Aussie Rules Football Round 9 Odds & Predictions: Saints, Eagles Gain Momentum as AFL Season Hits Halfway Mark

• The West Coast Eagles and St. Kilda Saints look to continue their climb up the AFL ladder this weekend as heavy betting favorites in AFL Round 9 action
• While the Eagles and Saints set their sights on first place, the Adelaide Crows vie for their first win in a year as they battle the freefalling North Melbourne Kangaroos
• Read on to get all the odds and trends ahead of these key Aussie Rules Football Round 9 matchups

The St. Kilda Saints continue to be one of the big surprises as the AFL season approaches the halfway mark. The Saints are coming off an impressive win over first-place Port Adelaide, and are poised to solidify their grasp on a top-four spot on the ladder when they host the Sydney Swans at the Gabba in the wee hours of Saturday morning.

The West Coast Eagles look to keep pace with the Saints with a fifth straight win in their Saturday matchup with the Geelong Cats, while freefalling clubs clash as the North Melbourne Kangaroos take on the winless Adelaide Crows.

We’ve got you covered with all the odds for this week’s fixtures, and insight into these three key AFL Round 9 matchups.

Aussie Rules Round 9 Odds

Odds taken July 28

Saints Riding High Ahead of Date with Swans

The St. Kilda Saints continued to silence the naysayers last week by handing the league-leading Port Adelaide Power a decisive 73-44 defeat. Now sitting in fourth place on the AFL ladder, just four points back of the Power, the Saints are poised to tally their fifth win in six outings when they take on the Sydney Swans as heavy 15.5-point favorites.

Round 8️⃣ is in the books, where does your team sit? pic.twitter.com/14A0y8O1ad

— AFL (@AFL) July 27, 2020

The Saints have limited opponents to 55 or fewer points in three of their past four contests while maintaining a sustained attack that has generated 73 or more points in each of their past five outings, a run that started with their crushing 93-67 rout of the defending champion Richmond Tigers back in Round 4.

The Sydney Swans knocked off the Hawthorn Hawks 60-53 last week to end a four-match losing streak, but have averaged just 45.6 points per match over their past five outings. The Swans hope to have reached a turning point after tallying 60 points in each of their past two outings but have scored just 69 total points while falling to defeat in their past two road dates.

The Swans have posted wins in 10 of their past 11 meetings with the Saints while averaging an impressive 113.4 points per match. But with Sydney enduring a rash of injuries that has sidelined Lance Franklin, Josh Kennedy, Sam Naismith, and Isaac Heeney, the familiar narrative surrounding this rivalry is ripe for a rewrite.

Look for the Saints to continue to roll with another steady performance, while easily covering a wide double-digit spread.

Picks: St. Kilda Saints -15.5 (-112); UNDER 129.5 (-112)

Winners of Four Straight. Eagles Eye First Place

The West Coast Eagles hit the halfway point of the AFL campaign as the hottest team in the league, riding a four-match win streak, and will look to continue their winning ways when they battle the Geelong Cats on Saturday as heavy 16.5-point favorites. The Eagles stunned the Collingwood Magpies in last week’s lopsided 111-45 victory, extending a current stretch of dominating defensive play in which they have allowed an average of just 38.5 points over their four recent wins.

"They are in a wonderful position to have a full on assault at the premiership this year."@matthewlloyd18 believes the West Coast Eagles are genuine contenders, with a long stretch of home games ahead.#9FootyClassified | Watch @channel9 pic.twitter.com/wO00yRXszG

— Footy on Nine (@FootyonNine) July 27, 2020

The Eagles have posted wins in each of their past five at Optus Stadium by an average margin of victory of 43 points. However, with the exception of last week’s win over the Magpies, the Eagles’ home dominance has come against clubs at or near the bottom of the ladder.

The Cats arrive in town with an eye on first place on the AFL ladder. Geelong is coming off a spectacular defensive performance against Fremantle last weekend, posting a 48-16 win to seize control of third place, just four points back of Port Adelaide.

Overall, the Cats have won four of five, including their past two road dates, while avoiding surrendering over 57 points in a match during that stretch. Consistency remains a concern for Geelong, but with both these clubs now playing steady defense, look for the Cats to stay within striking distance of the high-flying Eagles.

Picks: Geelong Cats +16.5 (-112); UNDER 119.5 (-112)

Losing Streaks on the Line as Crows, Kangaroos Clash

The Adelaide Crows will likely enjoy their best chance so far this season to end an 11-match losing streak that dates back to last August when they take on the freefalling North Melbourne Kangaroos on Saturday as 10.5-point road underdogs. The Crows saw their 2020 win-loss-draw record tumble to 0-8-0 with last weekend’s 62-59 loss to Essendon.

"There’s an acceptance of a losing culture creeping in…"

Are Crows fans too accepting of losses? | https://t.co/ysOVdtGMT9 | #AFL pic.twitter.com/Pg0JuLr6Uh

— SEN 1116 (@1116sen) July 27, 2020

While the Crows have surrendered an AFL-worst 610 points this season, last weekend’s performance gives reason for optimism. The club’s 59 points mark their best outing since opening the season with a 74-71 loss to Sydney and have now allowed an average of just 65.25 points over their past four outings.

The Kangaroos looked to Saturday’s date at Metricon Stadium in search of answers after seeing their current losing streak extended to six matches with last weekend’s 64-57 loss to Carlton. And while the Crows have taken steps to tighten up their defense, the Kangaroos have struggled, allowing almost 74 points per match over their past four outings.

Carlton has bounced back from last weeks heartbreak, beating North Melbourne in Brisbane. | @RobWaters10 #AFL pic.twitter.com/mrsCIfxiDp

— 10 News First (@10NewsFirst) July 25, 2020

Injuries remain a concern for both these clubs, with the Crows losing leading midfielder Brad Crouch to a hamstring strain last week, while North Melbourne remains without ben Cunningham and skipper Jack Ziebell. Expect this to be a low-scoring affair, with the Crows salvaging pride by covering the 10.5 points.

Picks: Adelaide Crows +10.5 (-112); UNDER 118.5 (-112)