An AFL double-header on a Friday night, am I dreaming? Round 9 in the AFL sees Footy Mania getting underway with 33 games in 19 straight days. Friday night sees two big games getting underway from 5.40pm and as usual, we have a full preview and betting tips for both games below.
We will be posting a new article EVERY DAY during footy mania, so make sure you regularly check our AFL Betting Tips page for tips on the games of the day.
AFL Round 9 Friday Betting Tips
Carlton vs Hawthorn
Optus Stadium, Friday 31st July, 5.40pm (AEST)
The Blues recorded their fourth win of the season in Round 8 and are knocking on the door of the top eight despite missing a bunch of key players through injury. They were fantastic against the Roos on the weekend, recording a seven point win on the back of a great game from recruit Jared Polec.
The Hawks struggles continued in Round 8 as they went down to the Swans by seven points at the SCG. The Hawks have now lost their last four games on the trot and have dropped all the way to 15th on the ladder but there could be some respite coming this Thursday with Luke Breust, Jarman Impey, Jon Ceglar and Tim O’Brien all potentially returning from injury.
The Blues certainly have better form leading into this game having won two of their last three but with an 11.5 point head start the Hawks are very enticing here, especially with a host of players returning from injury. The Hawks have won their last two games against Carlton by an average margin of 38.5 points. Back them to cover the line here.
Essendon vs Brisbane
Metricon Stadium, Friday July 31st, 8.10pm (AEST)
The Bombers just got over the line against an improving Crows side in Round 8 and will be looking to continue their great start to the season on Friday night when they face a rampant Brisbane Lions side. The Bombers edged out the Crows by just three points on the back of a great game by Zach Merrett, who racked up 33 touches and 138 fantasy points.
The Lions stayed level with Port Adelaide on top of the ladder with another win, defeating the Demons away from home by four points. The win away from the sanctuary that is the Gabba will no doubt do a lot for their confidence as they look to mount a serious premiership run.
Although the Bombers have started the season with a 5-2 record, they have an extensive injury list that will come back to haunt them against a side as good as the Lions. They’ll still be without Dyson Heppell, Jake Stringer, Cale Hooker and Kyle Langford for this game. With all of those outs combined with some strong form from Brisbane at the moment, we like the Lions to cover.
