AFL Round 18 sees five games play out on Saturday and one of the night fixtures will be at Adelaide Oval where the Crows will play host to the Saints. Both clubs are in similar positions in the standings and a win either way is massive. Catch our full betting preview below!
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2024 AFL Round 18 Preview & Betting Tips
Adelaide vs St Kilda
Saturday 7:30pm AEST, July 13th, Adelaide Oval
Adelaide have probably been the most disappointing team this season and fans of the club had no joy again last weekend when they were defeated by the Lions on enemy territory (86-97). They were outscored in all but the last quarter and never truly threatened for the four points.
In a massive blow for the Crows, their best player in Izak Rankine has been ruled out for four weeks due to a bump he laid on tagger Brandon Starcevich. The Crows appealed the decision at the tribunal on Tuesday night but the case was quickly thrown out. This will likely lead to some more midfield time to Josh Rachele and potentially Billy Dowling.
In positive news for the Crows, former #2 pick Riley Thilthorpe will play his first game in the seniors for season 2024. The tall forward has plied his trade in the reserves most recently after suffering an injury in pre-season and will get his chance at senior level.
Meanwhile, St Kilda will be aiming for back-to-back wins for just the second time this season when they head to Adelaide this weekend. They pulled off perhaps their best win of the season last weekend when they came from behind to knock off the ladder-leading Swans by two points (84-82).
All things considered, the Saints have put together a strong five weeks of footy, going 3-2 during the stretch and only losing to a couple of top eight clubs in the Lions and the Power. However, suffering close defeats is the key reason why they’ll likely miss finals footy this year.
The Saints have made just the two changes at selection this week, both of which were forced. Unfortunately, Bradley Hill will miss for personal reasons and Marcus Windhager is injured, which opens the door for a return for Riley Bonner and Zak Jones.
Match Prediction: The Crows dominated this fixture last year and while their season hasn’t exactly gone to plan in 2024, they’re still a tough proposition on their home deck. They should be too strong for the Saints in Adelaide, but it’s certainly a game where you’d like to avoid if possible from a betting standpoint.
Adelaide -11.5
$1.90 (0.5 Units)
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Jake Soligo 25+ Disposals – Has enjoyed his midfield time this season and should only get more opportunity with Rankine out. Expecting Soligo to step up here.
Darcy Fogarty 2+ Goals – Has teased for a while but loves playing at home and should get plenty of looks at the big sticks.
Adelaide to Win – Despite their standings, the Crows are a tough team to beat at home and I like them for the reasons above.
SGM Odds: $6.75 at BoomBet
