Aussie Rules Football Round 17 Odds & Predictions: Race for Top 8 Heating Up

• Four clubs remain in the hunt for the last spot among the top 8 as the AFL season enters the home stretch
• Melbourne Demons must win to stay alive as they battle GWS, the Carlton Blues take on last-place Adelaide, while the Western Bulldogs aim to run up the score vs slumping Hawthorn
• Read on for all the odds and trends as the Aussie Rules Football season enters Round 17

As the AFL regular season enters its final two weeks, the race on the AFL ladder is heating up, with just four points separating four clubs in the battle for the final spot among the top 8. The Greater Western Sydney Giants maintain a tenuous hold on eighth place as they get set to battle the 10th-place Melbourne Demons.

Fresh off a spectacular 57-52 comeback victory over the Sydney Swans to remain in the premiership hunt, the Carlton Blues face an unexpected challenge in this week’s date with the surging Adelaide Crows, while the Western Bulldogs aim to break their deadlock with GWS on the ladder as they take on the freefalling Hawthorn Hawks.

We’ve got you covered with all the odds and trends as AFL Round 17 kicks off.

Aussie Rules Round 17 Odds

Odds taken Sept 9

Melbourne in Must-Win Situation vs GWS

The Melbourne Demons will be desperate for a win to maintain their hopes of nailing down a spot among the top 8 on the AFL ladder when they take on the GWS Giants on Saturday as 7.5-point underdogs in the AFL Round 17 odds. The Demons’ late-season swoon continued on Monday with a disappointing 47-33 loss to the Fremantle Dockers. With the loss, Melbourne has now fallen to defeat in three of their past four outings and now sit four points back of the Giants in the race for eighth place.

Happy with where your team sits after round 16? pic.twitter.com/X5uX8yy3Ha

— AFL (@AFL) September 9, 2020

A lack of offensive production has emerged as a real concern for the Demons, who have averaged fewer than 46 points over their past four contests. That trend comes in stark contrast to the 93.3 points per match they averaged over their three previous outings. Melbourne have also produced mixed results as the road team this season, compiling a 3-3-0 win-loss-draw record, with two of those wins coming against bottom feeders Hawthorn and Adelaide.

Fortunately for the Demons, the Giants have not fared much better of late. GWS remain deadlocked with the Western Bulldogs on points in the race for eighth place, and sport solid -150 odds of clinching a berth in the Finals series despite losing three of their past five contests.

Crows get the chocolates tonight.#AFLCrowsGIANTS #NeverSurrender pic.twitter.com/Y4zvenKk6q

— GWS GIANTS (@GWSGIANTS) September 8, 2020

The Giants are coming off a stunning 59-47 loss to the Crows in a match that they never led, and have failed to reach 50 points on four occasions over their past five outings. GWS have impressed as the home club this season, winning five of seven, including impressive victories over top flight opponents like Geelong, Collingwood, and Richmond. Now poised to eliminate the Demons from postseason contention, the Giants hold the edge in what promises to be a low-scoring affair, but 7.5 points is an enormous spread to cover.

Picks: Melbourne Demons +7.5 (-110); GWS win by 1-39 points (-110)

Blues’ Postseason Hopes on the Line

The Carlton kept their hopes for a spot in the Finals series alive in spectacular fashion earlier this week, spotting the Sydney Swans a massive 39-point lead in the first half before storming back to claim a narrow 57-52 win. Now tied with Melbourne at 28 points, the Blues likely have to win out in their final two outings against Adelaide and Brisbane to keep their postseason hopes alive. That desperate situation is reflected in their +1000 odds to crack the top 8.

The Blues’ demonstration of resilience against the Swans was certainly welcome, but the club continues to struggle to score points, averaging just 49 points per match during their current 3-3-0 run. A 2-5-0 home record this season has also done little to boost the optimism of Carlton supporters as the club prepares to battle a resurgent Adelaide squad that has won two in a row.

The Crows embarrassed GWS in last week’s 59-47 win. Playing uncharacteristically stingy defense, Adelaide limited the Giants to just seven first-quarter points, and have now limited opponents to an average of just 12 first-quarter points over their past three outings.

Winless Adelaide Crows becoming the first team to win in September is peak 2020

— George (@PossiblyGeorge) September 1, 2020

If Adelaide can continue to avoid falling behind early and enjoy the steady second-half offensive production that has been key to their recent spurt, they are a solid bet to cover as lengthy 13.5-point underdogs, and potentially snuff out the Blues postseason aspirations while establishing their first three-match win streak since June 2019.

Picks: Adelaide Crows to win (+182)

Odds to Make the Top 8 on AFL Ladder

Odds taken September 9

Bulldogs Motivated to Run Up Score

The Western Bulldogs will try to keep pace with the Giants on the AFL ladder when they battle the slumping Hawthorn Hawks on Sunday as loft 17.5-point favorites. The Bulldogs sit level with GWS at 32 points, but closely trail the Giants in points percentage, leaving them below the line on the AFL ladder heading into Round 17.

.@jdunks5 makes it three in a row for the @westernbulldogs 👀#AFLDogsEagles pic.twitter.com/GJxulu6YZq

— AFL (@AFL) September 6, 2020

However, the club is well-positioned to run up the score this weekend against Hawthorn and enjoys a favorable season finale matchup next week against the also-ran Fremantle Dockers. As a result, the Bulldogs currently lead the way among the teams on the postseason bubble, sporting short -170 odds of landing a spot among the top 8.

Winless in six straight outings since enjoying an early-August bye, the Hawks briefly enjoyed hope of a turnaround in their last outing, storming to an early first-quarter lead before rolling over in an 80-66 loss to St. Kilda.

Some positives from our youngsters 👍

An injury to a key Hawk 😓

Here's how our Round 16 clash played out…

📝: https://t.co/TDFNZ0yKQD pic.twitter.com/50A0Mj4Uoc

— Hawthorn FC (@HawthornFC) September 6, 2020

The Hawks have surrendered 80 or more points in four of their past five outings, and have consistently squandered strong starts with a steady run of dismal performances after half-time. With so much on the line for a Bulldogs squad in need of a lopsided victory, look for Hawthorn to struggle to keep pace in Sunday’s matchup

Picks: Western Bulldogs -17.5 (-110)