AFL Round 22 Betting Predictions: Sydney, Melbourne to win while Bolton to star
Round 21 begins with an intriguing duel as St Kilda host Brisbane at Marvel Stadium on Friday night to keep the season alive.
The Lions will be hoping for a win to stay in touch with the Top 4 while the Saints need to secure the four points to put pressure on Richmond and Carlton in the round of 16.
The Western Bulldogs take on modern rivals GWS in a game to win as Melbourne and Carlton meet for the first time this year at the MCG on Saturday night.
Collingwood travels to Sydney and the SCG where both sides are battling for a top four position at the end of the season.
Here, at The sports newswe have compiled our betting predictions for round 22:
Odds courtesy of TAB.
We scored last week three our nine predictions.
Mabior Chol, Jake Stringer, Jeremy Cameron and Taylor Walker didn’t hit their predicted shot marks.
The Western Bulldogs failed to win while Richmond broke the +5.5 point line.
St Kilda are currently just outside the eight, two points behind Richmond and a game behind Carlton with two rounds to go.
Brisbane are tied for third place on points but are currently fifth in percentage terms.
The stage is set for an exciting match where both clubs have so much to offer.
The Lions have been in relatively good form lately, losing two of their last five by 17 points overall.
Chris Fagan’s men will also go into this competition with confidence and win the chocolates when these two teams last met in Round 13.
Brownlow favorite Lachie Neale’s final three weeks have been nothing short of impressive, with the former docker averaging 32 dismounts, nine clearances and three tackles.
Fighting for his second “Charlie,” Neale will need to be off the leash on Friday night if the Lions are looking to record their 15th win of the season.
Lachie Neale 30+ Divestments – $1.65
The ball is in the hands of the Western Bulldogs, who are two games out of the eight but meet GWS and Hawthorn in the remaining rounds.
The equation is simple, win and win well.
However, GWS broke a long losing streak with a win over an in-form Essendon and will be looking to anger their modern rivals dating back to the 2016 Group Stage final.
The Dogs have won their last three meetings by an average of 27 points and would need to emulate a similar result in their quest for the finals.
Aaron Naughton and Cody Weightman both kicked five Majors in those teams’ last clash and will demand a similar performance in Round 22.
Naughton have scored 47 goals so far this year, averaging 2.5 per game, but remained goalless against Geelong (Round 20) and Essendon (Round seven).
Aaron Naughton 3+ goals – $2.40
Adelaide extended their winning streak to two over the weekend, disrupting Josh Kennedy’s farewell game after shocking Carlton the week before.
North Melbourne’s struggles came as no surprise in 2022 and have struggled of late, particularly in the last three weeks following their heartwarming win over Richmond.
The long-awaited return of Ben Cunnington should inspire her to have a hot crack this week.
However, the Crows have dominated the last three encounters, winning by 57, 44 and 41 points respectively.
In round 15, both Taylor Walker and Darcy Fogarty went off the leash, scoring 10 goals together and leading Adelaide to victory.
The pair have been in fine form of late, with the latter proving to be the next big forward for the Crows for years to come.
Darcy Fogarty 2+ Goals – $1.40
Gold Coast is officially out of the finals race, losing to Hawthorn last week by seven points.
Geelong is currently number one in the competition, winning 11 in a row as we get closer to action in September.
The Cats are a game ahead of Collingwood in second place and have almost secured a spot in the top two, with a win over the Suns cementing a home qualifier.
Playing for pride now, Stuart Dew’s men have been working towards something special, especially in 2022.
The emergence of some young stars has been positive for the Suns, but they are still aiming to reach the finals for the first time in their existence.
Tyson Stengle was arguably the recruit of the year, scoring 39 goals in 20 games for Geelong and proving problematic for opposing sides.
Averaging just under two majors a game, Stengle has scored in his last eight games and has been goalless just three times this year, adding another string to Chris Scott’s arc.
Expect him to hit the scoreboard.
Tyson Stengle 2+ Goals – $1.85
Melbourne’s most recent win/loss record suggests the side are struggling and have won just two of their last five games.
Aside from the Geelong game, however, the Demons had chances to end the game, with Collingwood and Western Bulldogs finding a way late in the last quarter.
Carlton have lost three of their last four, with their only win of that period against GWS.
Simon Goodwin’s men would be heavily tipped for this duel and would need to win to stay in touch with the top 4.
The Blues’ place in the Eight is in jeopardy as dates against Melbourne and Collingwood could result in two defeats with St Kilda and the Dogs biting on their heels.
Melbourne’s current form is just too strong for Carlton.
Melbourne wins – $1.27
Fremantle’s strong away win against the Dogs has propelled them back into the top four competition, they sit 6th on the ladder but have an easier fortnight than most teams above them.
West Coast couldn’t get up for Josh Kennedy’s farewell game but have played strong football for the past two weeks.
Dockers have a small buffer with the tie against Richmond in Round 19, meaning percentages won’t matter in their quest for a double chance.
Rory Lobb finished fourth last week and has been in strong form for Fremantle despite speculation about his departure at the end of the season.
The former giant has scored 34 goals this year and has only been scoreless twice.
Rory Lobb 2+ Goals – $1.08
After Richmond’s small slump that resulted in losses to Gold Coast, North Melbourne and a draw with Fremantle, the Tigers returned to the finals tally with a comeback win over Brisbane and a strong win over Port Adelaide.
Hawthorn’s form of late has been impressive, showing a glimpse of the future as she has won four of her last five games.
Damien Hardwick’s men are currently sitting in back-to-back but need to keep winning to avoid another missed series of finals.
The Hawks have spoiled parties in past seasons, including 2021 where they drew with Melbourne and defeated Brisbane and Western Bulldogs.
Shai Bolton was named the best player in the competition as his ability to play both in midfield and up front makes him almost impossible to match.
Bolton have kicked 39.39 this year, including 6.10 over the past two weeks, and tore those games apart.
He worries opponents when Richmond gets to the finals.
Shai Bolton 2+ Goals – $1.50
In a much-anticipated top four clash, the implications will be clear as the winner likely secures a place in the top four.
Sydney has been flawless for the last six weeks and has shot into Premiership competition lately with strong performances against Fremantle and Western Bulldogs.
Collingwood’s history on the pitch has been nothing short of amazing, turning a 17th place finish in 2021 into the current runners-up after 11 straight wins, including victories over Melbourne, twice, Fremantle and Carlton.
The Pies continue to get the job done in tight games, extending their record to 10-1 in games decided by two goals or less while the Swans make it more convincing.
Collingwood has not conceded more than 89 points in his winning streak and has been solid defensively, while Sydney has scored 100 points or more in four of his last five.
Up close, the swans look a little more stable than the black and white ones and will get the chocolates.
Sydney wins – $1.38
The final game of the round between Essendon and Port Adelaide will be played for bragging rights as September’s winner makes no difference.
The Power’s season, which started 0-5, was well underway and looking set to reach the final before they faced Melbourne, Geelong, Collingwood and Richmond in back-to-back weeks, essentially ending their year.
Essendon’s second half of the year has been impressive but fans are wondering where it was in the first 11 games.
Ken Hinkley’s men picked up four points the last time these teams met, but a date at Marvel Stadium could mean something else.
The Bombers will look to end their 2022 season strong and work towards 2023, with under-roof speed appealing to Ben Rutten’s men.
Essendon Wins – $1.77
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