea Eagles

7:45pm Friday Night at Etihad Stadium

This will probably be the best and closest match of the first round of the NRL finals. Both teams were ranked very closely together over the last few rounds of a home and away season and finished with only one point separating them on the ladder. There is no doubt that they earned their position in the NRL finals and now they need to show if they really deserve it.

Tip: Manley Sea Eagles – Under 12.5 points – Odds of $3.40

Titans V Broncos

6:30pm Saturday at Skilled Park Stadium

The Broncos were unlucky to miss out on a top 4 position and they fell only just short. The Titans finished third overall. It is my belief that the Titans do not have the resolve to keep up with the Broncos in this finals match. My money is on the Broncos to win by over 12 points

Tip: Brisbane Broncos – Over 12.5 points – $2.70

Bulldogs V Knights

8:30pm Saturday Night at ANZ Stadium

The Knights will have a huge challenge on their hands in the first round of NRL finals. The Bulldogs will be annoyed after missing out on the minor premiership and I believe that they will take their revenge here. I wouldn’t be surprised with a 20+ point victory for the Bulldogs.

Tip: Bulldogs – Over 12.5 points – $2.72

Dragons V Eels

4:00pm Sunday at WIN Jubilee Stadium

The Eels will be lucky to survive the first round of the NRL finals as they come up against St George Illawarra. However, there are big questions looming whether the Dragons really have what it takes to win the premiership. I can definitely see them making it that far and they should win here in the first round of the NRL finals.

Tip: Dragons – Over 12.5 points – $2.60

Betfair is the best place for all of your NRL Finals betting. Check out the review of thier site HERE.

The finals are here and this is where the experts really earn their money.

Tipping the winning teams in the finals series is a tough task let alone the Grand Final so following the guys they make a living out of the AFL can be a good tactic for your footy tipping competition and for your betting over the weekend.

Like last week, this week I like Sam Lanes tips. She looks to have the margins pretty right as well. Let see if she can continue her good tipping form.

Make sure to checkout our week 1 finals footy tips.

Caroline Wilson	Rohan Connolly	Robert Walls	Nathan Buckley
Adelaide 28	Adelaide 48	Adelaide 40	Adelaide 28
Geelong 9	Geelong 8	Western Bulldogs 18	Geelong 10
Brisbane 12	Carlton 6	Carlton 12	Brisbane 11
Collingwood 17	St Kilda 16	St Kilda 15	Collingwood 6
Garry Lyon	Rex Hunt – 3AW	Dennis Cometti	Samantha Lane
Adelaide 30	Adelaide 27	Adelaide 50	Adelaide 47
W Bulldogs 15	Geelong 17	Geelong 10	Geelong 11
Carlton 8	Brisbane 14	Brisbane 11	Carlton 2
St Kilda 3	St Kilda 7	St Kilda 19	St Kilda 9

Week one of the AFL finals series is upon us and is set to be one of the best in some years with many of the big Victorian clubs a good chance of making 2009 their own.

The game of the week would have to be the rematch against the Bulldogs and the Cats. Both are evenly matched sides and play a very tough brand of footy. It will be a awesome game.

The match odds below are all from Betfair. Betfair are the place to go this finals series with the biggest list of AFL exotics and are proven to have the best odds around making them a must have betting account. Checkout all the latest AFL odds at Betfair or if you are new to the whole “Betfair Revolution” take a look at our site review.

Elimination Final Number 1

Adelaide V Essendon Friday Night at AAMI Stadium

Tip: Adelaide

With Paddy Ryder, Sam Longergan and captain Matthew Lloyd all suspended from the Hawks game last week it will make the task of beating the Crown in Adelaide a monumental task.

Adelaide are flying at the moment and I see them as a smokey for the premiership this year.

Adelaide wont be without their injury worries though with Nathan van Berlo, David Mackay and Brad Moran set to come back but with limited training sessions.

Nathan Bock will be a massive inclusion for this game and is likely to rejoin the Crows after training well earlier this week. He has been out of the team since round 18 against Geelong where he suffered a small fracture in his heel.

Match Odds

Adelaide 1.13

Essendon 7.80

My prediction is the Crows by over 39 points. With odds of 1.95 with Betfair.

Elimination Final Number 2

Brisbane Lions V Carlton Saturday Night at the Gabba

Tip: Carlton

At first look at this game one would think that Brisbane would have this game wrapped up against the Blues at the Gabba. But the Lions have a host of injuries that will effect every line on the Brisbane side. Daniel Merrett,  Josh Drummond,  Simon Black, and Daniel Bradshaw are all unlikely to play. Jed Adcock is also under an injury cloud and will not play.

This evens up everything and makes it a tough ask to tip. With all the Brisbane injury worries it will cause too many vulnerabilities for them to plug up. This will give the Blues the ability to counter attack with ease which should see them deeper into the finals.

Match Odds

Brisbane 2.04

Carlton 1.94

I think 1.94 for the Blues is pretty good so taking them straight win here

Qualifying Final Number 1

St Kilda V Collingwood, Sunday at the MCG

Tip: St Kilda

The punters have given the Saints clear favouritism for the flag at Betfair so St Kilda now need to back it up with a convincing win to throw all doubt that they peaked too early in the season.

I’m tipping the Saints will come out with all guns blazing and will be eager to get back into the form we know they have in them.

Collingwood on the other hand looked gutted after last weeks defeat to the Bulldogs dropping them to the 4th position on percentage by only 2 points. They played a fast finals paced game which could prove costly as the Saints had another “conserving” match against Melbourne on Sunday.

Nick Riewoldt has taken to the bigger MCG ground after kicking 6 goals and taking 9 marks after a slow start to the game last week. He has also said he will be 100% right for the packed house match with the Pies so expect another capatins effort from him.

St Kilda will miss Michael Gardiner in the ruck for one week longer with his hamstring not quite up to match fitness.

Match Odds

St Kilda 1.71

Collingwood 2.30

I like the St Kilda half time/full time double paying 2.06 with Betfair

Qualifying Final Number 2

Geelong V Western Bulldogs, Saturday at the MCG

Tip: Geelong

Can the Bulldogs unset the Cats again within a month that will put real doubt into 2009 for the Geelong camp. I can’t see this happening. Geelong are a class unit and will have numerous game plans to tackle what ever the Doggies throw at them.

The Cats injury list has shorted in the last few weeks giving them a near full list to pick from. One player the Cats do need back one the ground is Steve Johnson but again he be out of the team and needs another week to recover from injury.

Big man Brad Ottens will be the key to the match after an impressive return to the senior list last week with 13 possessions in two thirds of the game with the Cats.

Match Odds

Geelong 1.90

Western Bulldogs 2.08

Take Geelong for the straight win here.