It was a tough week for BYB followers in the AFL last weekend as we hit on just four of nine betting tips. Round 8 of the season gets underway on Thursday night with an interesting clash between the Suns and Bulldogs.
As usual, we have a dedicated preview for the Thursday night clash, but if you want to read our betting tips for the rest of the Round 8 action, head to our AFL Betting Tips page.
Gold Coast vs Western Bulldogs Betting Tips
Metricon Stadium, Thursday 23rd July, 7.40pm (AEST)
Two teams who are choc-full of young talent will battle it out on Thursday night in the Round 8 opener as the Suns host the Bulldogs from Metricon Stadium. Both teams will be coming off big wins in Round 7 and will be looking to carry on the momentum to consolidate positions inside the top eight.
Gold Coast
The Suns currently sit in 7th place on the AFL ladder with a 4-3 record and had a brilliant win over Sydney in Round 7. Young sensation Izak Rankine was impressive in the win, booting two goals and looking mercurial once again in just his second game. Tall forward Max King also continued to impress while club stalwart David Swallow also looked good.
The Suns await the return of midfielder Matt Rowell, who suffered a shoulder injury earlier in the season but apart from him, their injury list looks pretty solid at the moment. They should nearly be at full strength this week against the Dogs, which will be super important on the back of just a four day break.
Touk Miller continues to go about his business as one of the most unheralded stars in the league. Throughout the season so far, he is averaging 22 possessions per game at an impressive 71% disposal efficiency. With no Rowell in the side, we expect him to continue to collect big numbers.
Miller 25+ Disposals
$2.63
Western Bulldogs
The Doggies can force their way into the top eight with a win on Thursday night. They currently sit in 9th place with a 4-3 record and are coming off a big win over the Bombers on Friday night. Going into the game as slight underdogs, the Dogs blew the Bombers out of the water, recording a 42 point win on the back of a dominant game from ruckman Tim English.
English had 22 touches, 1 goal and 16 hitouts in the win for a ridiculous 204 ranking points in the game, while midfield buddies in Lachie Hunter, Jack Macrae and Marcus Bontempelli also had big numbers.
English had a dominant matchup against backup ruckman Andrew Phillips on Friday night but will have a much harder task this week against Jarrod Witts. While Witts might not be as agile around the ground, he will certainly stem the English influence to a degree. Expect the Doggies big man to come back to earth a bit here.
TIP COMING SOON
Prediction
Tough game to call here between two sides that seem to be in pretty good form after bounce back wins on the weekend. The Suns look lively as hell but are really yet to prove themselves against a good side. They beat the Eagles back in Round 2 but since then their wins have come against bottom four sides in the Dockers, Crows and Swans.
The one massive factor that I think switches this game in the direction of the Suns is the rain that is forecast for the Gold Coast on Friday night. If this is a wet game I expect the Suns to win. The Doggies have proven over the last two weeks that they need good conditions that are conducive to their slick ball movement to play well. They were towelled up by Carlton in wet weather in Round 6 before bouncing back to beat a 4-1 Essendon side in good conditions in Round 7.
