The AFLW season kicks off this Friday and Before You Bet has you covered with our Round 1 betting tips. The season starts at Ikon Park once again with the Blues up against the Magpies. Read through our game by game previews below.
AFL Women's Round 1 Betting Tips
Carlton v Collingwood (Friday 7.45pm AEDT)
The rivalry between Carlton and Collingwood continues as they clash in Round 1 of the 2018 season. There is added spice for this matchup with former Magpie Nicola Stevens now at the Blues. Carlton will also unveil new recruit Tayla Harris. With Darcy Vescio, the Blues should comfortably out-score them in this matchup. In this match last season, the Blues thrashed them 46-11 in front of a bumper crowd and start as 8.5 point favourites in this one. The Magpies will likely struggle to contain their forward line once again, especially with Harris. So in the end, I'm taking the Blues to kick off the season by covering the line.
TIP: Carlton -8.5 - $1.88 at CrownBet
Melbourne v GWS Giants (Saturday 5.05pm AEDT)
Melbourne is the top favourite of the round, but this is an interesting matchup. Mainly because the Giants beat them last season 20-15. However, it was in the pouring rain at Blacktown Oval (the forecast is sunny at Casey Fields this Saturday) and they kicked just 1 goal/9 behinds, so they should play better at home. They went 2-1 at Casey Fields last season and thrashed Fremantle 70-16 in Round 7. This season, Tegan Cunningham is a nice pickup for Melbourne and she kicked 3 goals in their preseason match. Along with Daisy Pearce, many are tipping the Demons to reach the Grand Final. They looked strong in the preseason and should be able to dominate the Giants around the stoppages. Last season, the Giants lost by 30+ points in 4 of 7 matches so the 12.5 point line is very achievable for the Demons.
TIP: Demons -12.5 - $1.88 at CrownBet
Adelaide Crows v Brisbane Lions (Saturday 7.15pm AEDT)
In the second match of this double-header, it’s the Grand Final rematch from last season. The Crows beat the Lions at Metricon in a thrilling finish to the 2017 season. In 2018, the Crows are expected to reach the Grand Final once again with a mostly unchanged lineup. Meanwhile, Brisbane are missing Tayla Harris this season but they still have a number of talented players. In their two matches against the Crows, they’ve been within a kick so the line of 10.5 points is worth a play. They also beat the Crows in the last matchup at Norwood and have a strong defence that can match the Crows scoring power. The Lions are 8-0 ATS in their AFLW history and the Crows are 4-4 ATS. So I'll be taking the Lions to keep this matchup close once again.
TIP: Lions +10.5 - $1.88 at CrownBet
Western Bulldogs v Fremantle (Sunday 4.35pm AEDT)
The Bulldogs host the Dockers in the last match of the round. I’m expecting a better season for the Bulldogs with gun player Katie Brennan looking fit. They went 2-5 last season but did finish with a 102.2 percentage and lost three matches by 7 points or less. So they're tipped to improve in 2018. They also smashed the Dockers at this venue in Round 1 last season 44-12. While for the Dockers, they’ve already been hit by the injury bug and most are predicting a wooden spoon (including me). They went 1-5-1 last season and it's hard to see them improving. This is a tough road-trip for Fremantle and I’m expecting the Bulldogs to start the season with an easy win.
TIP: Bulldogs -9.5 - $1.88 at CrownBet
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