Round 17 boasts the perfect AFL schedule, with games ranging from Thursday night all the way through to Monday night. The opening game of the round sees Port Adelaide host Melbourne from Adelaide Oval and as usual, PuntingInDanger has you covered with a full preview and betting tips for the clash below!
Remember to head over to our AFL Tips page for preview and betting tips on every game across Round 17.
AFL Port Adelaide vs Melbourne Betting Tips
Two of the top teams in the league will duke it out to open up Round 17 in the AFL season on Thursday night as the Power host the Dees. Can Melbourne reclaim top spot or will the Power draw level on points with their opponents?
Match Prediction
The Power were too strong for the Hawks in Shaun Burgoyne’s 400th game on the weekend, notching up a 34 point win to stay just four points back of the leading two teams in the competition in Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs. They have a chance to draw level with a win against the Dees at Adelaide Oval, where they have a 5-2 record this season.
The Power will be massively buoyed by the return of star midfielder Zak Butters, while Orazio Fantasia and Robbie Gray are both nearing returns. Overall, the Power have a strong looking injury list at the moment, but arguably no team has been as healthy as the Dees this season. Melbourne have had a dream run with injury, and only Nathan Jones, Adam Tomlinson and Marty Hore will be missing from their potential best 22 again this week.
Despite the clean bill of health, the Demons have been incredibly shaky over the last few months compared to their dominant form from the start of the season. A loss to Adelaide in Round 10 was followed up by two solid performances against the Bulldogs and Lions, since then, however, they have lost to the Pies, just scraped over the line against an inexperienced Bombers side before being beaten by the Giants at the MCG on the weekend.
If the Dees continue to play like that, I think it will be pretty hard for them to win in Adelaide on Thursday night. The bookies have opened with the Power as just 2.5 point favourites, which seems a bit low considering how good they have looks in Adelaide this season. The Dees are 1-3 against the Power at Adelaide Oval dating all the way back to 2011 and I’m confident that Port will be too strong for them again on Thursday night at home.
Power -2.5 (2 Units)
$1.90
Same Game Multi
Ollie Wines has been one of the standout midfielders in the competition so far this season, racking up 32.5 touches per game including monster 43 disposal games against the Suns and Hawks within the last three weeks. Should cruise past 25 touches this week, as he has done in every game bar one this season.
Karl Amon has been in solid accumulating form this season, racking up at least 20 touches in 12 of 15 games. He had 26 on the weekend against the Hawks and had his best game of the season against the Dees in shortened quarters last year with 25.
Max Gawn 15+ disposals has been one of my go-to same game multi legs over the past month or so, as the bookies keep offering a price in the $1.20’s for something that has occurred every game for the past eight now. Has only missed twice this season, in Round 1 and Round 7.
Ollie Wines 25+ Disp.
Karl Amon 20+ Disp.
Max Gawn 15+ Disp.
PA vs MEL Same Game Multi
$2.05
