Sitting pretty at third on the AFL table, Carlton will be looking to cement their top four credentials with a huge win over North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium.
The Kangaroos have started this season well with two wins from the first three rounds, but punters are hot on the Blues to continue their winning run in this Good Friday clash.
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AFL Round 4 Preview & Betting Tips
North Melbourne vs Carlton
Friday 4:20pm AEST, April 7th, Marvel Stadium
North Melbourne have had a great run under Alistair Clarkson so far in 2023, but Carlton will pose a massive challenge for them on Friday.
The Kangaroos started the campaign with two shock wins, but were brought back down to earth last weekend against wooden spoon favourites Hawthorn. Without key ball winners Jy Simpkin and Luke Davies-Uniacke, North were beaten around the ball and outgunned in attack, going down by 19 points. It wasn’t all doom and gloom though – Harry Sheezel continued his scintillating start to life in the AFL with 26 disposals, while experienced campaigners Cameron Zurhaar and Todd Goldstein also performed well. That being said, the Kangaroos are unlikely to win too many more games this season, so they will be kicking themselves for not getting the points against an inferior opposition. Looking ahead to Friday’s game, the Roos are set to regain the services of midfielders Simpkin and Davies-Uniacke, but key defender Ben McKay is at least one more week from a return. While they will enter this encounter as underdogs, North will take some confidence from their early season form as well as a victory against the Blues in 2021.
It will be a tough task for Clarkson’s men, as Carlton are in winning form. The Blues scored a gritty 10-point win over the Giants last week, extending their undefeated streak to three games. Leaders Patrick Cripps and Sam Docherty led the way for the navy blues – the former managed a career-high 42 disposals, while Docherty wasn’t far behind with 39. Nic Newman and Adam Saad also displayed their quality at half-back, providing excellent rebound from defence in the tight win. On the injury front, Matt Kennedy and Jack Martin are both in the frame to return on Friday. However, gun wingman Sam Walsh will have to wait until next week. Nevertheless, the second-tier players that Carlton have blooded have performed admirably. It may be early, but surely Blues fans are starting to smell September action.
Given the markedly different expectations for these two teams, it’s impossible to go past Carlton in this one. The Blues beat the Kangaroos by a comprehensive 50 points last season and while the latter side has improved, they still lack the quality to challenge Carlton at both ends of the field. I expect the likes of Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay to get on top of an understrength Kangaroos backline and turn this into a bit of a blowout under the roof.
Carlton 40+
$2.50 (2 Units)
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Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow 2+ Goals – McKay and Curnow are a lethal combination, but the pair have yet to both fire in the same game so far this season. While Curnow has been electric with 10 goals, McKay has just two to his name. I expect that to change on Friday, with Ben McKay and Griffin Logue missing for the Roos.
Carlton -26.5 – As mentioned above, Carlton should be far too strong for North Melbourne who were beaten by the lowly Hawks last week. While the H2H odds don’t present much value, the line looks good here for the Blues.
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