Aussie Rules Football Round 18 Odds & Predictions – Demons, Eagles Poised to Climb Ladder in Season Finales

• The playoff picture is far from clear as the AFL enters its final weekend of the 2020 season
• Richmond hold a clear edge in the race for spots among the top 4 on the AFL ladder, while Melbourne and GSW are both worthy of consideration as longshots to crack the top 8
• Read on for all the odds and trends for the key matchups on the AFL Round 18 schedule

Playoff spots remain up for grabs as Aussie Rules Football enters the final week of the 2020 regular season. The St. Kilda Saints and Western Bulldogs enter Round 18 holding the edge in a tight four-way battle for the final two spots among the top 8 on the AFL ladder. Deadlocked with Western at 36 points, the Saints lead the Bulldogs on points percentage, but face a crucial matchup with the Greater Western Sydney Giants, who could move above the line with a decisive win. The Melbourne Demons also remain in the hunt, as they look forward to a favorable matchup with the Essendon Bombers.

A three-way battle for two spots among the top 4 will also be resolved this weekend. The Richmond Tigers remain in the driver’s seat, two points up on both the Geelong Cats and West Coast Eagles. All three clubs enjoy favorable matchups, but the Eagles will likely need a big assist from the Sydney Swans in their clash with the Cats on Sunday morning.

We’ve got you covered with all the odds and trends as AFL Round 18 kicks off.

Aussie Rules Round 18 Odds

Odds taken at DraftKings Sportsbook Sept 16

Saints Favored in Hunt for Top 8

The seventh-place St. Kilda Saints look to avoid a fourth loss in five outings when they take on the GWS Giants on Friday morning as slim 5.5-point favorites. The Saints are coming off a 65-50 loss to the West Coast Eagles last week, and have now scored 50 or fewer points in four of their past six outings.

1⃣7⃣ rounds down, 1⃣ to go.

2⃣ finals spots up for grabs. pic.twitter.com/izJ2ghVBS2

— AFL (@AFL) September 14, 2020

The Giants continue to lag in the hunt for a spot above the line, in both points and points percentage after dropping a heartbreaking 79-74 decision to the Melbourne Demons in Round 17. The Giants have lost two straight, and four of six overall, but are undefeated in three meetings with St. Kilda, posting lopsided victories in each of their past two. In addition to making the Giants an attractive +115 bet to once again knock off the Saints, the Giants also offer exceptional value as a +1000 longshot to climb into the top 8.

Top 8 AFL Odds

Demons Edge Out Giants on Points Percentage

The Demons offer intriguing upside on the odds to crack the top 8 as they prepare to face the Essendon Bombers on Saturday morning as 12.5-point favorites. Melbourne remained in the hunt with last week’s win over the Giants, ending a two-match slide.

AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL
MELBOURNE DEMONS beat GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY GIANTS and put themselves not PRIME spot to secure a finals spot in final round. #AussieFooty pic.twitter.com/e8wvkrp1oM

— DMT Sports Media 🇦🇺 (@au_dthompson) September 12, 2020

That win also gives the Demons a sizeable advantage in points percentage over GWS, and marked a long-awaited resurgence by the Melbourne offense, which had averaged just 45.8 points over the club’s previous four outings. Those trends have been key in lifting the Demons to attractive +275 longshots of eking out a spot in the Finals Series. However, those efforts could hinge on the success of the Western Bulldogs in their season finale against the Fremantle Dockers on Sunday morning.

Bulldogs Face Test vs Dockers

The Bulldogs have stormed back into postseason contention during a 4-1-0 win-loss-draw run, capped by last week’s 76-40 rout of the Hawthorn Hawks. However, the club has a mountain to climb to cover as 12.5-point favorites against Fremantle, who allowed just 68 total points in back-to-back wins over Melbourne and North Melbourne in their past two outings.

Our destiny is now in our own hands!!
2 wins from our next 2 and we play finals. Simple!! You’ve got this Dogs ❤️🤍💙👊 @westernbulldogs #MightyWest

— 𝗝𝗗𝟭𝟵𝟴𝟬 (@justind1980) September 12, 2020

Facing no pressure entering the Round 18, the Dockers are well-positioned to play the role of spoilers after posting decisive victories over Western in their past two meetings on home turf, adding value to the +350 odds of the Bulldogs falling out of the playoff picture.

Best Top 8 Bets: Melbourne Demons to make top 8 (+275); Western Bulldogs to miss top 8 (+350)

Tigers in Top 4 Driver’s Seat

There is far less intrigue in the race for the top 4. The Richmond Tigers currently hold a two-point lead over the Geelong Cats and West Coast Eagles as they prepare for Saturday’s date with the last-place Adelaide Crows as 21.5-point favorites. The Tigers are pegged as massive -910 favorites to stay in the top 4, but face a resurgent Crows squad that has won three in a row, and can likely escape the basement on the AFL ladder with a win.

The Cats look to rebound from last week’s embarrassing 57-31 loss to Richmond as they take on the slumping Sydney Swans as 25.5-point chalk. The Swans enter Round 18 in a tailspin after posting forgettable losses to Carlton and Brisbane. Sydney has also been blown out in three straight losses to Geelong, who lead the AFL in scoring. But while the Cats are a solid bet to cover this weekend’s huge spread, they offer little value as a -835 wager to stay among the top 4.

Odds to Make AFL Top 4

Eagles Can Shake Up Top 4 with Lopsided Win

Conversely, the West Coast Eagles can put both the Lions and Cats on notice when they open Round 18 on Thursday morning against North Melbourne as 34.5-point chalk. The Eagles built an eight-match win streak earlier this season on a stout defense, and are well-positioned to make an example of the defensively-challenged Kangaroos, who have scored 35 or fewer points in four of their past six matches.

An undermanned West Coast Eagles have seen off a stern challenge from St Kilda, keeping their top four hopes alive with a 15 point win at the Gabba on Thursday night.

Report: https://t.co/5coNixlgBE pic.twitter.com/NVwdK3QxLf

— 91.3 SportFM (@913sportfm) September 10, 2020

With the West Coast offense looking to close out the schedule on a dominating note, the Eagles can place enormous pressure on both the Cats and Lions by running up the score in Thursday’s contest, making them worthy of consideration as a +250 bet to make the top 4.

Best Top 4 Bets: West Coast Eagles to make top 4 (+250)